‘s son, three top leaders killed: military

May 18, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Army special forces soldiers have found a body suspected to be of Charles Anthony, the elder son of Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran Monday morning, the defence ministry said in a statement. The body was found in the Karayamullavaikkal area, on a small coastal strip in the island’s […]

” during hostage rescue

May 17, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Sunday there was no “bloodbath” during its “rescue” of tens of thousands of civilians held hostage by Tamil Tiger rebels.“There was no bloodbath as some people feared,” Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters.“Everybody has come out safely and they are being looked after by the government.” […]

”: former mediator

OSLO, May 17, 2009 (AFP) – Peace is far from being won in Sri Lanka, despite the government’s claims to have scored a crushing military victory against Tamil Tiger rebels, the former negotiator in the conflict said Sunday. “Peace is long from being won,” said Minister of Environment and International Development Erik Solheim. “The Sri […]

Sri Lanka exports fall in March, but tea, garments up

May 18, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s export earnings in March 2009 fell 7.8 percent to 627 million US dollars from a year-ago although the main exports of garments and tea went up, the central bank said. Exports of textiles and garment rose six percent to 310 million dollars despite recession in key Western markets […]

‘s death

NEW DELHI, May 18, 2009 (AFP) – India is to ask Sri Lanka for scientific confirmation of the death of the Tamil Tigers leader so it can close a case connected to the murder of former premier Rajiv Gandhi, police said Monday. Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, his intelligence chief Pottu Amman and rebel women’s […]

NEW DELHI, May 18, 2009 (AFP) – India asked Sri Lanka on Monday to “address the root causes of the conflict” with ethnic Tamils and to provide aid to tens of thousands of civilians displaced in the last months of the war. India is home to millions of Tamils in the southern state of Tamil […]

Sri Lankan student in coma after Australia acid attack

SYDNEY, May 18, 2009 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan student in Sydney had acid thrown in his face and was in an induced coma after a home invasion early Monday sparked by the conflict in his troubled homeland, police said.Police appealed for calm among the Sinhalese and Tamil communities in Australia’s largest city following the […]

‘s triumphant Congress prepares for government

NEW DELHI, May 17, 2009 (AFP) – India’s Congress Party began the task of forming a government Sunday after steering its ruling alliance to a second term in office with a resounding win over its Hindu nationalist rivals.Senior alliance leaders met to formulate strategy and to choose which parties it might approach about securing a […]

Sri Lanka troops move in to finish off Tamil Tigers: spokesman

May 17, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops were Sunday moving in on the final patch of jungle still held by Tamil Tigers and were set to capture “every inch of land” from the rebels, a military spokesman said.Government forces were pressing on with the blistering offensive despite the Tamil Tigers announcing they would “silence […]

‘s Tamil Tigers admit defeat

May 17, 2009 (AFP) – The Tamil Tigers have given up their fight against a Sri Lankan government offensive and “have decided to silence our guns,” a statement carried by the pro-rebel Tamilnet website said Sunday.“This battle has reached its bitter end,” said the admission of defeat from the rebels’ chief of international relations, Selvarasa […]

Sri Lanka troops kill 70 escaping Tigers: army

May 17, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops on Sunday killed at least 70 Tamil Tiger rebels trying to escape across a shallow lagoon using boats, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.The guerrillas tried to break out of the pocket of land where they have been holed up in the northeast of the island, Nanayakkara […]

Sri Lankan military says all trapped civilians rescued

May 17, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops have rescued all civilians held by Tamil Tiger rebels, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said on Sunday.“More than 50,000 people have come out of that area in the past three days and with that we have rescued all the civilians held as a human shield by the […]

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