Residents of Mulankavil and surrounding villages in Kilinochchi district have been clearing up the local LTTE cemetery (Thuyilum Illam) in preparation for Maaveerar Naal.

Members of a local sports team were joined by the other residents in the clear-up which has been taking place since last weekend.

Campaigns in support of the hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners continue in the North-East, as Jaffna residents protested in town on Tuesday.

The Indian government delivered a grant package worth Rs 90million on MOnday to develop facilities at the University of Jaffna's campus in Kilinochchi. 

The package, which includes equipment, machinery and vehicles for the agricultural and engineering campus, was handed over the head of the development cooperation department of the Indian High Commission, D C Manjunath to the vice chancellor of the university, R Vigneswaran. 

The total grant package from the Indian government for the university's development is Rs 600 million, Colombo Page reported. 

The Norwegian ambassador, Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther this week visited projects funded by Norway in Jaffna district, including the Myladi harbour and the Thelippalai divisional secretariat area. 

Mr Gaustadsæther opened a new multi-purpose building funded by the Norwegian government and facilitated by UNDP, as well as laying the foundation stone at a new processing and packing factory in Tellippalai. 

Vice Admiral Travis Sinniah, who was hailed as the first Tamil navy commander in Sri Lanka in over 45 years, has been replaced after just two months in the job. 

The Sri Lankan president on Wednesday appointed Rear Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe as the new commander of the navy. 

Rear Admiral Ranasinghe was previously the director general of Sri Lanka's coast guard. 

The outgoing Vice Admiral Sinniah was appointed as Admiral by the president, Maithripala Sirisena.

The chief incumbent of Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara warned this week the new constitution will lead to a federal system if implemented, the Daily Mirror reported. 

"the Government could surreptitiously enact the new Constitution which would harm the entire country," Bellanwila Wimalarathana said. 

Sri Lanka's Bar Association of Lawyers on Monday expressed concern that the constitutional amendments currently being proposed will allow for a federal structure, the Daily Mirror reported. 

"The proposed amendments in the Interim Report of the Constitutional Assembly had the effect of converting the Unitary character of the State to a Federal structure," the BASL was quoted by the paper as saying. 

The BASL has posed a list of questions to the government, which include "Was there a need/requirement for a new Constitution?"; "Will Sri Lanka continue to be Unitary?"; and "What powers will be devolved to the Provinces?"

Sri Lanka's former commander of the security forces in Vanni, retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne said those supporting the new constitution were "traitors" and "must be killed", Colombo Telegraph reports. 

He made these marks at a meeting chaired by the former secretary of defence, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. 

"The government was trying to bring in the new Constitution on the requirement of the Western forces and Tamil Diaspora to please Tamil separatists," he reportedly added. 

See more here. 

Jaffna University students have been boycotting classes since last Friday in solidarity with the hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners in Anuradhapura.

The health of three hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners has further deteriorated.

The three detainees of Anuradhapura prison have been hunger-striking for over 28 days, in opposition to the transfer of their cases from Vavuniya High Court to Anuradhapura.

All three were forcibly admitted to hospital by prison officials where they were placed on saline drips. However the three still refuse food.