Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa will definitely be contesting the forthcoming elections as a prime ministerial candidate, although he has not yet decided which party he would run under, according to his spokesperson Rohan Weliwita.

Mr Weliwita said the former president was optimistic that he would be nominated by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to contest under the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) or the People's Alliance (PA).

Mr Wigneswaran warned the Tamil student community that circulation of drugs was an attempt to ensure that they “should not excel in their studies, have no freedom of thought, and that no flames of liberation should blaze in their hearts.”

The Sri Lankan government is unlikely to return thousands of acres of private Tamil land to their owners before the parliamentary elections, as it could damage the campaign of the current government led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Returning land held by the military to Tamils is “fraught with great political risk”, The New Indian Express quoted a “highly placed source”.

Meanwhile, resettlement minister DM Swaminathan told the paper he was optimistic the government would return land to Tamils.

“We may or may not get all the 18,000 acres we want now, but we are optimistic. This is because President Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga (who heads the Taskforce on Reconciliation), are genuinely interested in giving back lands seized from the Tamils,” he said.

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa said he suspects a return of the LTTE, while speaking at a rally after a Buddhist ceremony in Anuradhapura.

"I have a suspicion that we may return to see terrorism. We don't want to see that happening we want everyone to live in peace and harmony," Mr Rajapaksa said according to ColomboPage.

Maniyam Vithusha has been reported as missing for 5 days after she failed to return home following a visit to an orphanage that her mother worked at.

The Chief Prelate of the Asgiriya Chapter, Galagama Attadasi Thera warned that the government must be wise in responding to Tamil demands of de-militarising the North-East and ensure that Sri Lanka remains united under one flag.

Speaking during a meeting with Sri Lanka’s prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Buddhist monk, questioned the demands of the Northern Provincial Council CV Wigneswaran.

Sri Lanka “belongs to the Sinhalese” said the leader of Buddhist nationalist organisation Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), in an interview to the BBC this week.

"This country belongs to the Sinhalese, and it is the Sinhalese who built up its civilisation, culture and settlements,” said BBS secretary general Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara from his organisation’s offices in Colombo. “The white people created all the problems," he added.

"We are trying to... go back to the country of the Sinhalese," continued the Buddhist monk. "Until we correct this, we are going to fight."

The Sri Lankan navy organised a medical camp for Tamil civilians in the northern town of Karainagar, reported Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence.

Stating that the camp was of great benefit to the people in Kayts, the MoD went on to say it was organised by the navy “as a part of its social responsibility of looking after the people in the islands who always seek the assistance of the Navy for their day -to-day activities”.

Police in Jaffna have been accused of negligence in the case of murdered schoolgirl S. Vithiya.

Vithiya’s parents attempted to report her missing at the Kurikattuvan police checkpoint but were turned away. They later filed a report at Kayts police station, but police there were reportedly disinterested, saying Vithiya had likely run away with someone.

The body of the 18 year old Pungudutivu student was found inside a dilapidated house with her hands and legs tied to logs.