US N Britain Call For End to Sri Lanka Fighting.......

The United States and Britain have made a joint call for an immediate end to hostilities in Sri Lanka and the evacuation of civilians from the last remaining stronghold of the Tamil Tiger rebels. The conflict was a major issue in a meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband. 

The joint statement late Tuesday was the most strongly-worded to date by Western powers about the situation in northern Sri Lanka, where hundreds of Tamil civilians have been reported killed in recent days in what is likely the final stage of the country's long civil conflict.

A relentless advance by government forces has pushed the Tamil Tiger rebels and tens of thousands of Tamil civilians into a small remnant of what was formerly a no-fire zone on the country's northeastern coast.At least 45 civilians died Tuesday in shelling of the last medical facility in the contested area with each side blaming the other for the attack.