Mar 7 (NW) The general public living in the Western Province who were affected by the three day long water cut, has condemned the inefficiency of the government and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. more..

Mar 8 (NZPA) He might have a name straight out of the English public school system, but Ian Gerald Daniel is a batsman direct from the Sri Lankan school of wizardry. His 94 highlighted the opening day of the three-day match between Sri Lanka A and Otago at Molyneux Park in Alexandra yesterday. more..

Mar 8 (TN) "The TNA must capture at least twenty one of the thirty one of parliamentary seats in the forthcoming general election to show the international community that the northeast province is the traditional homeland of Tamil speaking people despite attempts by Sri Lanka governments to tamper with demographic balance with several state aided colonization schemes," more..

Mar 8 (TN) In a interview to the IBC Radio, Mr. Karikalan, a senior leader of the LTTE said that Karuna was spreading false stories to the international media to justify his betrayal and to prevent the international Tamil community from calling Mr. Karuna a �traitor.� more..

Mar 8 (TN) In an interview to the UK-based IBC Radio, Col.Ramesh, the new Special Commander of the Liberation Tigers for Batticaloa-Ampara, said that Karuna took the unilateral decision to split on his own ignoring the advices of several senior commanders and administrateive heads. more..

Mar 8 (TM) TODAY we resume one of the great battles in Test cricket - playing again Sri Lanka's gun off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. The most stimulating part of competing at international level is to match yourself against the best and there is no better exponent of his craft in the world than Murali. more..

Mar 8 (Reuters) A black string with a cyanide capsule on the end is the symbol of the fanaticism and discipline of Tamil Tigers in their separatist war. Those qualities that kept at bay the Indian army and held off the Sri Lankan military for two decades could be unravelling, and with them the island�s best hope of ending the war that has killed 64,000. more..

Mar 8 (NW) Leader of the Jaffna LTTE political wing Semmannan had assured that even though there is an internal rift in the LTTE, the rift would not at any instance sabotage the activities of the forthcoming general election scheduled for April 2. more..

Mar 8 (UNI) The LTTE's deposed commander of the East, V Muralitharan, suffered yet another blow as one of his close confidante and senior leader from the East, Sivagnanam Karikalan, arrived in Wanni today for discussions with the rebel leadership about the worsening situation in the Eastern Batticaloa district. more..

Mar 8 (TA) ONE man was a medium pacer in his youth but was too slow to make things happen. The other man wanted to be an Aussie rules footballer but was too short of pace as well. In their mid-teens it looked as if they were destined to become sporting bit players, more..

Mar 8 (LBO) The ambitious new regulations on food labelling and advertising could turn out to be an April fools joke, as the trade pushes to delay its implementation, while the Health Ministry pussyfoots the issue. more..

Mar 8 (LBO) Local media is full of questionable advertising aimed at kids, something stakeholders are not paying enough attention to. Companies spend billions of rupees to market products to children whose spending power is on the rise. more..

Mar 8 (LBO) Transparency International, an NGO that fights corruption worldwide says the country needs to make �abuse of public resources during elections� a criminal offense. Local politicians freely use government resources like vehicles, official residences and government employees in their election campaigns. more..

Mar 8 (SLA) Most schools, Tamil shops, Government offices in the general areas of CHENKALADY, VANTHARAMULLAI, BATTICALOA town and its environs remained either virtually closed or non-functional today (08) following the tension that pursued after the LTTE pro-KARUNA fractions staged a series of protests against LTTE leader PRABHAKARAN on 07 March 2004. more..

Mar 8 (SLA) A wave of protests, organized by a breakaway group of the LTTE took place throughout the day on 07 March 2004 in the general areas of the VALAICHCHENAI VC GROUND, KALUVANKERNI, CHENKALADY, VANTHARAMOOLAI, SITTANDY, KINNIADY, BATTICALOA town and its suburbs, condemning LTTE leader VELUPILLAI PRABHAKARAN. more..

Mar 8 (SLA) Two unidentified LTTE men, who attempted to abduct an EPDP political activist, had relieved him of his mobile phone worth Rs.10,000/= (about US $ 103) and his bicycle but the victim managed to escape from his captors and surrendered to the KUMBURUMULLA Army camp on 05 March 2004 around 10.00 p.m. more..

Mar 8 (SLA) Four motorbike riding pistol men, suspected to be from LTTE have threatened an Eelam People�s Democratic Party (EPDP) political activist with a pistol on 05 March 2004 while he was in the general area of VANNARAPANNAI, about 2.5 km north of JAFFNA. more..

Mar 8 (SLA) An accidental fire erupted inside the GANEMULLA Commando Regimental headquarters on 07 March 2004 has destroyed a container that contained captured terrorist explosives and ammunition. more..

Mar 8 (PSL) The current media blitz on the spread of bird flu in the Asian region has had a critical impact on the local poultry industry. Several small farms have shut down due a marked drop in the consumption of poultry products. more..

Mar 8 (PSL) Sri Lankan women have excelled in all spheres of activity, be it political, social, economic, cultural, art or sports. Their contribution to win women's rights as well as political and trade union rights are praiseworthy said President Kumaratunga in her message to mark International Women's Day, more..

Mar 8 (wsws) The NSSP has stepped forward in the Sri Lankan election to play a thoroughly reprehensible role. In conditions where significant layers of workers, young people and intellectuals are deeply alienated from both major political parties, the NSSP and its �left� allies are promoting Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and his right-wing UNF as the �lesser evil� to President Kumaratunga and her allies. more..

Mar 8 (Bloomberg) Sri Lanka's top rebel commanders rallied around Velupillai Prabhakaran as the leader of the Tamil Tigers faced the most serious challenge to his authority since beginning the armed struggle for a separate Tamil state in 1983. more..

Mar 8 (Gulf) Tamil Tigers loyal to their chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran, opened discussions yesterday on how to regain control of the tension-high guerrilla-held areas in the eastern province from the deposed military wing leader, Karuna, amid reports that the former regional leader was still showing resistance in handing over duties. more..

Mar 8 (Hindu) T he expelled eastern military commander, Muralitharan (a.k.a. `Col' Karuna), has refused to comply with the order of the LTTE high command, with an aide of his asserting today that "he will continue to function independently." more..

Mar 8 (AFP) Renegade Tamil Tiger rebels pressed their demand for a fresh ceasefire with the government in leaflets which also warned that failure to do this could trigger fighting, witnesses said. more..

Mar 8 (DN) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday pledged to further strengthen the country's rural economy by laying special emphasis on improving the agriculture sector. "We have already implemented several plans and programs to ensure a competitive price for our farmers' agricultural products. This has greatly helped boost the rural economy", more..

Mar 8 (DM) President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressing a meeting of clerks, teachers and allied services at the Presidential House on Thursday said over 50 clever professionals had expressed their willingness to return to Sri Lanka and build the country if an Alliance Government is formed after April 2. more..

Mar 8 (Xinhua) Norwegian special peace envoy Erik Solheim arrived in the Sri Lanka in the early hours of Monday amidinternal rift in the ranks of Tamil Tiger rebels, diplomatic sources here said. Solheim's visit came at a time when the LTTE rebels are going through one of the most troubled times ever in their history. more..

Mar 8 (Reuters) A strike in support of a renegade Tamil rebel closed parts of eastern Sri Lanka on Monday, but the area was calm despite a power struggle within the Tamil Tiger ranks that threatens the island's peace process. more..

Mar 8 (TN) A delegation of religious and civil society leaders of Batticaloa, led by Bishop Rt. Rev. Kingsley Swampillai and Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University, Dr. S. Raveendranath, will leave for Vanni Monday to hold discussions with the LTTE leadership to peacefully handle the problem of renegade LTTE commander, Mr. Karuna, more..

Mar 8 (OW) Forty-four years after Sri Lanka gave the world its first female Prime Minister, women comprise a mere four percent of political representatives in the island nation, with the gender bias affording little cause for celebration on World Women's Day. more..

Mar 8 (Reuters) A renegade faction of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers said on Monday it would consider a "friendly partnership" with the rebels' northern leaders in a standoff that has complicated efforts to end 20 years of war on the island. more..

Mar 8 (CI) Muttiah Muralitharan burst out of blocks in the race to 500 wickets, ripping through Australia's formidable batting order to leave Sri Lanka in pole position in the opening Test in Galle. Australia, wasting a crucial toss on a bald, sun-baked pitch, were bowled out for just 220 in 68.3 overs. more..

Mar 8 (AFP) The leader of a breakaway faction of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels played down fears of armed conflict within the movement and said he would meet Norwegian peace envoys to discuss a new truce. more..

Mar 8 (TP) Some 500 women, representing former migrant and potential migrant workers, will be part of an army of 20,000 volunteers monitoring Sri Lanka�s parliamentary polls on April 2, officials said yesterday. more..

Mar 8 (TP) The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has begun releasing water from three key dams in an effort to ease a serious crisis which peaked last week with almost two entire days of interrupted supply in Colombo, National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) officials were quoted as saying in the Sunday Island newspaper. more..

Mar 8 (CI) It all seemed a bit of a puzzle. Today at Galle, Murali's doosra spat and he snared six wickets. Sri Lanka scored some deep scratches on Australia, the biggest beasts of the cricketing jungle. It was the first day of a series that could, just maybe, signal a change in the whole eco-system of world cricket. It was, in short, gripping stuff. And it was all watched by about 1500 spectators. more..

Mar 8 (TN) In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), Col.Pathuman, Liberation Tiger's Trincomalee commander, dismissed speculation by renegade former LTTE commander from Batticaloa-Ampara Karuna that the LTTE leadership is holding Pathuman under house arrest in Vanni. more..

Mar 8 (TN) Bishop Rt. Rev. Kingsley Swampillai and his team from Batticaloa consisting of the eastern university representatives, NGOs and members of the business community, met with LTTE Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Batticaloa-Amparai Special Commander Ramesh, Commander Ram, Mr. Karikalan and the Political Head of Batticaloa-Amparai Mr. Kausalyan today more..

Mar 8 (HT) The people of the eastern Tamil region of Batticaloa-Amparai are on tenterhooks. The sense of ease which had begun to take root in the past two years of peace is in grave danger of disappearing. The cause this time is not a shooting war between the traditional enemies the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Armed Forces - but a conflict between two factions of the LTTE, more..

Mar 9 (OI) Ever since the ceasefire accord between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE was signed two years ago, there were persistent reports of unhappiness amongst the Tamils of the East over what was seen by them as unjustified overtures to the Muslims by the northern leadership of the LTTE, more..

Mar 9 (OI) By calling a snap general election on April 2, President Chandrika Kumaratunga has played into the hands of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), even as the rebel group is rocked by a rebellion within. more..

Mar 9 (AP) Tamil Tigers offered an amnesty to their expelled renegade commander Monday and stressed he was alone in his battle to break away from the main guerrilla group. In an interview with The Associated Press the rebel group's political wing chief, S.P. Thamilselvan, said the dispute would not lead to factional fighting. more..

Mar 9 (NW) Defense intelligence sources have indicated that LTTE is planning to strengthen its power base in Trincomalee and use it as a spring-board to consolidate its authority in Ampara-Batticalo district under Romesh who is close to Vanni leadership. more..

Mar 9 (NW) According to sources from Eastern Province several protest campaign have been organized by sympathizers of Karuna against his expulsion from the LTTE. There was one on 7 th.Yet, it is not clear who organized the campaign of today (8) as it was not mentioned in the newspaper Tamil Ali published in support of Karuna. more..

Mar 9 (NW) Army Intelligent sources claimed that LTTE is using the resources of the Ministry of Defence under President Chandrika Kumaratunga to eliminate Karuna Amman of Ampara-Batticoloa District leadership. The cease-fire agreement is covertly used for this purpose. more..

Mar 9 (Stuff) The Sri Lanka A cricket team could not afford to take their New Zealand tour lightly because they were the future of Sri Lanka cricket, manager Roger Wijesuriya said today. His 16-strong squad are in Alexandra playing a three-day match against Otago as a practise game before the match against New Zealand A starts in Queenstown on Thursday. more..

Mar 9 (TN) International Women's Day was celebrated in Vavuniya today under the sponsorship of Oxfam International, Bridge Asia Japan (BAJ), Danish Coucil (DRC), Save the Children and World Food Programme (WFP), sources in Vavuniya said. more..

Mar 9 (TN) The Trincomalee Inner Wheel Club, women wing of the Rotary Movement, Monday donated sewing machines and other household goods to war widows in Trincomalee to mark the International Women's Day. The self-employment project is being financed by the Medical Institute of Tamils based in London. more..

Mar 9 (TN) The International Women's Day was celebrated in the Jaffna district Monday on the theme "We want our land." The Jaffna District Forum against Sexual and other Violence on Women organized awareness processions and other cultural events related to women liberation programme in the district, sources said. more..