Lawyers Confident of Saving Rizana

There is a strong possibility that Rizana Nafeek, charged by a court in Dawadmi with murdering a four-month-old child, will escape execution, according to her lawyers. The law firm of Khateb Al-Shammary retained by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has filed an appeal against the death sentence and her case is currently being reviewed in a court of appeals.

“In a letter addressed to us, the legal firm has said that there is a strong likelihood of Rizana being spared,” Basil Fernando, executive director of AHRC, told Arab News yesterday. However, he added that the lawyers believed that she could be given a five-year jail term for “death caused without intention.”

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http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=102900&d=28&m=10&y=2007

Sri Lankan air force attacks LTTE intelligence gathering

Sri Lankan air force fighter jets pounded a regular gathering place of LTTE's intelligence wing leaders on Monday in the north eastern part of the country, the defence ministry said here.

The jets took off from the Katunayake airbase near Colombo and engaged the target at Puthukuduiruppu in Mullaitivu, which has been under air surveillance for a considerable time, it said quoting sources.

"The air raid has been launched after real-time ground information revealed a gathering of LTTE intelligence heads in the morning at the targeted location."

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http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?r

Anandasangaree reprimands Prabakaran

V.Anandasangaree in another letter to Velupillai Prabakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has reprimanded him for his recalcitrant behaviors and told him to come forward for talks with the Sri Lanka Government and accept a reasonable solution. He has alleged that Prabakaran has failed to listen to his advises. He said that advising Prabakaran is like blowing a conch in a deaf man ears......

......
Mr. V. Prabaharan,
President – LTTE.

My Dear Prabaharan,

Please Stop Your Killings and Go For Talks

I very strongly condemn you for what you have done at Anuradhapuura last Monday. It is not a matter for anyone to rejoice at. Every right-thinking person will curse you for this ruthless act. However there are some people who are comfortably settled in safe places with their families, glorifying you. What have you done, for anyone to give credit to you? In this operation you had been the cause for the death of 35 people, 14 from the Air force who come from poor Sinhalese families, joined the Air force to earn a living. The remaining 21 belong to the suicide cadre of your Black Tigers, all of whom were compulsorily recruited and brain-washed by you.

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http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/8021

Lanka conscious of Tamil Nadu factor: Defense Secretary

The Sri Lanka government is conscious of the Tamil Nadu factor in determining New Delhi's Sri Lanka policy, and it strives to ensure that the war waged in the island's North and East is directed against the LTTE terrorists and not against innocent Tamil civilians, Defense Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapksa, has said.

In an interview to the state-owned Rupavahini TV channel on Sunday, Rajapakasa said that India's Central government would be able to help Sri Lanka fight LTTE terrorism only if Tamil civilian casualties were minimal, in view of the fact that Tamil Nadu state was home to 60 million Tamils.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=9f72c0d4

Eight Sri Lankan fishermen in LTTE custody

All Lanka Fisher Folk Trade Union Secretary M. Vijendra says that eight fishermen are in the custody of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE).

The fishermen sailed from Kalpitiya in multi-day fishing crafts on 2007 February 11 were missing since then and Vijendra said that Mannar Bishop Rev. Rayappu Joseph had verified the families of the fishermen that they were in LTTE custody.

Lanka Fisher Folk Trade Union is preparing to complain to the ICRC, to Sri Lanka President and the Committee to Investigate Disappearances.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/October29113451SL.html

Oil exploration: Lanka eyes experienced companies

Sri Lanka has called for bids for oil exploration from oil companies that have experience in the field, Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Minister A.H.M. Fowzie on transit at the King Khalid International Airport told Daily News.

Fowzie who was enroute to the Sixth Doha Conference on Natural Gas, came to the Kingdom to perform Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The Minister said the bids for this tender will close in January 2008.

“We want to get the right party to carry out the exploration since the seismic survey carried out in 2002 had indicated that the Mannar Basin could produce 1 billion barrels,” Fowzie said. Mannar Basin covers an area of 35,000 km, stretching from Mannar to Kalutara.

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http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/10/29/news03.asp

Sri Lanka win Cricket Sixes

Thanks to an incredible performance with the bat, Sri Lanka were the surprise winners of the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes, beating the All Stars by 16 runs.

The Sri Lankans, who take home their first ever Sixes title and 100,000 dollars US in prize money, set Shane Warne's team 128 to win from 40 balls. Indika de Saram made 40, Jeevantha Kulatunga 28, as the All Stars were smashed all over the KCC.

Craig McMillan, who was as named the player of the tournament, fell for a golden duck, and despite 34 from Brian Lara and 36 from Geraint Jones they fell short.

Extracted from,
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20071029/news_20071029_56_442466.htm