The European Union criticised Sri Lankan rebels for staging a deadly sea attack this week and warned that the escalation in violence could wreck any chance of returning to peace talks. The statement came two days after a Tamil Tiger suicide attack on a navy gunboat that killed its 18-man crew, dealing a blow to efforts to preserve a four-year ceasefire agreement now in tatters. The European bloc, which has already warned it may impose a ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said the escalation of violence undermined the prospects for opening Sri Lankan peace talks.Full Story