Over 2000 Sinhala Buddhists, including over 300 Buddhist monks, protested outside a mosque in Dambulla, forcing mosque officials to cancel Friday prayers.

The protesters were led by three Buddhist monks - Inamaluwe Sri Sumangala Thera, Akmeemana Gunaratana Thera and Pallewela Hemaratana Thera. Having surrounded the mosque, the protesters shouted slogans demanding that the mosque be demolished.

Tamil inmates at Galle prison were violently attacked by Sinhala prisoners with blades on the 14th April, reported Lanka eNews website.

The website, which has been banned by the Sri Lankan government for expressing 'anti-government' sentiments stated that the mainstream Sri Lankan press had not reported on the incident.

The body of 18-year-old Tamil student, Sivalingam Sivakumaran, was found by a Sri Lankan military 'high security zone', 2km from his home in Kerudaavil village in Vadamaraadchi North of Jaffna district, reports Tamilnet.

He was last seen alive on Friday. Locals believe that young student was abducted, tortured and killed. He was last seen alive on the 13th April.

Addressing the cross-party Indian delegation currently visiting Sri Lanka, TNA MP Selvam Adaikkalanandan reiterated the need for the devolution of land and police powers.

Speaking to the BBC after the event, Adaikkalanandan said,

Photograph Colombo Telegraph

A mob of Sinhala youths assaulted two Tamil youths and set fire to seven Tamil homes in the village of Dilithura in Elpitiya, Galle, on Sunday.

The Leader of the DMK, M Karunanidhi, has welcomed the idea of a referendum on an independent Tamil Eelam.

Writing in his party journal Murasoli, Karunanidhi said India should give the "required support and pressure" to effect an intervention by the UN.

“The demand for a referendum among Tamils for a separate Ealam is welcome. Some countries have earned recognition following such referendum at the intervention of the United Nations (UN),” he said.

An Eelam Tamil activist has been elected President of the Ontario NDP, the provincial branch of Canada’s main opposition National Democratic Party.

Neetan Shan, who is also vice-chair of the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), won against two other candidates.

Sri Lanka is intending to drastically cut back crude oil imports from Iran, as the June 28 deadline for sanctions imposed by the United States is drawing closer.

"Our efforts to finalize new arrangements ahead of the deadline were on track," Petroleum Minister, Susil Premjayantha said to The Island yesterday.