Norway steps up Sri Lanka peace bid, civilian toll hits 200
Sri Lanka’s peace broker Norway stepped up moves to arrange face-to-face talks after the government accepted a pledge by the rebel Tamil Tigers to resume negotiations, diplomats said. The renewed effort came as truce monitors said that intensified fighting between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had caused the deaths of at least 200 civilians in the past two months alone. Full Story