The Tamil Tigers’ long fight explained

Angered by what he perceived as the systemic discrimination of the minority Tamils by successive Sri Lankan governments, 18-year-old Velupillai Prabhakaran, armed with just a revolver, set out in 1972 to right the perceived wrongs by forming a militant group. That group eventually morphed into the Tamil Tigers, who have engaged in a brutal 25-year insurgency for an independent Tamil state that has left more than 70,000 dead.

Share

Would you pay for this story?

Rupert Murdoch’s plan to put News Corporation websites behind a pay wall is "going to be like putting toothpaste back in the tube." That’s according to Jack Matthews, chief executive officer at Fairfax Digital Media, the online arm of one of the News Corp.’s biggest rivals in Australia. “I don’t know of too many industries where something has been given away for free for 10 or 15 years, and then suddenly charged for it,” said Matthews, whose company publications include the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Share

Military: Troops kill 3 Tamil Tigers leaders

The Sri Lankan military said Monday that they killed three top leaders of the Tamil Tigers and the son of the rebel group’s founder. CNN was unable to confirm the account because of safety and access reasons. The deaths were the result of continuing armed encounters with the last remnants of the rebel group, who are now cornered in a small stretch of land in the country’s north, according to the military.

Share

Understanding America’s Shift on Abortion

The abortion debate is a shape shifter, its contours twisted by politics, culture, timing and the very language pollsters use when they ask people how they feel. So when the folks at Gallup announced that for the first time more Americans are pro-life than pro-choice, there are all kinds of ways to misunderstand what that means. First and foremost are the labels, which cloud the issue by oversimplifying it — that’s why the advocates picked them

Share

Five Challenges Facing India’s Election Victors

Despite predictions of a close race forcing an unstable coalition government, India’s Congress Party on Saturday claimed a major victory in national elections, leaving it with enough parliamentary seats to form a government with only minimal support from other parties. Congress is expected to win 205 out of 543 seats, according to India’s Election Commission, garnering 124 million votes. So how does Prime Minister Manmohan Singh plan to use the electorate’s strong mandate for his second term in office?

Share