Tamil children in villages in Vavuniya are being forced to travel long distances to attend school due to school closures in the district.

Specifically the closures of two schools - Koliya Kulam GTM School and Varudaiyar Iluppaikulam GTM school - have affected families in several surrounding villages including Kunchukulam, Navvi and Palamottai.

Both schools resumed operations when the areas were resettled following the end of the war in 2010 but ceased operating this year and have been left to dilapidate.

<p>The killing of two police officers in Batticaloa was a ploy to create problems for Tamils on the island, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP has said.</p> <p>“We view the incident of the shooting and killing of two police officers in Vavunathivu last week as act to incite racism,” Batticaloa representative G Sirinesan said in parliament last week.</p> <p>“We must approach it as a behind-the-scenes ploy to create problems for the Tamil people,” he said.</p>

Protests took place in Trincomalee and Jaffna this week against gender based violence. 

In Jaffna, the protest took place by the main bus station today, calling for an end to gender based violence in workplaces. 

It was organised by the Jaffna Social Action Centre. 

A house was attacked in the Koppay central region of Jaffna last night around midnight, with the petrol bomb.  

A 53 year old man, Sellathurai Selvaranjan, was injured in the incident and has been admitted to Jaffna Hospital. 

The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena has been filmed stating Mahinda Rajapaksa was unable to get the 113 MPs needed for a majority as many were quoting high prices.

He added that he personally knew some MPs asking for Rs 50 million to cross over. 

Many analysts have said the extraordinary new video amounts to admission of bribery and corruption by the president. 

The former United States ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O. Blake warned the country should expect greater scrutiny following the US mid term elections and in view of "serious questions" raised by actions of President Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

In an op-ed published in the Daily Mirror, Blake, who was also served as the former assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, encouraged Rajapaksa to step down from his appointment of prime minister, and focus on building up the SLPP ahead of any election. 

<p>UK's minister of state for human rights, Lord Ahmad said developments in Sri Lanka were being watched closely and emphasised the need to protect human rights, rule of law and good governance.&nbsp;</p> <p>In his interim statement on the human rights situation in 2018 in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) 30 human rights priority countries, Lord Ahmad noted: "the UK is following developments in Sri Lanka closely and is aware of the concern felt by many about the potential impact on human rights defenders."</p>

<p>A group of three different international business chambers have issued a joint statement stating that they are “gravely concerned about the present political uncertainty and upheaval” in Sri Lanka.</p> <p>The European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (ECCSL), the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka) warned that there would be “adverse economic and social consequences” and that “foreign investors and potential businesses are increasingly losing confidence in the reliability of the business environment of Sri Lanka”.</p> <p>“Most of our members who are established in Sri Lanka and whom have been surveyed are already experiencing negative impacts on their businesses,” the statement added.</p>

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has extended a stay against the dissolution of parliament, which was initially issued by Maithripala Sirisena last month as Colombo was plunged into political turmoil.

The decision, taken this morning, means that the stay order has been extended until December 10.

A seven member bench is currently hearing the fundamental rights petition filed against the president's dissolving of parliament.

Tamil parliamentarian Vijayakala Maheswaran, who was arrested by Sri Lankan police in October over a speech where she mentioned the LTTE, has had her court case postponed until February 2019.

Maheswaran faced criticism from cross-party Sinhala politicians for calling for a resurgence of the LTTE in order to curb rising crime rates in North-East and was forced to resign her ministerial post.

Sri Lanka's Attorney General had advised the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to file a case at the Court of Appeal against the UNP MP, but Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne said that the court had received no further instructions as he announced the postponement.