Seven months after Sri Lanka's long and bitter civil war was brought to an end by a withering government assault, the political coalition that supported the Tamil Tigers has thrown its support behind the former army chief who crushed them.

Protesters are planning to renew action against Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer's participation today in Auckland's ASB Classic.

Modelled on how Sunni nationalist groups in Iraq were induced to turn their backs on al Qaeda, the first examples of the new US policy of "reconciling" the Taleban are now being seen.