Tensions prevailed in Batticaloa on Sunday as a mob of Sinhala Buddhist monks from Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya attempted to enter the town despite the local Magistrate prohibiting their presence. 

Carrying the Sinhala lion flag protested against the court's order, resulting in the Special Task Force being deployed to the region. 
 

Sri Lanka's president said freedom of religion was ensured whilst speaking at a church service on Sunday. 

"Sri Lanka had been able to ensure the right that supports the freedom of individuals to follow any religion as spiritual concept was what assisted people to become disciplined and well-behaved," the president was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

His remarks came despite increasing incidents of Sinhala Buddhist monks targetting Tamils and Muslims with racist abuse.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said his government was committed to purchasing at least two more military transport planes from China, in an interview with the South China Morning Post.

“I have travelled around in some of the Chinese transport planes we have,” said Mr Wickremesinghe. “They are good workhorses. Some people have raised questions about their quality but I have always said, ‘Look, as far as I am concerned, I will always underwrite Chinese military transport planes’.” 

“We will buy two more,” he confirmed.

A street has been named after one of the two Tamil Jaffna University students who were shot dead by Sri Lankan police officers earlier this year. 

Twenty-four year old Sulakshan was killed along side his friend and fellow arts student, Nadarasa Kajan on October 20th by officers, prompting widespread protests and call for an inquiry into the shooting. 

A Sri Lankan court lifted a travel ban imposed on the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya  Rajapaksa and 6 others who were reprimanded for their complicity in the floating armoury case, reports Colombo Page.

The Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilaptiyaa lifted the travel ban imposed  on former navy commanders and former defence secretary.

The suspects were charged with allowing the company Avant Grande to maintain a floating armoury  and make unlawful profits.  

Thousands of Danish Tamils attended Maaveerar Naal commemorations in the cities of Herning and Holbaek.

The French Agency for Development(AFD)  has recently approved a 52 million Euro loan to Sri Lanka to finance the Anuradhapura Integrated Urban Development Project.

The financing agreement was signed last week at the Ministry of Finance  in the presence of France’s Ambassador to Sri lanka.

The project is part fo the Strategic Cities Development Program (SCDP) and seeks to develop a more integrated approach to urban planning while preserving the cultural and natural heritage of Anurapdhapuram.

A merger of the North-East will not be immediately possible said TNA spokesperson and MP, MA Sumanthiran on Friday. 

Speaking to journalists from his home in Jaffna, Mr Sumanthiran said the option of a merger found in the 13th amendment will continue in the new constitution. 

Mr Sumanthiran said a form of a mechanism such as an Apex Council that sees the Northern and Eastern provinces working on certain issues together may be included, which they believe would build trust and cooperation, and then the two provinces could be merged after some time. 

Thousands of Tamils in Toronto, Canada commemorated Maaveerar Naal at a number of events across the city, including a large one at Markham Fairgrounds.