The United National Party (UNP) has declared that Ranil Wickremesinghe will continue to be the party’s official candidate for prime minister, in a letter to the Tamil National Alliance on Friday.

In a letter addressed to TNA Leader R Sampanthan , UNP Chairman MP Kabir Hashim stated, "Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP, is the nominee of the United National Party for the position of Prime Minister".

Soldiers stationed in Jaffna received a set of new motorbikes last week, as militarisation of the Tamil homeland continues despite opposition from locals.

The Sri Lankan armed held a military demonstration for the visit of a senior commander to its Mullaitivu base last week, in signs that militarisation of the region looks set to continue.

Supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party held a rally in Jaffna on Friday. 

Asking Tamils to support Rajapaksa, the rally organisers called for a general election to take place.

The massacre of 32 Tamils in Othiyamalai, Mullaitivu by the Sri Lankan army in 1984 was remembered today with a new memorial unveiled at the site. 

On December 2,1984, men in the village were rounded up by the Sri Lankan army, dragged to the village community centre where they were stripped naked and tied up by their clothes. 

Twenty-seven of the men were shot and killed on the spot. A further five were detained and are believed to have been murdered at a later date.

A Tamil detainee was tortured by Koppay police officers for several days after being arrested for failing to attend a court hearing. 

The victim reported being hung upside down and beaten for three days before he was brought to court. 

"The police arrested me last Sunday and severely beat me," the youth, told reporters, speaking anonymously for fear of repurcussions. 

"I was beaten up severely from the day of arrest. I was hung upside down and beaten up. I was burnt by fire on my hand."

Sri Lanka's army commander stationed in Jaffna today warned Tamils gathered that if the 'peaceful life' was disturbed there would be a return to check points and roadside stop and interrogations. 

Speaking just a few days after thousands of Tamils across the North-East marked Maaveerar Naal, a day of remembrance for fallen LTTE fighters, and two police officers were killed in Batticaloa, Major General Hettiarachchi told Tamils to "our expectation is that Tamils living in Jaffna live with love."

"I ask the Tamil people, let us continue to live this peaceful life. If this peaceful life changes once again, the time will again come when the police and the army set up checkpoints along the roadside and stop and interrogate those passing by on the streets."

The archaeological department of Sri Lanka has begun construction work at an area surrounding a Hindu temple in Trincomalee, in further attempts to occupy land in the North-East. 

This week, the archaeology department began construction work at the Kanthaswamy hill in Thennamaravaadu village, a village in the Trincomalee district. 

Sri Lankan police have arrested a man from Kilinochchi, accusing him of being involved in the shooting dead of two officers at a checkpoint in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa. 

The man, 48 year old Sarvanandam Rasanayagam, was arrested yesterday by Kilinochchi police. 

The bodies of the two police officers were found on Thursday with gunshot wounds. 

The incident sparked a major police operation in the area. 

Chunnakam police have arrested three youths from Kokkuvil, Jaffna on Friday, accusing them of being associated with the Aava gang. 

According to the police the men were in possession of seven swords, each 3 feet long. 

The men are expected to be produced before court today.