A kidney donated by D.M.Ratnayake was transplanted to his brother D.M.Dissanayake and both the donor and the recepient are reported to be in good health. Doctors Harischandra and Thilaka Abeysekera performed the surgery.

As heavy fighting continued in Sri Lanka's war torn north, MSF in a statement issued Monday April 17, stated, "on two occasions within the last week, MSF has been prevented by security forces from transporting drugs and medical supplies through the forward defence lines to Mallavi hospital in the Mullaithivu district."

"We are facing a situation where clinics and hospitals have closed or are no longer accepting patients because they cannot provide treatment for these civilians, many of whom are women and children," the group said.

At present MSF is running projects in Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Kyats and Chavakachcheri, Vavuniya, Madhu, Murunkan, Mallavi and Batticaloa.

MSF adds that many patients in the these areas were suffering from chronic debilitating diseases such as diabetes, asthma and cardiac problems and even basic medicines such as paracetamol and antibiotics were in short supply. The group has been working in Sri Lanka's war torn areas since 1986.

The Minister will hold talks in Seoul this week with Korean officials in a bid to keep the South Korean job market open for Lankans.

South Korea and Sri Lanka a decade back sealed a special agreement under which Sri Lankans, mostly Technicians were granted employment. Korean officials allege that over the last few years the situation worsened as Sri Lankans broke their contracts and moved to other establishments of work including illegally entering Japan.

All Sri Lankans who enter South Korea for work under the terms of this Agreement have to sign a bond of Rs. 500,000 to prevent them from walking out on their jobs. Officials say however that this precautionary measure apparently has not served as a deterrent.

Foreign investors continued to be net sellers and the first quarter recorded a net outflow of Rs. 1.2 billion as against a net outflow of Rs.659 million during the same period in 1999. Price indexes declined during the quarter. The ASPI closed at 494.5 and the MILANKA closed at 796.1.

The investor Uwe Becker in his application stated that he entered into an agreement with the Board of Investment in 1996 and had invested a sum of Rs 30 million setting up the plant at Negombo. Becker was arrested allegedly for violating the air traffic laws of the country last month.

But, Becker in his application stated that his arrest was illegal since the gilder was an apparatus used by sportsmen to descend gradually in controlled flight and was similar to an aircraft.

The Negombo police official after the arrest allegedly linked him to making flying machines for the LTTE.

Five heavily guarded underworld gang leaders escaped from Matale Magistrate courts after shooting at guards and injuring three of them, a local tabloid newspaper said here today.

The Daily Mirror quoting police officials said that six attempted to escape but on of them was caught, when the jail guards opened fire at the sixth person. In the aftermath of the escape police aided by sniffer dogs launched a massive door-to-door search to arrest the five who escaped.

Bostock was the main architect in turning John Keells group into a giant conglomerate from a commodity and share- brokering firm. Bostock headed the firm from 1970 until mid 1986.