Sri Lankan school shelled

At least three people were killed and 10 teenagers injured when Tamil Tiger Terrorist shelled a school and a nearby area in the eastern district of Trincomalee, the Sri Lankan military has said.

The attacks came a day after an anti-terrorism law giving security forces greater powers to arrest, search and interrogate suspects.

Possible LTTE infiltration in the Sri Lankan army

Colombo, Dec 6 (ANI): The LTTE has reportedly infiltrated the Sri Lankan military, making the army more vulnerable to the attack from the rebels.

This could be a worst spy scandal to hit the Sri Lankan army which is already facing bloody war against Tamil rebels in its eastern and north-eastern provinces. More >>

Norway may not give up peace efforts

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Government on Monday claimed that at least six Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres were killed in a `retaliatory fire' atSangaman in Amparai district in the east. It said the LTTE men attacked a group of Special Task Force personnel.

The incident occurred even as Norwegian peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer called on leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Rauff Hakeem to review the security and political situation in the country. Diplomatic and political observers here noted that though the envoy, on the advice of the Government, deferred his visit to Kilinochchi for talks with the LTTE leadership, he has neither decided to leave Sri Lanka nor given up his peace efforts. More >>

Sri Lanka to crack down on terror but no rebel ban

COLOMBO, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka will introduce tough emergency regulations to curb terrorist activities amid escalating civil war with the Tamil Tigers, but will not ban the rebels outright, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

"There will be strong curbs, punishing curbs on terrorist activities, which will involve LTTE activities and all persons who in anyway help them," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity after the cabinet made the decision.

"They will be emergency regulations," he added. "A ban was never on the table."

He did not specify what kind of regulations would be imposed, but officials have said the government will likely reinforce the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which has been dormant since a now-tattered 2002 truce, following a failed suicide attack on President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother.

Victims of London's property boom

Thousands are trapped between spiralling prices and desperate lack of council housing

Larry Elliott
Friday November 24, 2006
The Guardian

Vicky Walsh is a typical Islington resident. Typical but not stereotypical. The stereotypical Islington resident is a well-heeled trendy liberal who takes a surreptitious peek in the windows of estate agents on Upper Street, tut-tuts at dinner parties about the lunacy of the property market and picks up tips from television programmes providing owner-occupiers with advice on how to add value to their homes.

Ms Walsh does none of these things because she doesn't own her own home. Like more than 13,000 other families she is on Islington council's waiting list to be rehoused. She needs rehousing because she and her partner live with their two seven-month old twin boys in a one-bedroom flat that an estate agent would call compact and everybody else would call small.

London Property | Property for sale London | Sell London Property | London Property Tenant

Norwegian envoy honors govt's request, postpones visit to northern Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Cabinet is reviewing the government’s relationship with the Tigers.

Dec 04, Colombo: Visiting Norwegian special peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer has postponed his planned visit to LTTE-held Kilinochchi to meet the LTTE leadership today.

A spokesperson for the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo said, "We had to postpone the scheduled visit of the visiting envoy to Kilinochchi after the government request to do so."

Yesterday, Government Peace Secretariat head Dr. Palitha Kohona asked Norway to suspend all contacts with the LTTE until the Sri Lankan Cabinet of Ministers reviewed the government’s relationship with the Tigers.

“I have told Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar and Hanssen-Bauer that all contacts with the LTTE are under review by the government, and the Cabinet will decide on these issues on Wednesday,” Dr. Kohona said.

EU urges LTTE to immediately cease recruiting child soldiers

Dec 03, Colombo: In a statement issued on Friday, the European Union strongly deplored the practice of recruiting child soldiers by both LTTE and the breakaway rebel faction Karuna group and urged the LTTE to immediately cease recruiting child soldiers and release the recruited children without delay.

Expressing concern that Karuna group is also abducting children, the EU urged the Sri Lankan government to take immediate steps to release all the children being held by the Karuna group and credibly investigate the alleged involvement of certain elements of government security forces and bring the responsible persons to justice.

The statement said that EU is deeply concerned about the situation of children affected by armed conflict in Sri Lanka and stressed the need to protect children in all circumstances.

“The deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka has left children in a growingly insecure situation. The recruitment of children to hostilities has continued as have abductions of children from their families in order to recruit them, both of which are in violation of applicable international law,” it said. City B

Sri Lanka minister survives blast

Last Updated: Friday, 1 December2006, 08:06 GMT

Sri Lanka minister survives blast

Gothabaya Rajapakse (l) is hugged by his brother after the blast Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother has escaped a suspected suicide bomb attack in the capital, Colombo, officials said. Gothabaya Rajapakse, who is also the defence secretary, was "safe", a military spokesman said. The government has blamed Tamil Tiger rebels for the blast, which killed at least one person and hurt 14 others.

United States condemns LTTE's terrorism demand for an independent state

Nov 29, Colombo: The United States yesterday condemned the LTTE for demanding an independent state.

State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack told media in Washington, “We condemn the Tamil Tigers for fueling violence and hostility. Violence and terrorism do nothing to advance the resolution of the conflict.

“The 2002 ceasefire agreement is the foundation on which both the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers can find mutual understanding and build sustainable peace,” he added.

“We're pressing both sides, the government as well as the Tigers, to honor the ceasefire agreement and return to a dialogue that will move the nation toward peace,” the spokesperson said.

“The Tigers can choose to return to the peace process and should do so for the benefit of the Sri Lankan people,” he continued.LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on Monday said the Tigers have no option but an independent state. City Bank Card, Chase low rate loan, American Express

Sri Lankan aid convoy turns back

An aid convoy to Vaharai in eastern Sri Lanka has been forced to turn back because of fierce fighting between government forces and the Tamil Tigers.

Each side blames the other for the fighting, which has left around 30,000 people in desperate need of supplies.
Aid agencies have being trying frantically to bring relief to the town of Vaharai for much of the past month.The clashes come just a day after the rebel leader, Prabhakaran, said Tamils must push for an independent state. More >>

Angry mass attacked and Burnt LTTE Terrorist Leader Praba

[COLOMBO , SinhalaNet 2006.11.27 04:07PM] A disabled Sri Lankan activists and the relatives of the Innocent civilians who were killed by the LTTE, demonstrating against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, burnt a 12 feet billboard featuring his image outside the Fort Railway Station in Colombo, yesterday 26 November 2006. More Sinlaha Net >>

Sri Lanka trip incomplete without a visit to Kandy

By Sumegha Agarwal, RxPG News Service, Dehradun, Nov 28 - Inviting Indian tourists to visit his country, the mayor of Sri Lanka's second biggest city Kandy says, 'If you don't visit Kandy, your trip to Sri Lanka is incomplete'.Loku Banda Aluvihare, the proud mayor of 'his beautiful Kandy' said: 'No person coming to Sri Lanka goes back without visiting Kandy.'Aluvihare, a veteran politician belonging to United National Party -, comes from a family of politicians and is fondly referred to as 'Nagarpita' - by his colleagues attending the 1st Asian Mayors' Conference in Dehradun.All groups live peacefully with each other in Kandy, a world heritage site, which is not directly affected by the ongoing ethnic conflict in country's northeast, Aluvihare told IANS. More >>

Capital punishment again becomes an issue in Sri Lanka

Nov 27, Colombo: Capital punishment, accepted by the judiciary system of Sri Lanka, although remains inactive has again begun haunting in the human rights circles.

Scotland Yard Police has sought a clause that guarantees the culprits might not be sentenced to death to be added to the MOU that is to be signed with the Sri Lanka government prior to sending their detectives to assist in the murder investigation of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj.

As a policy British government does not approve death penalty and the Scotland Yard’s demand is in accordance with that policy.

It is reported that Sri Lanka government is reluctant to agree to include the clause. Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga vowed to invoke provisions in the law to make the death penalty mandatory after the assassination of High Court Justice Sarath Ambepitiya by some underworld elements.

Executive Secretary of the Movement for Defence of Democratic Rights (MDDR), a leading human rights organization of Sri Lanka said that although investigating the killing of the TNA parliamentarian and bringing the culprits into books judicially is essential, capital punishment cannot be approved on any reason.

Sri Lanka's human rights activists are continuously struggling against the capital punishment although the general public and also the Buddhist leaders urge the government to invoke the provisions in the law to make the death penalty mandatory

Sri Lanka stocks get boost from debut of Islamic insurer on the bourse

November 27, 2006 (LBO) - Colombo stocks gained strength from the debut of an Islamic insurer of the bourse, while investors awaited the annual speech of Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Pirabaharan, dealers said.

The ten rupee share of Amana Takaful, an Islamic insurer, opened at 28.00 rupees but soon raced up as punters chased the stock to 110.00 rupees, as very few sellers were able to lodge their stocks in the Central Depository in time. More than 50,000 shares had traded, though only 14,000 were lodged in the system.

SL’s second international airport to give confidence to international travellers.

There are lot of positive points in initiating a new air port at Weerawila.

The ground limitations at BIA restricts building a new tract. The facilities can not be expanded as that should like lengthening the tract to land bigger air crafts. So building an airport at Weerawila is not just to use in an emergency.

There will be a highway from Hambathota to Colombo, which is partially completed.

The tourists, which form a bulk of foreigners using BIA will not mind landing at Weerawila. There are lot of people from Southern part of the country who are going abroad especially to middle east. They can also use the new airport.

Think about the positive aspects as well.

Tigers capture sailors in sea battle, Sri Lanka regrets killings COLOMBO (AFP)

- Tamil Tigers Terrorist sank two naval gunboats and captured four sailors in a fierce sea battle, the rebels said, as Sri Lanka expressed regret over the killing of 65 civilians in an artillery blitz. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Terrorist said they sank two Dvora gunboats and damaged a third in close-quarter fighting off the island's northern peninsula of Jaffna and estimated navy losses at 25 killed. More >>

Sri Lanka records higher trade deficit

COLOMBO, Nov. 16 (Xinhua): Sri Lanka's trade deficit widened in the first nine months of 2006 to 2.6 billion US dollars, while the country's overall balance of payments had registered a surplus of 49 million dollars, the country's central bank said late Tuesday.

The bank said that the cumulative exports in the first nine months of 2006 grew by 8.8 per cent to 5.0 billion dollars from the same period of 2005, while the imports grew by 17.4 per cent to 7.6 billion dollars.

LTTE Terrorists kill security guard in raid; military finds powerful bomb

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels killed a Sri Lankan security guard in an attack on a government post Wednesday, and the military found and defused a powerful bomb, a military spokesman said. The incidents were the latest that threaten a return to all-out civil war, despite claims by the government and separatist Tigers that they still adhere to a 2002 cease-fire that ended nearly two decades of conflict. Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said the rebels raided the government security post in the northern district of Vavuniya at 1 a.m. and killed one of the country's
"home guards," pro-government civilian residents who have weapons training help security forces at vulnerable points. Vavuniya is the last government-controlled town before rebel-held territory in the island nation's north.

Sri Lanka Tourist Board to publish a tourist supplement in the Independent

Nov 05, Colombo: The Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) will publish an eight page tourist supplement in the Independent, a United Kingdom newspaper, concurrently with the World Travel Market (WTM) being held in London on November 6-9 at the ExCeL Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The cost for the supplement is estimated at Rs. 4.8 million and SLTB is bearing Rs. 3.6 million of it, while the rest is being supplied by Sri Lanka's private sector in the hospitality trade.

WTM last year was attended by 48,211 travel industry professionals representing over 202 countries and regions. Over 50 Sri Lankan tour operators and hotels are participating in WTM 2006. Low

HSBC plans $100 million loan for Sri Lanka's Bank of Ceylon

COLOMBO (MarketWatch) -- The U.K.'s HSBC Holdings Plc. (HBC) Wednesday said it will extend a $100-million loan in December to Sri Lanka's Bank of Ceylon, the country's largest state banks in terms of assets.
"We are arranging the loan for Bank of Ceylon next month and are confident of business growth in Sri Lanka," HSBC's Global Chief Executive Michael Smith told a breakfast meeting Wednesday.

He didn't detail the terms of the loan.