Students at the University of Jaffna have begun preparations for Maaveerar Naal, which is set to be commemorated next week.

The Tamil National People’s Front held an event in Kilinochchi this week, where they paid tribute to the parents of fallen Tamil fighters, ahead of Maaveerar Naal next week.

<p>Sri Lanka’s Attorney General has withdrawn an appeal against the acquittal of a group of Sinhala extremist monks from the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), who were charged over a 2008 attack on a church.</p> <p>The withdrawal of the appeal comes just days after Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena hosted an official meeting with monks from the extremist group, who were earlier pictured protesting for the release of the BBS leader and posing with racist flags.</p> <p>The accused, which includes two Buddhist monks and ten others, reportedly attacked the Calvary Church in Talahena in 2008.</p>

<p>Lawmakers loyal to Mahinda Rajapaksa staged a walkout this morning after the composition of the parliamentary select committee was passed,&nbsp;made up of a majority of opponents of the former president.</p> <p>The parliamentarians from the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) were protesting against speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s appointment of MPs to the parliamentary select committee, which includes UPFA, five from the United National Front (UNF) of Ranil Wickeremesinghe, and one each from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).</p>

Residents and families of Maaveerar continued work at the Uduthurai Thuyilum illam in Vadamarachchi East, making the site ready for Maaveerar Naal (Tamil Remembrance Day). 

The tombstones of fallen LTTE cadre, which were previously destroyed by the Sri Lankan army, have been placed together to form one large monument in memory of the Maaveerar. 

The Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena has reportedly ordered that Tamil political prisoners trials should be ‘concluded’ before January 2019.

Sirisena issued the directive at his cabinet meeting on Wednesday, News First reports.

Earlier this year Sirisena said “there are no political prisoners in Sri Lanka” and dismissed ongoing protests by Tamils across the North-East over disappearances and political prisoners, claiming they were instigated by ‘misleading’ NGOs.

He made these comments around six months after meeting with families of Tamil political prisoners and promising to resolve their problems.

<p>The body of a young man was found yesterday inside an abandoned house next to Jaffna Youth Court.&nbsp;</p> <p>It has been identified as 33 year old Vimalathas Joseph Jefferson, from Jaffna.&nbsp;</p> <p>The police is reportedly investigating the death.&nbsp;</p>

Final preparations were underway yesterday at the Alankulam Thuyilum Illam (LTTE cemetry) in Sampoor, Trincomalee, ahead of Tamil Remembrance Day or Maaveerar Naal on November 27.

The US Senator Chris Van Hollen wrote to the Sri Lankan president yesterday, urging him to seek an end to the political crisis in the island and accept the results of the two no-confidence motions against Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

Sri Lanka has been in a state of turmoil for weeks following Sirisena's shock sacking of the prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

Highlighting increased ties between the US and Sri Lanka, through the proposed Millenium Challenge Corporation compact and increases in economic and security assistance, Van Hollen warned that rule of law and democracy was at risk. 

<p>Sri Lanka’s finance minister issued a statement reassuring lenders of timely debt repayment, as Sri Lanka’s rupee hit a historic low.</p> <p>The statement released by the ministry today <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Govt-can-repay-loans-for-Fin-Ministry…">said,</a></p>