Jan 19 (TN) Manivannan, a popular film producer and actor from Tamil Nadu is scheduled to visit Jaffna this Wednesday, to exchange views with Jaffna artists and to see the conditions prevailing in war affected Jaffna for himself, local media reported. more..

Jan 19 (SLA) A civilian, kidnapped and detained at an LTTE camp by suspected LTTE men ran away from LTTE clutches and surrendered to the Security Forces in the general area of BATTICALOA on 17 January 2004, seeking protection. more..

Jan 19 (SLA) Three Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) representatives arrived at an LTTE ceremony conducted in the general area of PAWATKULAM on 16 January 2004 and witnessed that the LTTE has hoisted their LTTE flag before the meeting sessions commenced. more..

Jan 19 (SLA) The hand bag and a shoe, believed to have belonged to a woman, who went missing from the general area of RATHU PALAMA (Red Bridge) KUCHCHAWELI, about 30 km northwest of TRINCOMALEE town last December, were recovered by the Police on 16 January 2004 from a stream when the Police conducted a search in the area. more..

Jan 19 (SLA) Major General Egodawele RWP RSP USP, who has been appointed the new Military Secretary of the Sri Lanka Army, assumed duties this morning (19) after a brief ceremony in his office at the Army Headquarters, Colombo. more..

Jan 19 (PSL) Six new envoys presented their letters of credence to President Kumaratunga at President’s House Colombo on Friday, January 16. They are Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye for Ghana, Carols agostinho Do Rosario for Mozambique, Patrick De Beyter for Belgium, David Danieli for Israel, Ahmed El Rhaidi for Morocco and Behnam Behrooz for Iran.

Jan 19 (LBO) Independent research, the leading financial research and investment service provider to global investment banks and fund managers has recruited Ravi Abeysuriya, Managing Director of Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd. to head its operations in Sri Lanka. more..

Jan 19 (LBO) Deregulation of motor insurance premiums has fuelled innovation and profits. Until recently motor insurance was unprofitable due to regulation of premiums by the government. Private insurance companies were hesitant to sell motor insurance as a result. more..

Jan 19 (LBO) A new aviation policy plans to open skies to fifth Freedom Traffic to make the country an aviation hub. The policy will be effective from 2005 when 3rd and 4th Freedom Air Traffic to the country will also be proactively promoted. more..

Jan 19 (JS) The European Union (EU) is set to reduce tariffs on selected Sri Lankan exports in light of the country’s progress on labour issues. According to a statement released by the EU on Monday, the duty concessions will come into effect on February 1. more..

Jan 19 (Reuters) Reliance Industries Ltd won a tender to supply Sri Lanka a combined cargo of gas oil and gasoline for delivery to Colombo on February 20-21, said an official from state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp (Ceypetco). more..

Jan 19 (Reuters) An alliance between the party of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and a Marxist party could spur an early election and delay efforts to strike a peace deal with Tamil Tigers, political analysts said on Monday. more..

Jan 19 (CNA) Sri Lanka's cricket chief, who is also the head of the country's main telecommunications firm, was remanded in custody on a charge of breaking immigration laws to help a gangster leave the island. more..

Jan 19 (AP) International aid donors met with Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels on Monday to discuss assistance to rebuild the war-torn north and east of the country, a rebel spokesman said. more..

Jan 19 (Reuters) The Tamil Tiger rebels warned on Monday that a political fight between Sri Lanka's president and prime minister threatened a ceasefire that has held for two years, the longest period of peace on the island in two decades. more..

Jan 19 (HT) The alliance between the SLFP, led by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the radical Sinhala-Marxist JVP, is sending tremors through Sri Lanka's ruling classes, the minorities and the peace lobby both in the island and abroad. more..

Jan 19 (IANS) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas have again appealed to India to be a friend. Speaking in the Norwegian capital Saturday, a senior member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) urged New Delhi to develop "a positive relationship with the LTTE". more..

Jan 19 (DN) General Secretary of the JVP, Tilvin Silva in an exclusive interview regarding its alliance with the SLFP said the JVP would 'keep its Marxist identity and it would be 'proved' in the future when working with the SLFP for prosperity of the people. more..

Jan 19 (DM) "The main objective of the pact to be signed between SLFP and JVP on Tuesday (20) was to defeat the UNP by the combining of all votes cast against it," Kandy district parliamentarian and PA media spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama said. more..

Jan 19 (TN) Elaborate arrangements are being made in several parts of the country by the branches of the SLFP and Sinhala nationalist JVP to celebrate the event of signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the two political parties with religious observances and public meetings, political sources said. more..

Jan 19 (TN) The Sihala Urumaya (SU) Monday appealed to all political parties in the south to come forward to oppose channeling foreign aid direct to the five-year development plan of the LTTE, according to a report carried by the State controlled SLBC in its Monday's late night news bulletin, sources said. more..

Jan 19 (AT) Since of late, it became very conspicuous that, Norway has undertaken some striking moves in its effort to continue with the diplomatic game of checkers – an unending game, very manipulative and dangerously maneuvering. They are on a slippery slope but very mysterious as well as intriguing. more..

Jan 19 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka will finalize a defense cooperation agreement with neighboring India by the end of February, the official Daily News said on Monday. Defense Secretary Cyril Herath said that the Indian defense authorities showed keen interest in finalizing the proposed agreement. more..

Jan 19 (AP) Local elections in Sri Lanka's Tamil-dominated north and east look set to be postponed for a third time, a senior election official said Monday. The polls would have been a key test of the Tamil Tiger rebels support for democracy. more..

Jan 19 (AFP) Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga has begun studying the Tamil rebel blueprint for peace despite having initially criticised it as a foundation for partition, her office said yesterday. more..

Jan 19 (LT) What actions the Prime Minister would take against the MPs and Ministers who have been accused of various misconducts including unauthorized use of state property asked Dr. Sarath Amunugama, spokesperson of PA at a media meeting held in Colombo today. more..

Jan 19 (LT) Instead of the National flag, the National anthem and the National symbol of Sri Lanka, Elam flag, song and symbol have been included in the history text book forced upon by the tiger organization for schools in the North say our sources in the North. more..

Jan 20 (TN) Politburo of the SLMC will meet on January 23 at its headquarters "Darussalam" in Colombo to plan out its future political strategy in anticipation political developments likely to follow the signing of the MoU between the SLFP and JVP, SLMC sources said. more..

Jan 20 (AT) President has warned that anyone who incites the Buddhist public to attack Christians and their places of worship would be dealt with firmly. Christian Solidarity Worldwide based in London, in its statement released to press stated this today. more..

Jan 20 (AT) The self-exiled leader of the JVP, Somawansa Amerasinghe said, what his party agreed to form with the SLFP is a pure capitalist democratic form of government, after a resounding victory at polls, instead of the crony and corrupt capitalism, at present run by the Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration more..

Jan 20 (Hindu) The SLFP and the radical JVP, which are to sign a political agreement here tomorrow, are likely to come out with a joint statement setting out the broad parameters for a working alliance to contest the elections, according to political sources. more..

Jan 20 (TN) Daniel Sathasivam, 47, a wealthy businessman from Dehiwela was shot dead Saturday night by unknown gunmen inside the Communications Center he owned in Dehiwela, Uthayan, a popular daily in Jaffna reported. more..

Jan 20 (TN) North East Provincial Department of Education held a series of seminars and workshops for teachers, principals and parents in the Muttur east in Trincomalee district to uplift the standard of education from January 17th to 19th, education officials said. more..

Jan 20 (TN) The memorandum of understanding signed by Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s SLFP and the Sinhala nationalist JVP Tuesday slammed the peace process, asserting that it “threatens the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the country, degrading its dignity”. more..

Jan 20 (TN) The SLFP and the JVP signed an agreement to form a new political alliance called 'United People's Freedom Alliance' at 10.40 a.m Tuesday in Colombo. Speaking after the signing ceremony, JVP Gen. Sec. Mr. Tilvin Silva said that the JVP had formed the alliance to prevent the plan to divide the country. more..

Jan 20 (PSL) The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka has thanked President Chandrika Kumaratunga for issuing directives for special security during Christmas. more..

Jan 20 (AP) Sri Lanka's tea, considered among the world's best and still the country's top export earner, now has keen competition from frothy cappuccinos, milky lattes and dark espressos. Trendy coffee shops are springing up across the capital, Colombo, more..

Jan 20 (Reuters) The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday the review of a key loan tranche to Sri Lanka was on hold as a political fight threatens government plans to raise tax revenue. "We can't go to the board until we can assure it that the programme is in place," more..

Jan 20 (EFT) According to Anthony Fong, U-Freight's managing director, the demand for freight forwarding and logistics activities in this part of South East Asia are set to increase considerably. more..

Jan 20 (SLA) An LTTE order to hoist LTTE flags on three wheelers in the general area of KATTANKUDY on 19 January 2004 was defied by President, Three Wheel Drivers’ Association, KATTANKUDY who was later threatened by two unidentified LTTE men. more..

Jan 20 (APA) The European Commission will distribute 2 million euros (US$2.5 million) to remove thousands of land mines buried in Sri Lanka's former war zones, the commission said in a statement Tuesday. more..

Jan 20 (Reuters) Sri Lanka stocks picked up on Tuesday on speculative buying a day after a sharp drop on a political alliance between two main political parties that could delay peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels. more..

Jan 20 (TOO) Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, minister of commerce and industry, received here yesterday the Sri Lankan minister of developing establishments and industrial policy and investment promotion. more..

Jan 20 (Gulf) President Chandrika Kumaratunga's party and the Marxist JVP (People's Liberation Front) will today sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) even as there are indications that the country is readying for snap polls. more..

Jan 20 (HD) The Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Tyronne Fernando, paid a courtesy call on President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Monday. During the call, which was held at the President’s Office, Gayoom and Fernando exchanged views on avenues for enhancing the close friendly relations that exist between the Maldives and Sri Lanka. more..

Jan 20 (NNN) Warning that the current truce was under threat of collapse due to the power struggle between the president and the prime minister, Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka have appealed to the international community to save the country's peace process. more..

Jan 20 (ABC) India and Pakistan may be tentatively edging closer together this year, but another conflict in South Asia continues to be dangerously stalled, in the once idyllic island nation of Sri Lanka. more..

Jan 20 (TN) Commissioner of Elections Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake Tuesday issued a notice postponing the thrice-postponed local authority elections in the northeast province for later dates. Except elections to local authorities in Amparai district, elections to local authorities in other districts in the province have been postponed by another nine months. more..

Jan 20 (AT) A political marriage of convenience has been solemnized this morning in Colombo, when the two reluctant partners with typical political back ground – JVP propagator of radical Sinhala Buddhist nationalism in the cover of Marxism and also aoclaimed Tamil basher opposed to all forms privileges and concessions advanced to the Tamil language and Tamil ethnicity, more..

Jan 20 (LBO) As the Marxist JVP and the Sri Lanka Freedom party joined camps today, they unveiled a reform agenda including agriculture and local industry led economic growth, devolution of power to the provinces, and defeating the UNF government. more..