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. 

The Tamil actor, Rajinikanth announced on Sunday that he is to enter state politics, contesting the next Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in 2021. 

Speaking at an event in Chennai, Mr Rajinikanth said he was yet to make a decision about the 2019 parliamentary elections. 

He denied he was contesting elections for power or money, stating, "If I was hungry for power, I would have entered politics in 1996”. 

He said he would instead practice "spiritual politics". 

The Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties of Sri Lanka's coalition government, the UNP and SLFP expired on December 31. 

The MoU which was initially signed for two years, came to an end last September, before being extended until yesterday. 

The end of the agreement comes amid increasing speculation over the longevity of the coalition into 2018. 

Sri Lankan soldiers have embarked on a United Nations peacekeeping mission to Mali this week, despite concern over their role in the sexual abuse of minors on a previous mission.

The Sri Lankan military declared that 150 troops from 10 regiments of the army had left this week to join the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

A further 50 Sri Lankan soldiers will also join.

The departure comes after the commander of Sri Lanka’s army claimed their involvement in peacekeeping missions was an “endorsement that recognizes our professionalism at international level”.

Thirteen Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested on Sunday morning by the Sri Lankan navy for allegedly entering island's eaters. 

The navy also confiscated two fishing trawlers, which have been taken to the naval base at Karainagar. 

The 13 fishermen have been handed over to Jaffna fisheries officials, the Daily Mirror reported. 

The arrest comes just days after courts in the North-East ordered the release of 69 Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka.