July 5 (LT) 14 cabinet and non-cabinet ministers of the former UNF government have not returned the official residences they occupied during their tenure. Though the new Government has been in office for nearly three months these former ministers continue to occupy the official residences. more..

July 5 (LT) The salaries of government employees will be increased within the next three months says Mr.Amarasiri Dodangoda, Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs. The Government has made arrangements to increase the salaries as soon as the proposals of Tissa Devendra Commission are received. more..

July 5 (CT) The poverty rate has shown a decline in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal while it increased in Pakistan over the 1990s, according to a report on the South Asian region released on Sunday. more..

July 5 (NYT) In June every year, my partner, Andrew, and I go to northern Ontario to open his family cottage. But until last year, this annual rite was inevitably bittersweet, for the trip always served as a reminder of another holiday home � the safari lodge that my father had built in the jungles of Sri Lanka, and where I spent my childhood vacations. more..

July 5 (Xinhua) Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has appealed to all sectors of the country to make efforts to bring under control the fast spreading of the dengue epidemic, the official Daily News said on Monday. "Attempts to control dengue will be a success only if it receives the support and participation of every single citizen," more..

July 5 (PRIU) The Cabinet approved investigations into corruption allegations against seven former ministers. Files pertaining to these former ministers have been handed over to the IGP, Cabinet spokesman Mangala Samaraweera said at the weekly media briefing. more..

July 5 (CI) The ICC has agreed to the Sri Lankan board's request to hurry up their bowling review process. After discussions at the ICC's annual conference, representatives from the Sri Lankan board challenged the ICC on how they currently deal with illegal bowling actions. more..

July 5 (TP) With just a week to go for provincial council polls across Sri Lanka on July 10, few people are showing interest in the election because the country has seen too many contests in recent years, the Sunday Times and other newspapers said. more..

July 5 (TP) Worried about security and fears of arrests, opposition parliamentarians from the Maldives are holding press conferences in Sri Lanka to promote their agitation against long-standing President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and launch a new party. more..

July 5 (TP) Fines for traffic offenders will rise threefold under amendments being proposed to Sri Lankan traffic laws intended to reduce the accident rate and increase the punishment to offenders, the Sunday Times reported. more..

July 5 (IRB) Not only did Sri Lanka win Division 4 of the 2004 Asian Nations Series with back-to-back victories over India and Thailand, they also rose from 63rd to 56th in the official IRB World Rankings. They followed up a 54-17 away win over India on 22 June with a 35-14 home triumph over Thailand eight days later. more..

July 5 (Gulf) A Tamil political party which is a partner in President Chandrika Kumaratunga's ruling UPFA government has openly stepped out to help a renegade regional military wing leader of the Tamil Tigers "enter the political mainstream". more..

July 5 (HT) Sri Lanka, which is already crippled by the fifty year old Sinhala-Tamil conflict, appears poised to inflict on itself yet another fracture, namely, socio-political antagonism between Buddhists and Christians. more..

July 5 (PRW) To celebrate its 5th anniversary, ECOCLUB, www.ecoclub.com, the international ecotourism club, has just held its first annual Ecolodge project competition, the "ECOCLUB Ecolodge Award 2004". more..

July 5 (OW) A murder attempt on a customs sleuth probing a controversial international company has scared thousands of its customers in Sri Lanka, where business analysts say weak laws allow scams to flourish at the expense of citizens. more..

July 5 (Reuters) Australia's Matthew Hayden is expecting his team's pace attack to make life uncomfortable for Sri Lanka's batsmen in the second test in Cairns starting on Friday. "The Cairns wicket will bounce and it will be really quick and they (Sri Lanka) won't like that," more..

July 5 (TP) A city court has issued notice to the Air Lanka, the national airlines of Sri Lanka for downgrading the class of a traveller, from business to economy class. The complainant is none other than a lawyer who also happens to be the Supreme Court Bar Association(SCBA) President. more..

July 5 (DN) Several Freedom Alliance supporters and policemen were injured following a clash between rival political factions when a vehicle convoy of the UNP forced its way passed the venue of a Freedom Alliance political meeting at the Hingurakgoda Town yesterday. more..

July 5 (AT) R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee District MP from the TNA � a proxy party of the LTTE, who is presently in United States of America on a familiarization trip with the LTTE organizations in the North American pockets, would attend a "Rehabilitation Evening" function organized by the Canada based LTTE. more..

July 5 (AT) According to the latest reports received from the Eastern Provincial town of Batticalao, the second person Senathi too had succumbed to the gunshot injuries and died. Reports just received states that two people were shot to death in Eastern town of Batticaloa this morning. more..

July 5 (IL) Amidst objections by some United National Party (UNP) members, party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to the two names proposed by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to fill the United National Front�s vacant national list slots, sources said. more..

July 5 (IL) Despite the world enjoying tremendous advancements in the material world, when it comes to one�s spirituality and heart, the world is very poor, said A.T. Ariyaratne, President of the Sarvodaya movement yesterday. more..

July 5 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers commemorated their first suicide bomber with "Black Tiger Day" on Monday, with ceremonies and speeches throughout the Tamil-majority north and east of the war-torn island. more..

July 5 (AFP) Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Tamil Tiger rebel and wounded three others in separate incidents in eastern Sri Lanka, the 17th anniversary of the first Tiger suicide bombing, officials said. more..

July 6 (TN) Police took into custody fourteen Tamil youth armed with several assault rifles from a Buddhist temple in the village of Bubula in Hingurakgoda in the Pollannaruwa District Monday evening. The chief monk of the Bubula temple is a member of Jathika Hela Urumaya(JHU), the Sinhala Buddhist nationalist party. more..

July 6 (TN) "Once more, fully aware of our people's desire for peace, we emphasise our continued commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding. We also want to express in no uncertain terms that if war is thrust on us, we are prepared," said a press release issued by the LTTE's Political Division of Batticaloa-Amparai, more..

July 6 (IANS) Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, on a three-day visit that ends Wednesday, will discuss with Indian leaders the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka, diplomatic sources said Monday. more..

July 6 (IANS) Sri Lanka's main opposition Monday accused the government of a political witch hunt to implicate its opponents, thus jeopardising the Norwegian-brokered peace process with the Tamil Tiger rebels, Xinhua reports. more..

July 6 (CI) Sanath Jayasuriya, the elder statesman of the Sri Lanka team, was happy to take the blame for running out team-mate Kumar Sangakkara, a dismissal which contributed largely to their 149-run loss to Australia in the first Test at Darwin. more..

July 6 (AT) Jeyaraj Fernandopulle - Chief government whip and Minister said that an attempt by the joint opposition group to convene the parliament session before the 20th of this month has failed. A meeting of political party leaders was held at the Parliament yesterday afternoon. more..

July 6 (AT) Government Of Sri Lanka is concerned over the two shooting incidents that took place in Batticaloa yesterday morning, resulting in the death of two persons and injuries to some others. more..

July 6 (Hindu) One LTTE cadre was shot dead and three others, including a senior political functionary, were wounded in two separate shooting incidents in Batticaloa district of eastern Sri Lanka today. more..

July 6 (CI) Sri Lanka A wrapped up the third consecutive victory of their tour of England, as Durham were sent packing in a rain-affected affair at Chester-le-Street. Set a revised total of 237 to win, Durham slumped to 199 all out, despite a blistering 89 from Gary Pratt. more..

July 6 (G2L) Six ex-Halo Trust employees, including a former LTTE cadre, had been arrested in connection with their involvement in the recent attack on the British mine clearing agency in Jaffna. A senior police investigator said there was no doubt they were involved in the attack. more..

July 6 (TN) The Japanese government has turned down a request for additional funds for two Indian mine clearing organisations - Sarvatra and Horizon - citing doubts about their competence, The Island newspaper reported Sunday. more..

July 6 (TN) Mr.S.I.R.Croos, a Civil Engineer was appointed as the 26th President of the Trincomalee Rotary Club Saturday night at an event held in Hotel Club Oceanic in Allesgarden Trincomalee. more..

July 6 (LBO) Sri Lanka�s only auto maker says a Customs demand to slap a 25 percent excise tax on its cars, will take away its cost advantage against imported competition. The makers of Micro Car say expansion plans and a proposed new model by 2006 will be shelved if the duty is imposed. more..

July 6 (LBO) The business plans for Colombo�s South Harbour development was finalised last week, now requiring State approval to tap donor assistance to finance the US$ 300 million Government component of the project. more..

July 6 (LBO) Sri Lanka Customs Superintendent Athula Lankadeva's residence in Maharagama was given security from last night. Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama met top Customs and Police officials yesterday to deal with the problem of providing security to customs officers under threat. more..

July 6 (TN) Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE, speaking after the ceremonial opening Monday of the Trincomalee District Ayurveda Hospital said that he was pleased that the opening was held on Black Tigers Day which he said was an important day for the liberation struggle of Tamil people. more..

July 6 (CT) Sri Lanka Bureau of foreign employment plans to introduce a new service agreement for the migrant workers. Its Chairman Karunasena Hettiarchchi says this agreement would come in to operation within a short period. more..

July 6 (CT) Common research collaboration is to be setup by the TRI, RRI and CRI .Director of the Tea Research Institute Dr.Ziyad Mohamed says that Rubber Research Institute, TRI and the Coconut Research Institute had discussed the matter to reach this decision. more..

July 6 (SLA) An attempt, by a group of armed and uniform-clad LTTE cadres to cross the Main Supply Route (MSR) in the general area of ALANKULAM during early hours on 5th July 2004 in order to reach THOPPIGALA area, was foiled by troops since the LTTE had not obtained prior approval for this movement. more..

July 6 (SLA) Two members of Eelam People�s Democratic Party (EPDP) were admitted to JAFFNA hospital on 04 July 2004 after they were beaten and stabbed by an unidentified group of men for reasons best known only to the assailants. more..

July 6 (SLA) Hundreds of school children and some civilians in the general area of CHAVAKACHCHERI were made to take part in an LTTE organized commemorative event on 05 July 2004. Meanwhile, SLMM was kept informed of another instance of LTTE raising their flag during an LTTE event in KODIKAMAM on 05 July 2004 more..

July 6 (PSL) New Army Commander Lieutenant General S. H. S Kottegoda paid a courtesy call on Defence Minister President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday, at President�s House, Colombo. Lt. Gen. Kottegoda assumed duties as the 17th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army on July 1, 2004 more..

July 6 (TP) Police fired teargas to disperse a crowd after more than 500 opposition farmers and a group of ruling alliance activists clashed in Sri Lanka�s northwestern town of Hingurakgoda on Sunday, newspapers said. Police said nine people including a television journalist were injured in the clash. more..

July 6 (AT) Police have arrested two Indonesian women and a Sri Lankan man in the death of a 25-year-old Indonesian maid, identified only as N.B., reports Al-Watan daily. Records indicate, the victim was a runaway and she was held captive by the trio inside an apartment in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh after she approached them for help. more..

July 6 (KT) Sri lanka's problem has generally been a lack of visionary leadership, and that is precisely the need of the hour there now. For, the high hopes raised in the past two years over a final settlement to the contentious Tamil Tiger issue have somewhat been dashed by the failure of the political leadership to rise to the occasion and grab what many thought was a golden opportunity to restore peace in the troubled north and east. more..

July 6 (AFP) Authorities in northwest Pakistan have arrested two Sri Lankan men trying to smuggle three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of heroin, an official said Monday. "We have arrested two international heroin smugglers who had come from Sri Lanka and were carrying three kilograms of heroin," more..