A British national was found dead at a ground in Maligawatta, Colombo, under what local papers have described as 'suspicious circumstances'. 

The body of the man, believed to be 37 years old was found with a wound to his face. 

Sri Lanka's police spokesperson, Ruwan Gunasekara was quoted by Ada Derana as saying, "the foreigner had arrived in the country on November 25 and was initially scheduled to leave the country yesterday (01), however he had extended his visa until January 25."

The police are investigating the incident. 

The Former Sri Lankan navy spokesperson was further remanded until January 16th over the disappearance of Tamil youths, Ada Derana reports. 

Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake is accused of aiding and abetting in the disappearance of 11 Tamil youths between 2008 - 2009. 

Mr Dassanayake was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in July 2017. 

A number of bail applications made have so far been rejected. 

Sri Lanka's army commander, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake on Monday said the army "must have information on the candidates contesting the Local Government elections". 

In an interview to BBC Sinhala, Lt General Senanayake claimed the information was needed to for the protection of the candidates, not to monitor them. 

"Gathering information on candidates and other key members of society does not mean they are being monitored," he was quoted by Colombo Gazette as saying. 

"However, if a situation arises where those candidates or others need military protection then the army needs to have background information on them." 
 

In the space of 24 hours, Sri Lankan police have arrested 68 individuals for reported violations of election laws, according to ColomboPage.

From Monday morning until Tuesday Morning Sri Lankan police said they had arrested the various individuals though did not clarify where the arrests had taken place.

A total of 49 people have been arrested on “charges of violating the common election laws”, whilst a further 39 persons have been arrested “based on various complaints received”.

Almost 300,000 people are set to be affected by a major drought in Sri Lanka, reports Xinhua, noting that the majority of the victims will be in the island’s North.

Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Monday that as many as 293,764 people would be affected overall, including in the Tamil dominated districts of Vavuniya and Mannar.

The DMC also noted that Puttalam, Kurunegala, and Anuradhapura would be affected by the droughts, which has left the island facing a major rice shortage according to Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake.

Diaspora organisations across the world have resolved to support universal jurisdiction actions against war criminals suspected of involvement in Sri Lanka’s genocide of Tamils.

In a message released to mark New Year’s Day 2018, US Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC), People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), British Tamils Forum (BTF) and Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) said they “resolve to expedite justice and expand relief for the survivors of Sri Lanka’s genocide against Tamils”.

On this day 12 years ago, five Tamil students were summarily executed by Sri Lanka's Special Task Force, whilst they spent an afternoon on the beach in Trincomalee. The case of the murdered Tamil students has become emblematic of the environment of impunity that continues in Sri Lanka, and the long arduous struggle for justice on the island.

Sri Lankan police have arrested three senior members of a Hindu temple board in a Trincomalee village where tensions have been ongoing since Sinhalese monks claimed the village was the site of an ancient Buddhist shrine.

The chair, the secretary and the treasurer of the board of the Kuntrathur Mathalamalai Murugan temple in Soodaikuda were arrested on Monday by Muthur police who alleged that the board had carried out work using a bulldozer without obtaining permission from the GS (village officer).

Sri Lankan soldiers were heavily involved in new year rites held by villagers at the newly released Keppapulavu Pillaiyaar temple.

Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is to approve new media regulations ahead of the upcoming local government polls. 

"All media divisions will be bound by the criteria and it is their responsibility and duty to abide by them," the PM's office said, claiming it was "another victory for good governance". 

"The quintessential fact in the conduct of a free and fair election is the conduct of media in keeping with this criteria. The impartiality of media will be ensured by the strict compliance with the guidelines. This will ensure that the forthcoming elections will be fair and free," the office added.