Sri Lankan Suicide Attack Video Released

In chilling security camera footage, a female suicide bomber on a mission to kill a Sri Lankan Cabinet minister is seen patiently answering questions in a bustling government office before calmly standing up and detonating the bomb hidden in her bra.

The video, released by police Friday, gave a rare look at a suicide bomber's last moments and the immediate aftermath of a devastating attack.

In the footage, the bomber, wearing a yellow sari and a white shawl, calmly walked into a small waiting room at the Colombo offices of Social Services Minister Douglas Devananda on Wednesday, the day he sets aside to hear complaints from the public.

The woman, identified by police as 24-year-old Sujatha Vagawanam, sat down in front of a desk and answered questions from Devananda's 72-year-old aide Steven Peiris. As the two spoke, Peiris was repeatedly interrupted by other officials sitting nearby or walking past....

Video,
http://defence.lk/videos/20071130_EPDP.wmv
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http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIbm1KM0cJWtPDbyAeKepCimUshwD8T85MV80

LTTE chief’s dream shattered, says Colombo

The U.S. on Friday said only a “political solution, not a military one,” offers a way out of the violence even as Colombo said November 2007 “Hero’s Day Speech” of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran is an acknowledgement that his “Tamil Eelam dream” stands shattered.

In a statement released here, the U.S. State Department referred to the series of incidents of violence in the last few days and called on all Sri Lankans to work toward the “goal of a just, political solution to the conflict.”

Separately, Minister and Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said in contrast to previous years when the LTTE leader boasted that Tamil Eelam was around the corner, Mr. Prabakaran has acknowledged that the world and the Tamil Diaspora had distanced itself from him.

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http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/01/stories/2007120156291700.htm

Extra Security Deployed In Kandy

An additional police force of 400 has been deployed in the vicinity of Asgiriya international cricket grounds and the Kandy town for the first Test between Sri Lanka and England, starting on Saturday.

Extra security has also been given to the hotels where the players are staying, according to police sources.

On Wednesday twin bomb blasts, attributed by police to Tamil Tiger rebels, killed 19 people and left 45 injured in Colombo.

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http://www.cricket365.com/story/0,,6575_2931491,00.html

Sri Lanka court orders halt to student demonstration

The Colombo Magistrate's Court Friday ordered the police to halt a demonstration by a group of university students in view of serious security situation in the capital Colombo, court officials said.

For the last 17 days, student activists of the Sabaragamuva University have been staging a protest demonstration opposite the Ministry of Higher Education in downtown Colombo.

The court ordered the police to compel the students to give up protest action in view of the threatening security situation in the capital in the aftermath of two bomb attacks blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels.

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/01/content_7177935.htm

Sri Lanka eyes more jobs for professionals

Sri Lankan Ambassador S B Atugoda said yesterday that his country was seeking more opportunities for its professionals in various fields in Qatar.

Speaking to Gulf Times on the eve of the arrival of a Sri Lankan trade delegation, the envoy said that in view of Qatar’s rapidly growing economy, he expected opportunities for professionals in various sectors like construction, health, engineering and the hospitality industry.

The ambassador said there are more than 76,000 Sri Lankan nationals in Qatar at present.
Atugoda said though Sri Lankans had expertise in a number of fields, they had not been able to capitalise on their strengths.

Asked about the lack of interest among Sri Lankans in entering the country’s growing retail sector, the ambassador said he had spoken about this to representatives of business houses in his country and “some of them are already exploring ways to enter the retail sector in Qatar.”

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http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&