Aid worker killed in Sri Lanka

May 21st, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lanka has described Pakistan 'as a true friend' after Islamabad congratulated Colombo following the decimation of the Tamil Tigers. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hussein A.

May 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian government has sought details from Sri Lanka about the military action in which LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed, the ruling Congress party said Monday. 'It is a very sensitive issue.

May 13th, 2009 COLOMBO - A volunteer doctor and a Red Cross worker were killed Wednesday in fighting in northeastern Sri Lanka as civilian casualties mounted in the region where government troops are fighting to end a 25-year insurgency by Tamil rebels, medical sources in the area said. The doctor and the Red Cross worker were killed in shelling in the Mullaitivu district but it was not clear who was responsible for the attack, the medical sources said.

May 4th, 2009 Sri Lanka names squad for T20 World CupCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka named uncapped all-rounder Isuru Udana in a 15-man squad on Monday for next month's Twenty20 World Cup in England. The tournament will be the first tour since the team came under a terrorist attack in Pakistan while playing in a test series in March.

April 28th, 2009 NEW YORK - Sri Lanka's admission that it has used heavy weapons in areas crowded with displaced civilians underscores the need for an international inquiry into violations of the laws of war by government forces and the Tamil Tigers, Human Rights Watch has said. The Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat conceded Monday: 'Our security forces have been instructed to end the use of heavy caliber guns, combat aircraft and aerial weapons which could cause civilian casualties.' Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said: 'By admitting it has been using heavy weapons all along, the Sri Lanka government has shed light onto its official deception as well as its brutal military tactics.

April 28th, 2009 STOCKHOLM - Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt Tuesday said he cancelled the trip he had planned to take to Sri Lanka along with his British and French counterparts after Colombo said it would not receive him. Writing on his blog, Bildt said Sri Lanka had 'not given any reason' for not accepting him.

April 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress, India's main ruling party, Wednesday urged Sri Lanka to declare ceasefire to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the island nation and allow Tamil civilians to move out of the conflict zone. 'The Indian National Congress calls upon the Sri Lankan government to declare a ceasefire so that the humanitarian crisis can be resolved in a demonstrable way,' the party said in a statement.

April 22nd, 2009 KOLKATA - India Tuesday asked Sri Lanka to take international organisations like the UN into confidence while evacuating civilians from the war zone in the island country. Speaking to reporters here, Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee also asked Sri Lanka to distribute the relief materials sent by India through organisations such as the Red Cross.

April 20th, 2009 COLOMBO - At least 17 people were killed in a suicide bomb blast in Sri Lanka Monday, the defence ministry said.

April 12th, 2009 COLOMBO - Six civilians were killed and two wounded in a suspected Tamil Tiger attack in a village in south Sri Lanka Sunday, defence ministry said The defence ministry said the civilians 'were hacked to death' by a group of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas at Mahagodayaya village in the southern Moneragala district around 7 p.m. The wounded were rushed to a nearby hospital.

March 10th, 2009 COLOMBO - At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 others, including three ministers, were injured in a suicide bombing near a mosque in southern Sri Lanka, a police spokesman said Tuesday. The attack took place in Godapitiya in the town of Akurassa in Matara district, 160 km south of Colombo.

March 3rd, 2009 LAHORE - Five policemen were killed when gunmen attacked the bus of the Sri Lankan cricket team as it was on its way to the Gaddafi stadium here for the Test against Pakistan, media reports said. Four members of the Sri Lankan team were injured.

February 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government is alive to the threat of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) attempting to infiltrate its operatives into south India via Sri Lanka and has taken steps to counter this, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Wednesday.

January 27th, 2009 DAMBULLA - India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the first One-day International at the Ranagiri International Stadium here Wednesday. Gautam Gambhir top scored with 62 and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni remained unbeaten on 61 as India achieved the target of 247 in 48.1 overs.

January 8th, 2009 COLOMBO - Three Air Force personnel and four civilians were killed Friday morning in a Claymore mine explosion in eastern Sri Lanka, defence officials said.