An ITAK local government candidate was arrested on Wednesday for slandering the Northern Province’s women’s affairs minister on Facebook.

Arutkumar John Jabrigo who is running for the Manippay divisional council (prathesiya sabai) with ITAK was arrested by Manippay police for publishing libellous posts about the women’s minister, Ananthy Sasitharan.

The Prime Minister of Singapore met with the leader of the Tamil National Alliance and discussed proposals for a new constitution as well as the possibility of Singaporean investments in the North-East.

The European Commission this month called on the Sri Lankan government to deliver on important reforms, expressing concerns over the failure to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, ongoing reports of routine torture, impunity, hate speech, military occupation of land and the difficulties faced by minorities. 

A nine year old girl was killed in Pungudutivu this week by a Sri Lankan navy vehicle following a collision near the local school. 

The victim, Kesana Thirulangam was killed at the scene. Her uncle, whose motorcycle she was travelling on to school, has been admitted to hospital with serious injuries. 

The military vehicle involved in the accident was carrying food to the nearby navy base. 

Police officers have been deployed to the area after residents expressed anger at the navy's presence in the region. 

The Women Action Network on Wednesday condemned the physical attacks and verbal harassment of female candidates in the run up to Sri Lanka's local government elections.

An elderly Tamil woman was found dead in her home in Jaffna with several assault wounds on Sunday.

The victim whose body was found at the home in Aanaikottai, Jaffna has been identified as 72-year-old Jeganathan Sathiyabama.

Mrs Sathiyabama who was immobile spent most of her time home alone and was cared for in the evenings by a relative, neighbours said.

Her body was discovered by the relative when he went to her in the evening on Sunday.

The jewellery she usually wore was missing, relatives said.

Police are investigating.

Two Special Task Force intelligence officers accused of murdering a Tamil man in Jaffna last year have had their remand extended by the Jaffna magistrate.

The case of the Ariyalai murder of 24-year-old Don Bosco Rikman was taken up at Jaffna magistrates court on Tuesday.

Judge S. Satheeskaran denied the two intelligence officer’s request for bail, stating that the investigation is still ongoing.

They have been remanded until February 6.

The leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R Sampanthan on Tuesday stressed the need for the Prevention of Terrorism Act to be repealed in a meeting with a representative of the EU to Sri Lanka. 

Mr Sampanthan stressed that the repeal of the PTA was a commitment made by the Sri Lankan government to the international community, and specifically the EU, however the government had failed to deliver on it. He also called for those those detained indefinitely under the PTA to have their cases processed. 

Mothers of the disappeared in Vavuniya on Tuesday continued their protest calling on the government to provide answers on the whereabouts of their missing loved ones. 

The protesters, who have been demonstration for over 330 days, expressed their frustration at the government's failure to deliver on promises. 
 

The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday signed a Free Trade Agreement with Singapore, despite professionals in Colombo urging the government against the pact. 

The pact was signed by Sri Lanka's Minister for Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama and Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaranduring during an official state visit of Singaporean prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. 

Professionals objecting to the FTA said there was insufficient legal framework for such a pact in Sri Lanka.