Apr 29 (UCAN) Relatives and friends of civilians who fled fighting between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels are still being denied access to their friends and loved ones, say local priests and parishioners. Over 173,000 displaced people are living in camps in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar and Trincomalee districts under strict controls as the government tries to screen refugees in order to identify escaping rebels. more..

Apr 29 (AFP) Foreign Secretary David Miliband and his French counterpart Wednesday met some of the thousands of Tamil civilians who have been detained in Sri Lanka after escaping from the country's ethnic conflict. Miliband and his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, flew to Vavuniya160 miles north of the capital Colombo, to inspect conditions in the camps, which the government calls "welfare villages." more..

Apr 29 (PTI) Velupillai Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman hatched the diabolical plot to kill former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "silently" without the knowledge of anyone in the outfit, a former close confidant of the LTTE supremo said on Wednesday. Karuna Amman, the LTTE commander of the Eastern region before he fell out with Prabhakaran in 2004, said he always wanted a political solution to the decades-old ethnic conflict, more..

Apr 29 (AFP) The foreign ministers of Britain and France said Wednesday they had failed to persuade Sri Lanka to end its offensive against Tamil rebels and allow aid in for civilians trapped by the fighting. "We tried very hard -- we insisted and we insisted -- but it is up to our friends to allow it or not," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told a news conference after talks with the Sri Lankan government. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also said the talks had ended without a breakthrough, more..

Apr 30 (Bernama) Sri Lanka, embroiled in a war against the Tamil Tigers back home, has withdrawn from the Asia Cup hockey tournament to be held in Kuantan from May 9-16. Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) President Ahmad Shah said he was only informed today of the withdrawal, but did not state any reasons for the withdrawal. He said he had asked the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) to find a replacement for Sri Lanka so that more..

Apr 30 (LG) War analysis by Tiger-hugging Economist is a total farce. The April 18-25 issue treats the conflict in Sri Lanka with scant respect for factual accuracy. It has the gall to state that �even moderate Tamils, their ranks severely thinned by LTTE assassins, say they will be worse off without Mr. Prabhakaran as their champion. The London weekly�s assessment is an irreparable blemish on its capacity to be impartial. more..

Apr 30 (CT) A poster campaign in Colombo demonstrated against three key foreign players in the Sri Lankan conflict. The posters displayed at public places in the city were against British foreign secretary David Milliband, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Norwegian international development minister Erik Solheim. It said, "David Milliband, Hillary Clinton, Eric Solheim - Wanted for aiding and abetting terrorism." more..

Apr 30 (LBO) The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has extended the deadline for bids for the first container terminal in the new South Port of Colombo, work on which is now underway. "We extended the deadlines because there were a few requests made by bidders," a senior SLPA official said. The last date for issuing bid documents has been extended to May 15 while the closing date for submitting proposals to build and operate the terminal has been extended to June 16, more..

Apr 30 (LBO) Emirates SkyCargo said it had begun transporting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) relief supplies for refugees in the North East. Emirates said a Boeing 747-400 freighter had landed in at Colombo's Monday April 27, with a cargo of 119 tonnes of tents for refugees who escape Tiger guerilla controlled areas. A second Emirates freighter, a Boeing 777 carrying another 100 tonnes of relief goods, more..

Apr 30 (AT) �As you all know we are poised on the threshold of defeating terrorism and embarking on an era of lasting peace and security for all our people�The dire warnings by some of our friends in the international community of a blood bath, if the security forces entered the NFZ, did not come to pass.� So said Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama making a presentation on the progress of more..

Apr 30 (LBO) Sri Lankans should limit non-essential foreign travel to protect themselves from swine flu, the island's health ministry said, adding that travelers from high risk countries were being screened at the country's main airport. "The ministry of health appeals to the public to limit foreign travel to essential purposes to protect Sri Lanka from the global swine flu epidemic," the ministry said in a statement. more..

Apr 30 (GDI) �Any possible outbreak of swine flu, caused by a type-A influenza virus, will be put in perspective with immediate effect,� said Epidemiologist Dr. Paba Palihawadana, Director Epidemiological Unit. Already, swift precautionary measures have been taken and there�s no need for concern, the Director further said. No any identified cases of swine flu has been reported in Sri Lanka so far, but more..

Apr 30 (AN) It's in the camps which have been receiving the newest arrivals that the situation is most overstretched and the families are most desperate. Our staff knew some of the people who were in the last flows of people from the 'No Fire' Zone - but they struggled to recognise them on arrival because they were in such poor condition and had lost so much weight. more..

Apr 30 (AN) Hundreds of people have been taking part since 9 am in an ecumenical sit-in in New Delhi�s Jantar Mantar Park to protest against genocide in Sri Lanka, demanding their government and the United Nations intervene to immediately stop the fighting. The Ecumenical Clergy Forum for Human Rights (ECFOHR) took the initiative, drawing about 500 men and women religious, Catholic and Protestant, and seminarians. more..

Apr 30 (CT) Accusing the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime of not informing Parliament of its doings of late as a responsible government, opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said the motive for the Mullaitivu battle was still unknown, and that matters have aggravated with the agreement for a 'secret ceasefire.' Mr. Wickremesinghe said this was an indication that the Rajapaksa regime was moving towards dictatorship. more..

Apr 30(LBO) The finances of Sri Lanka's cash-strapped state-run power utility, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), could improve in May, a top official said, as dry weather forced it to buy expensive thermal energy, running up debts. "There are some financial constraints faced by CEB due to the cash inflow situation because of the fuel price fluctuations," power ministry secretary M M C Fernando told reporters. more..

Apr 30 (IRIN) As government forces tighten their grip on a narrow spit of land in northeastern Sri Lanka and the last remants of the LTTE, who have been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland since 1983, international concern over the safety of thousands of civilians trapped alongside them intensifies. More than 100,000 civilians have fled the combat areas since 20 April, while the UN estimates that up to 50,000 non-combatants remain trapped inside. more..

Apr 30 (LG) Finally, it appears the Canadians are beginning to see the truth about the Tamil Tigers but it may just be too late for Canada. We publish below a feature from Canada�s National Post that appeared this morning, Wednesday April 29, 2009. There is a Tiger underworld in Toronto that is in full functional flow and its very interests are the ones that have brainwashed the Tamil youth into pro-Tiger terror activities. more..

Apr 30 (Hindu) Sri Lanka military on Wednesday said that as the troops continued marching into the the no-fire zone (NFZ), where the LTTE leaders and cadres were taking shelter among an estimated 20,000 civilians, the Tigers have readied six large boats with sophisticated equipment to facilitate the escape of their top leaders. The Sri Lanka Navy thwarted a pre-dawn LTTE offensive bid by destroying four LTTE suicide boats and sinking another attack craft in the seas off Mullaiththivu. more..

Apr 30 (Hindu) French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called on Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday and exchanged views on the condition of the two lakh civilians sheltered in temporary government camps. They also discussed the fate of civilians stranded in the No-Fire Zone (NFZ). more..

Apr 30 (Hindu) Although the Sri Lankan Tamils issue has occupied a prominent place in the election campaign of Tamil Nadu with major political parties leaving no stone unturned to gain political mileage out of it, the truth is that the voters are more concerned about livelihood issues. While the people are worried about their brethren in Sri Lanka, they are also distressed over the game being played out by the political parties over the issue. - M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan more..

Apr 30 (TOI) As India prepares to prevent infiltration by LTTE cadres along its southern coast, the media arm of the Tigers is going all out to further fuel the rage against India. The Tamil Puthinam website, which is said to be linked with the LTTE's political wing, has launched a vicious campaign against Congress president Sonia Gandhi blaming her for the death of Tamilians. India on Wednesday alerted Navy's Southern Command and Coast Guard to prevent infiltration as more..

Apr 30 (BBC) The United Nations and international donors have pledged millions to help the displaced and civilians caught in the conflict in Sri Lanka. Visiting British Foreign Minister David Miliband has pledged 2.5 million British pounds to assist displaced in the fighting between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers. United Nations chief on humanitarian affairs, Sir John Holmes, pledged 10 million UD dollars after a three-day visit to the island. more..

Apr 30 (AT) As the curtains are finally coming down on the LTTE saga, Daya Master, the media wizard for the Tigers for years, believes that Prabhakaran�s game is up. �People will not accept him (Prabhakaran),� he says. �It is too late; the people have already rejected the man and if he takes a decision that he should have taken long ago �to return to his old native place to live in peace�. it will not help�, Daya Master, whose name is Velayutham Thayanithi, asserts. more..

Apr 30 (Times) The United States is threatening to block a $1.9 billion (�1.2 billion) emergency loan to Sri Lanka from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) because of the treatment of civilians caught in the conflict with the Tamil Tiger rebels, according to Western diplomats. Sri Lanka applied for the loan early last month to help to cope with a financial crisis caused partly by the global credit crunch and more..

Apr 30 (Times) Recent demonstrations in London, Paris and elsewhere have brought the situation in Sri Lanka to wide public attention. But the island's civil war has been running for 28 years. The Tamil minority in the north has long argued that it is marginalised politically and economically. In the early 1980s the LTTE started fighting for an independent Tamil state. By 1986 it had full control of the northern Jaffna peninsula. more..

Apr 30 (DW) Surrendered LTTE cadres are shaming the LTTE to its core. Latest wave of surrendees have revealed vast amounts of information and Diaspora contacts that were part of an elaborate money laundering and weapons smuggling racket. A woman who once held a very high profile in the LTTE's political wing and her husband, an LTTE cultural unit head were among the surrendees. They had provided details regarding a particularly interesting tour to Europe. more..

Apr 30 (GV) As I sit on the steps leading down to the garden from the verandah, its night in Pelawatte. Darkness in the tropics descends fast and lies very like a thick blanket. The heat and humidity making it feel more so. The night is still and black. Intermittent houses and lack of streetlights add to the feeling of absolute darkness. The house lights are low to extenuate the earthy feeling from the dark yellow coloured cement floor, more..

Apr 30 (Independent) Sri Lanka pressed ahead with its military onslaught against the Tamil Tigers last night despite calls from Britain and France for an immediate ceasefire to allow thousands of civilians to escape the conflict zone. The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, and his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, called on Sri Lanka to halt their offensive in the north while visiting one of the displacement camps that more..

Apr 30 (AN) Calls for the Sri Lankan Army to stop attacking the now tiny enclave still occupied by the Tamil Tigers and 50,000 Tamil civilians, apparently been forced to stay with them, are unrealistic. There have been too many cease-fires in the past that served only to allow the Tigers invaluable breathing space to regroup. Colombo is on the verge of winning a war most people, including many members of governments past and present, thought was unwinnable. more..

Apr 30 (UN) The estimated 50,000 people still trapped in the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka are at great risk and the top priority must be to get them out as quickly as possible, the top United Nations relief official stressed today, again appealing for a further humanitarian pause in the fighting. �These people are in great danger from the continuing fighting,� Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told more..

Apr 30 (AN) The UFPA has triumphed in the provincial elections. 64.7% of the inhabitants of the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara voted for the alliance that supports President Mahinda Rajapaksa. For some commentators, the result of the voting is indirect approval by the population of the Western Province for the decision to battle the Tamil Tigers with no ceasefire. Nonetheless, the figures do not lend themselves too simplistic interpretations. more..

Apr 30 (TOI) Stepping up her pro-Eelam rhetoric, AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday said if the people elected a government at the Centre that heeded her, she would ensure that the army was sent to Sri Lanka to create a separate �Tamil Eelam� by force. Answering critics, especially Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal, who had termed her call for carving out a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka as �ant-national and irresponsible�, more..

Apr 30 (TC) As the war draws to a close Sri Lankans eagerly look forward to a crushing and decisive victory over terrorism.. However, one enigma of these last days of the conflict that may puzzle future generations who look back on our time is the consistent reluctance of the government to allow reputable international media like CNN, BBC and AlJazira to cover the war. more..

Apr 30 (Reuters) The United States has decided to delay a $1.9 billion International Monetary Fund loan to Sri Lanka to try to pressure Colombo to do more to help civilians caught in the fighting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels, U.S. officials said on Wednesday. The officials, who spoke on condition they not be named, said the Obama administration last week conveyed its view to other members of the IMF board, which has yet to formally consider the loan. more..

Apr 30 (PSM) The forcibly evicted Muslims in 1990 from Musali, Mannar will be resettled in the final phase of the resettlement project commencing today, Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services informed. 409 persons from 122 families are being resettled today in the first phase, Ministry sources added. The Musali DS division, the only majority DS division in the Northern Province, more..

Apr 30 (LG) Old habits die hard. May be the followers of a murderous bank robber felt like doing what their leader did when he apprenticed as a killer beginning with bank robberies. While on a mission to drive the Muslims out of Muthur during the recent campaign, a few Tiger teenagers in uniform passed by a small bank in the town. Suddenly, they must have felt inspired to rob it. May be they needed a lot of cash for a mission they had in mind. more..

Apr 30 (LG) �Sri Lankan Buddhists are not prepared to sell our Buddha statues for food. We would like to tell the Venerable Ellawala thero that such statements are an insult to all Buddhists,� says Tissa Attanayaka, general secretary of the UNP. Responding to a statement by the Venerable Ellawala Medhananda Thero, he questioned whether the representatives of the government accepted the fact that the country was that bankrupt. more..

Apr 30 (LG) The White Christian Church has the unique characteristic of gaining entry into non-White, non-Semitic civilizations, by slow infiltration of important establishments to influence them and create unrest by dividing the local populace along communal or linguistic lines, with the sole objective of Christianising those countries. Several instances in history confirm this. The Church has been partially successful in India, more..

Apr 30 (LG) This morning�s report from Jaffna is about yet another Tiger killing, a continuing catalogue of atrocities the LTTE is committing against the Tamils. Apart from several killings they have been indulging in with such attacks as that of Kebettigollewa, Muttur, Pottuvil and Colombo where members of the Sinhala, Muslim and even overseas agency workers were involved, the killing spree of Tamils in the north and east is sustained continuously. more..

Apr 30 (GDI) German assistance to Sri Lanka would be increased immediately to over 4.7 million Euros and the Federal Foreign Office will also provide 500,000 Euros to the Office of the UNHCR in aid of IDPs, German Federal Foreign Ministry sources said. Meanwhile the Federal Foreign Minister following a telephone conversation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Jakob Kellenberger issued the following statement: more..

Apr 30 (LG) UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said, the Mahinda Rajapakse Government is not only financially bankrupt, but is also bankrupt of policies. The policy it follows today is forgotten the next morning. This was clearly borne out, when it bowed to the International community and agreed to a pause in the war, and then, in the same breath it began screaming against the international community as LTTE supporters. more..

Apr 30 (GDI) The govt has ensured that civilians fleeing from the No Fire Zone are treated with dignity and respect and govt has undertaken the responsibility of looking after the civilians and the Armed Forces have shown their humanity to the entire world by protecting civilians even sacrificing their own lives, Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said. These civilians who had undergone untold hardships and sufferings due to terrorism during the last few decades, are totally free now and more..

Apr 30 (GDI) Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare said that his Government was committed to resort to measures for ensuring the full and equal enjoyment by women with disabilities of all Human Rights, fundamental freedom and equal access to Health Services, Education, Training and Employment. Minister expressed his views on a Round Table Conference held at more..

Apr 30 (GDI) In response to the current situation in Sri Lanka where hostilities between the Government and the LTTE is entering a the final phase, the Government of Japan has decided to send Yasushi Akashi, Representative of the Government of Japan for Peace-Building, Rehabilitation and Reconstructions. Akashi would stay in the country from April 30th to May 2nd. During his stay, Akashi will meet with government officials to call for ensuring the safety and security, more..