The United States has granted extensions on waivers of US sanctions placed on Iran to 20 countries, including Sri Lanka.

The waivers, originally granted in June, mean that these countries will not be hit with penalties by the US, as they continue to reduce their imports of iranian oil.

Other countries who were granted extensions on waivers include China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and Taiwan, Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Japan.

In statement published Friday, the US State department expressed concern at the impeachment trial of Sri Lanka's Chief Justice, Shirani Bandaranayake, as "part of a disturbing deterioration of democratic norms in Sri Lanka."

Statement:

Deploring the attacks on Jaffna University students, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), called for the immediate releas of students detained by the Terrorism Investigative Division (TID).

In a statement GTF said,

"GTF supports the mass protests denouncing the security forces, which was staged in Jaffna by the key Tamil parties, supported by like-minded democratic political forces in the South, trade unions and many civil society organisations. In addition, the solidarity shown by student unions in Eastern University, Ruhuna, Peradeniya Universities in Southern Sri Lanka and Youth organisations overseas, with the plight of those at Jaffna University, underlines the desire to end the State’s repression of the Tamil people in the area."

"The Government’s response has been to increase heavily armed military personnel around the Jaffna University, spurring arbitrary security checks and raising fear that there could be more arrests of University students on false charges under the sweeping powers granted to military under Terrorism laws. State authorities and security personnel have used these laws to criminalise dissent, supress politicians, human rights activists, journalists, trade unionists, restrict freedom of expression and commit human rights abuses with impunity."

An 18 year old student was abducted by the Terrorism Investigations Department (TID) whilst in Valveddithurai (VVT), in Jaffna, reports TamilNet.

The studnet, Arulampalam Dhishokraj is believed to have been abducted on Wednesday. The parents of Dishokraj received a telephone call from the TID the next day, informing them that their son was in custody.

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), run by the World Bank, has said the risk of expropriation is rising in several countries, highlighting Sri Lanka as one of the countries where it is prevalent.

Six more students were arrested by the Terrorism Intelligence Department on Thursday reports Uthayan and TamilNet.

Five of them were handed over by the Dean of the Medical Faculty, Prof. Balakumaran, the other - a student within the Science faculty - was handed over by his father.

Tamil politician, M K Sivajilingam, has confirmed that the Sri Lankan government has made at least 3 attempts to assassinate him, after details of alleged attempts to murder him were revealed.

His comments come after a former Sri Lankan Army Captain told Canadian officials that he was ordered to place explosives at the home of the politician, who at the time was with the Tamil National Alliance.

Published 10:07 GMT

According to emerging reports from civil society activists in Jaffna, the Sri Lankan police have sent a list of 'wanted' students to the authorities at Jaffna University.

The list is reported to include 5 students from the medical faculty, and presidents of the Jaffna University Student Union, Science Union and Management Faculty.

The Sri Lankan government said that it will declare forests in the Northern and Eastern provinces as conservation areas, reported Colombo Page.

Noting the severe damage to forests in the North, the government announced that it planned to increase forest coverage. The proposed 2013 budget allocates funding to help expand the forests to cover at least 35% of the land.