May 13 (CI) Bangladesh Under-19 won the dead rubber as well, thus sending their Sri Lankan counterparts home with a 4-1 series defeat. Starring with the first century of the five-match series was Amit Majumder, whose 109 was a key component of Bangladesh's successful chase of 228. Majumder stood firm at the top even as Bangladesh slipped to 16 for 2. He and Anamul Haque (38) added 132 for the third wicket, during which Majumder raised three figures. more..

May 13 (SLE) On May 07, Vesak was celebrated at the Sri Lanka Embassy with an alms giving for the priests of all three Buddhist institutions in the Greater Washington area - Washington Buddhist Vihara, the International Buddhist Center (IBC) and the Bavana Society of West Virginia. Ven. Maharagama Dhammasiri Nayaka Thera of the Washington Buddhist Vihara administered Pan-Sil/ Ven. Nikahatiye Soratha Nayaka Thera, a visiting priest of the Washington Buddhist Vihara, engaged in the transfer of merit. more..

May 13 (BBC) The Sri Lankan government has accused the international media of merely following the "LTTE propaganda". Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told journalists that the government "regrets" that many journalists simply convey to the world what Tamilnet reports "without double checking the facts". "We extremely regret that those so called international media directly support the LTTE agenda without looking for the truth," more..

May 13 (LES) Tamil protesters stepped up their campaign against the Sri Lankan government from the top of Westminster Abbey today after sympathisers scaled the building last night. Four men slipped past the flanks of officers sent to contain the crowds before climbing hundreds of feet up scaffolding on the Gothic church's north side. The demonstrators spent the night near the top of the building after unfurling a banner from an upper rampart. more..

May 13 (IBN) The Tamil Nadu government has opposed a plea to release of an assassin of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and has told the Supreme Court that he may rejoin rebels in Sri Lanka if freed. "The current fight between LTTE and the Sri Lanka government may again infuse passion in him to act against the law," said the state government, replying to the plea from P R Ravichandran, who is serving life term. more..

May 13 (LeN) National security spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella charges that certain so-called international media and the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe are preparing agendas in line with Prabakaran’s so as to save his life at the last moment. He said that it is an unfortunate phenomenon that certain media institutes gave wide publicity to the Tamilnet website news of more..

May 13 (AT) The LTTE International Terror Group has attacked one more Sri Lanka Embassy in Europe. This time it was the Sri Lanka Mission in The Hague, The Netherland. It is reported that as part of the LTTE's international terror campaign, the Sri Lanka Embassy in The Hague, the capital of The Netherlands came under attack yesterday (11th) at around 10.30.p.m. The report further revealed that a small group of attackers, more..

May 13 (CTV) The Canadian government is concerned about the humanitarian crisis Tamils face in Sri Lanka but officials are not prepared to meet with anyone who might represent the terrorist group Tamil Tigers, a cabinet minister said Tuesday. Bev Oda, the federal Minister of International Co-operation, said she visited Sri Lanka last week and was "frustrated" by what she saw there. more..

May 13 (AV) Having a reasonable immigration regime in place that allows for vital jobs to be filled without having to wait for years makes economic sense. This requires, of course, that those who are admitted have the necessary qualifications and are, generally, a good fit for the host country. The U.S. system contains a considerable number of obstacles for legitimate applicants, who will often have to wait for years before obtaining permanent or semi-permanent status. more..

May 13 (LG) The first death anniversary of Miss.Maheswary Velautham falls on the 13th May 2009. This article is written as a tribute to her noble service rendered to humanity, spanned over 3 decades. Miss Maheswary was born in Karaveddy, Jaffna on 17th July 1953. She entered the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo in 1972. While reading for her law degree she developed a desire for social work. She was a strong believer of democracy and Human Rights. more..

May 13 (Hindu) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the only international agency operating inside the war zone in Sri Lanka, on Tuesday said heavy fighting made it impossible for it to evacuate the wounded and the sick people and their accompanying relatives from the combat area and deliver 25 metric tonnes of food for thousands of civilians stranded there. “Lack of security forced our ferry to stay offshore for the entire day today, only kilometres from the conflict area. more..

May 13 (BBC) Sri Lankan Government forces have been "on the brink" of the total defeat of Tamil Tiger (LTTE) forces for months and now rebels are clinging onto an ever-shrinking pocket of land near the town of Mullaitivu. It has been described as being no bigger than Central Park in New York (340 hectares; 840 acres). As well as the remaining LTTE fighters, many thousands of civilians occupy this small area of territory in north-east Sri Lanka. more..

May 13 (AT) Sri Lanka and Indonesia to share their experience in promoting tourism in their respective countries. Recently Sri Lanka’s Minister of Tourism Milinda Moragoda who was on a three-day official visit on an invitation of Government of Indonesia for participate the Trail of Civilization he met his counterpart Mr. Jero Wacil with senior leaders of the Tourism sector on the sideline of the conference for a bilateral discussion on the promotion of tourism in their respective countries. more..

May 13 (TS) The line is long and narrow. Sometimes it is drawn here, along an expressway on a Sunday night; and sometimes it is drawn there, in another country, by rockets laden with explosives. To read between those lines, know this: In the first place, the protesters on the Gardiner were not Tamil, they are Canadian. In the second place, what's the point of a democracy if you cannot take your beef to the streets? more..

May 13 (CBC) A spokesman for Canada's Tamil community hinted Tuesday that acts of civil disobedience such as the occupation of major highways would continue if the government and the United Nations fail to help broker a peace treaty in Sri Lanka. Frustration could boil over again, Samuel Lawrence of the Canadian Tamil Congress told reporters at a press conference in Ottawa. "In a desperate situation, what would you do?" more..

May 13 (UN) United Nations officials today voiced their distress at the impact on children of the ongoing conflict in northern Sri Lanka, urging both the Government and Tamil rebels to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable. Thousands of civilians, including many children, have been killed or injured in the fighting since the beginning of the year, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) noted in a news release. more..

May 13 (TS) Tamil protesters are costing taxpayers more than headaches but the city's police chief won't say how much. "It is costing us some money," Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair told the Sun yesterday. "We had to keep our day shift back (Sunday). I had to call some additional people in over the weekend and certainly last night, and I've got public order units up and on standby right now as we see how the situation evolves, and I gotta pay those guys, so it's adding to our costs," more..

May 13 (Guardian) On Sunday a Channel 4 news team was deported from Sri Lanka. Their crime? Filming interviews with aid workers at a civilian internment camp who spoke of food shortages, rape and abductions. The Sri Lankan government denies these claims. Channel 4 is in good company. The BBC, New York Times, CNN and al-Jazeera, International Red Cross and the United Nations have all been accused of either siding with the terrorists or swallowing their propaganda. more..

May 13 (NP) Toronto Tamils are planning another traffic-snarling human chain for the downtown core tomorrow, amid rumours they may take more drastic action – like storming a 400-series highway. “We can only control the people for a couple of times. If they’re emotions get enraged even more, it’s not in our hands,” said one man, Priyanth Nallaratnam, 18, who has suspended his studies to participate in protests. more..

May 13 (TT) For a state known for its extreme political swings — it voted 39 MPs of the DMK-led front in 2004 — Tamil Nadu is a divided house this time. Decimated five years ago when it drew a blank, the ADMK has regrouped. Keeping electoral arithmetic in mind, Jayalalithaa shunned the BJP and roped in the MDMK, the Left and finally the PMK, which together make up a formidable alliance given their committed votebank. more..

May 13 (FNA) Iranian Foreign Minster Manouchehr Mottaki said on Monday that the nations of Iran and Sri Lanka can serve as messengers of peace and friendship for the region. Speaking in a meeting with visiting Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker W.J.M Lokubandara who arrived in Tehran at the head of a political and parliamentary delegation on Sunday, Mottaki reiterated, “We believe that security paves the way for development and welfare of the whole the region.” more..

May 13 (NB) The sharp rise in Sri Lanka's ageing population is causing considerable concern to the government especially in the light of recent demographic research findings. The Human Development Unit of the World Bank revealed that the over-60 populace in the country is expected to increase from the current 9.25 per cent to 23 per cent by 2021. This percentage is expected to further rise to 28.5 per cent by 2050. more..

May 13 (AT) 'The Lady with the Lamp' – Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy on 12th May 1820 and died on 13th August 1910. She was out of the ordinary and on her birthday today 12th May the world commemorates the International Nursing Day and invariably it becomes the day to remember the greatness of nursing to which Florence Nighingale infused new meaning. Nighingale is known as British nursing hero of the Crimean War. more..

May 13 (AT) Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation's Sinhala Service this week that the politicians and NGO ‘peaceniks’ who deliberately prolonged Sri Lanka’s armed conflict for 30 years under the pretext of searching for ‘peace’ and ‘negotiated settlements’ with the LTTE should be put on trial at the Galle Face Green, Colombo. more..

May 13 (LBO) Janashakthi Insurance said it had appealed against the suspension of its licence by the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka which was due to non-compliance with the solvency ratio as the regulator had not accepted previously accepted assets. "The company is in the process of appealing against this sudden and unexpected imposition of a very severe penalty," Janashakthi Insurance said in a stock exchange filing. more..

May 13 (LG) Even the worst votary of the present war in Sri Lanka would be shaken up by the news that over 400 civilians including 100 children were killed last Sunday when the war violently hit the ever shrinking “safe zone” turning it into the most unsafe zone in Sri Lanka. And this tragedy is neither the first one, nor going to be the last one. Of course, the response of everyone - the Sri Lanka security forces (SLSF), the LTTE and the international community - who shares the responsibility for more..

May 13 (LG) Sri Lanka values its historical and multi-faceted relationship with the European Union (EU) covering a number of areas of mutually beneficial cooperation, which has now developed into a robust partnership. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama made these remarks when an EU-Troika delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Madam Helena Bambasova, representing more..

May 13 (LG) The people of Tamil Nadu will be voting today with echoes of Eelam still ringing in their ears. To the military axiom that truth is the first casualty of war, one can add, ‘and during election in Tamil Nadu’. There are several versions of the Wanni war in Sri Lanka and India. Forget the manipulation of truth in the so-called No Fire Zone which was anything but that, now disingenuously named New Safe Zone where ‘combat operations’ had officially ceased on April 27 after more..

May 13 (BBC) The US and UK have urged Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels to stop fighting "immediately" and allow an evacuation of trapped civilians. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her UK counterpart David Miliband also expressed alarm at the large number of reported civilian casualties. The top UN aid official said the situation in the conflict zone in north-eastern Sri Lanka was "awful". more..

May 13 (Guardian) Yesterday a shell was reported to have hit a temporary hospital in the so-called no-fire zone in north-east Sri Lanka, killing 47 people. Vany Kumar, 25, works at the temporary medical facility in Mullaivaikal East primary school, which is caught between government troops and the last remnants of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE). Here, in a telephone interview with the Guardian, she describes life on the front line. more..

May 13 (Nation) Intense diplomatic and economic pressure is being brought on Sri Lanka by sections of the international community (read Western) to declare a ceasefire in its military operations against the LTTE just when the Tiger leadership has been cornered in its ever-shrinking lair. The reason for the call - real or ostensible - is to allow thousands of Tamil civilians trapped by the conflict to flee to safety. The number of civilians caught up in a northeastern strip of land varies from 20,000 to 50,000. more..

May 13 (Time) During the campaign, Barack Obama hinted at how his future Administration might act to stop suffering in the world. American foreign policy should focus on more than just killing terrorists; it needs to address "challenges of the 21st century" such as "climate change and poverty, genocide and disease." Obama and his advisers all but called for Robert Mugabe's removal in Zimbabwe and advocated more aggressive U.S. action to halt the genocide in Darfur. more..

May 13 (BD) Sri Lanka is aiming to strengthen bilateral ties with Brunei Darussalam by exploring various potential investment opportunities. Dr Mervyn Silva, Lanka's Minister of Labour, is currently in Brunei Darussalam to try to lure the local business community to explore abundant resources in Sri Lanka. He said, "We have come to Brunei Darussalam for the first time at the invitation of P S V Settinayake, the Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Brunei Darussalam. more..

May 13 (BL) The government yesterday pledged to stand firm regardless of a split within the international community when emerging world powers spearheaded by Russia and China refused to take the Sri Lankan situation before the UN Security Council despite a determined push from key European countries. Foreign Affairs Secretary, Dr. Palitha Kohona told The Bottom Line that the refusal by the Security Council to have Sri Lanka on their agenda is ‘only to be expected’ insisting more..

May 13 (BL) The following political truisms have governed Sri Lankan elections since 1956. Firstly, the majority of the Sinhala Buddhists consider the SLFP as the guardian of their interests. They have backed it steadfastly. Secondly, the minorities, the Tamils and the Muslims, consider the UNP as being responsive to their rights and aspirations. Whenever the UNP aspired for the role of the protector of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism, it lost the support of the minorities and the election. more..

May 13 (BL) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is drumming up people to switch from savings to investments saying that capital markets offers secure and better returns due to a host of factors. Newly appointed Chairman of the SEC Udayasiri Kariyawasam said that definitive peace dividend with the near end of war, political stability and sound capital market regulations are some of the compelling factors for public to switch to investment in listed shares. more..

May 13 (BL) Sri Lanka Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka said that, “Velupillai Prabhakaran and the rest of the tiger terrorists are under siege, and in the throes of death from my troops.” In the meantime Sri Lanka Army’s 59 Division commanded by Brigadier Prasanna Silva made a tactical move under the direction of the Army Commander. On Tuesday, the 59 Division troops advanced from the south of the newly demarcated ‘No Fire Zone’ along the coastline, into the areas south of Vellamullivaikkal. more..

May 13 (SFG) Sri Lanka is a stunning island nation in the Indian Ocean - "a pendant off the ear of India," according to Sri Lanka-born author Michael Ondaatje. Under ordinary conditions, it would be a paradise for tourists and residents. But for the last 25 years, it has been the site of Asia's longest-running modern war. Now the war is in the end stages, and paradise has become a humanitarian disaster. Sri Lankan forces have trapped the LTTE into an ever-shrinking area in the northeast of the country. more..

May 13 (GV) The police informed courts they have no charges against Mr. Vithyatharan the Editor of both Sudar Oli and Uthayan news papers, after detaining him for two months. On 24th of April, he was acquitted by Courts. He was taken in for investigations by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) in relation to the suicide air attacks by the two LTTE aircraft that flew into Colombo and was questioned on the telephone calls taken by him that night. more..

May 13 (GV) Vikalpa Video recorded on Thursday 7th May 2009, as part of its current series on the LTTE and the end to the war in Sri Lanka, an interview with prominent Tamil politician, leader of the TULF and vocal critic of the LTTE Mr. V Anandasangaree. Mr. Anandasangaree in these two interviews clearly points to the LTTE’s tactic of embedding itself amongst civilians, so as to draw Army fire and then claim the State is attacking innocent civilians. more..

May 13 (LG) With the LTTE cornered and restricted to a tiny patch of isthmus beside Nanthi Kadal Lagoon ever since 6 April, the world has witnessed a menagerie of world leaders playing the game "throw egg on my face." On 22 April Hilary Clinton told the world that "a terrible humanitarian tragedy" was taking place in Sri Lanka and demanded a halt in the fighting so that "we could secure a safe passage for as many of the trapped civilians as possible." more..

May 13 (LG) Since the dawn of April 20, 2009 events that have unfurled in Sri Lanka, particularly in the context of ethno-political conflict are of great importance because they not only reveal the extreme human suffering caused by internal armed conflicts but also raise theoretical and practical issues related to an unfinished state-building project in a small post-colonial country. more..

May 13 (LG) Messrs Shanmugarajah and Varatharajah, No Fire Zone Inc., have been preparing their latest news release all of last night. Tiger International leader Selvarajah Pathmanathan was quite annoyed that the figures of those killed announced by them yesterday were too small and that was why he had to increase the number to 1000 from the 300 odd. This was soon made into 2000 by those who climbed the roof of the Westminster Abbey in London so that more..

May 13 (DW) DefenceWire wishes to announce with great authority that we are now approaching the last days of the LTTE in its known form. We wish to answer some of the key questions on people's minds today. The last confirmed sighting of the LTTE Leader came on the 26th of March. This was when a mid-level cadre, an eye witness, surrendered to the Army. There are 'indications' of Prabha's presence still. This is how we 'know' he is there. more..

May 13 (LT) Four new super luxury vehicles worth Rs.15 million imported illegally as scrap were seized by central intelligence unit of customs from Orugodawatta customs yard yesterday. The government would have lost about Rs.10 million if the vehicles were removed from the yard point out customs officials. The customs say a businessman in Kurunegala who imports motor spare parts from Japan has imported the vehicles forwarding forged documents. more..

May 13 (LT) Paddy Marketing Board has abandoned buying paddy during the ‘Maha’ season due to the private sector paying more when they buy paddy said a spokesman for PMB. PMB bought ‘nadu’ for Rs.28.00. Samba for Rs.30.00 per kilogram of paddy. The government had allocated Rs.4000 million to buy 1,40,000 metric tons of paddy. However, farmers have sold only 37,000 metric tons of paddy to the PMB. more..