Tag: news

CHENNAI, India, Nov 15, 2007 (AFP) – The leader of a southern Indian state is facing allegations of treason after writing a poem mourning the killing in nearby Sri Lanka of a senior rebel and fellow ethnic Tamil. M. Karunanidhi, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu state, was last week so moved by the death […]

Nov 16, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan warplanes carried out bombing raids on suspected Tamil Tiger targets inside rebel-held territory on Friday, the defence ministry said.The raids were aimed at a boat manufacturing facility of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the northeast, the ministry said. There were no details of casualties. Officials […]

Nov 16, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lankan police questioned an opposition lawmaker and summoned two others Friday, drawing protests from the opposition leader, in the latest twist in political wrangling days ahead of a crucial vote on the government’s budget. United National Party (UNP) Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake, a businessman who was a former trade minister, […]

Nov 16, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama Friday called on the international community to take action against front organizations of the Tamil Tigers after the United States froze the assets of a relief agency. “The US government becomes the first foreign government to take tangible action against an LTTE (Liberation Tigers […]

Nov 15, 2007 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan opposition party lawmaker Thursday joined the government, a day after a ruling party parliamentarian defected to the opposition. Mahinda Ratnathilake, a member of parliament for the Ratnapura district in the main opposition United National Party (UNP) crossed over to the government soon after meeting President Mahinda Rajapakse […]

Nov 15, 2007 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan junior cabinet minister Thursday lashed out at an opposition party lawmaker who joined the government, revealing more cracks in the ruling coalition ahead of a crucial budget vote next week. Minister of Justice Dilan Perera, a so-called ‘non-cabinet’ minister in President Mahinda Rajapakse’s jumbo cabinet said he […]

Nov 14, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka switched off electricity in the capital Colombo early Wednesday amid fears that Tamil Tiger rebels were flying their light aircraft for a possible attack, officials said.The power supply was cut off before dawn for nearly half an hour as the country’s air defence systems spotted two unidentified aircraft, […]

Nov 14, 2007 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan lawmaker who heads a parliamentary committee overseeing state enterprises that has been probing corruption allegations, crossed over to opposition benches Wednesday. Wijedasa Rajapaksa, while requesting the speaker for a seat in the opposition benches, also said he would remain a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party […]

Nov 14, 2007 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan government lawmaker who crossed over to the opposition benches Wednesday is demanding the dismissal of cabinet ministers and bureaucrats against whom a parliamentary committee headed by him made allegations of corruption. Parliamentarian Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa said that he has set seven conditions for the government to meet in […]

Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops shot dead at least six women fighters of the Tamil Tigers during a clash in the north of the island, the defence ministry said Monday.Following an attack on a bunker line of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) along the de facto front line with guerrilla-held […]

Nov 11, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels must forego violence and return to the negotiating table to resolve their decades-old conflict, India’s finance minister said Sunday during a visit to the island.The minister, P. Chidambaram, said while New Delhi backed Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, military action would not bring […]

COLOMBO, Nov 10, 2007 (AFP) – At least 19 people were killed and 24 injured during fighting between Sri Lankan troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in the island’s north, the defence ministry said Saturday.Tens of thousands of people have died since the ethnic conflict began in 1972.Eighteen rebels were killed and 24 wounded in clashes […]