Journalist hacked to death in Jaffna

Sirasa Jaffna reporter P. Devakumaran was hacked to death this afternoon in Navthurei by an unidentified gang.

Paranirupasingham Devakumar, 34, and his friend were returning home at Vadukkodai on a motorcycle when they were taken by an unidentified group at Navatturai around 6.00 pm, report said.

Their bodies are presently lying at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

The friend, Mahendran Varadan was a 28-year-old employee of the District Secretariat.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20080528130447.php

LTTE bomb attacks have killed 149 civilians in Sri Lanka this year

Sri Lanka’s separatist rebels have targeted civilians on 21 occasions killing 149 civilians and injuring 560 more so far this year, according to the military figures.

Appealing to the public to be vigilant of their surroundings military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara addressing the media briefing today said that from the 1st of January 2008 to date LTTE have staged 21 attacks on civilians in the form of claymore mine explosions, suicide attacks, parcel bombs and shooting incidents.

Brigadier Nanayakkara further said that the Army has been successful in their mission in the North.

Since March 2007, 57 division of the Sri Lanka Army have been successful in capturing 600 square kilometers of LTTE territory in the North, he revealed. LTTE have shifted their defence lines to Mallavi and Tharukkui areas 45 km behind the Army Defence Lines in Mannar, he added.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/May28121019CH.html

Sri Lanka not to allow mobile phones as gifts

Worried over the growing grey market for mobile phones due to illegal imports from countries like China and India, Sri Lankan Customs has decided to confiscate such cell phones being brought in as accompanied or unaccompanied baggage or as gift.

The Sri Lanka Customs has announced that all goods for commercial purposes/commercial quantities have to be imported in accordance with the provision of the Import Control Act and regulations framed there under.

It said all the goods for commercial purposes, imported or bought in as accompanied or unaccompanied baggage and gifts, contrary to the Act, would be forfeited.

It added that the importer of such goods would also be liable to penalties/forfeited under Section 129 of the Customs Ordinance. This was enforced with effect from May 15.

The action follows demand by local mobile phone importers for strong law enforcement to combat illegal mobile phone imports into the Island country.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200805281760.htm

Tamil Canadian arrested over suspected fund-raising for LTTE

A Lankan born Tamil Canadian has been arrested by the Canadian Police for allegedly raising money for the LTTE movement in Sri Lanka.

Prapaharan (Prapa) Thambithurai, 45, who lives in Toronto but was arrested last Friday in Vancouver, is charged with providing or making available property or services for terrorist purposes in Sri Lanka.

This incident is been reported as the first time in Canada that a man in Vancouver has been charged with financing terrorists, for allegedly raising money for the Tigers.

"The funds were allegedly raised for the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers) which is a listed terrorist organisation in Canada,'' said RCMP Supt. Lloyde Plante, of B.C.'s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET).

Police allege the funds were being collected from members of Vancouver's 6, 000- to 8,000-person Sri Lankan community.

Read more,
http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5965&Itemid=44

Gelatin stick smuggling case: Prime suspect held -Rameswaram

The prime suspect in the gelatin stick smuggling case, Ebiraj, allegedly an LTTE supporter, was arrested near here today, police said.

He was produced before a local court, which remanded him to 15 days judicial custody, police said.

Police had earlier arrested one person in connection with the case relating to smuggling of 83,500 gelatin sticks, 20 boxes of detonators, contraband goods and 34 cans containing chemicals on May 8.

Police seized the huge quantity of explosives and arrested one Nagendran. Police had also impounded the boat in which the explosives were meant to be smuggled to Sri Lanka.

Ebiraj has been lodged in Madurai prison.

extracted from,
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=445481&sid=REG

Somawansa remains as the leader of the JVP-Wimal axed

Somawansa Amarasinghe remains as the leader of the JVP while Tylwin silva was appointed as the General Secretary by the Central Committee of the JVP at their fifth convention held in this evening at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium , Colombo.

Wijitha Herath was appointed as the Propaganda Secretary by the central committee and Anura Kumara Dissanayake is now holding Parliamentary group leadership.

In last few weeks the Asia Tribune predicted about Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s post and most of party loyalists say these leaders could save the party and the nation.

Extracted from,
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/11433