The skeletons of at least 21 children have been recovered from a mass grave in Mannar, as excavations continue at what is now reportedly the largest mass grave to have been found on the island.

The Independent spoke to forensic archaeologist Professor Raj Somadeva, who confirmed the bodies of the children were part of 276 skeletons that had been excavated so far.

“We have excavated only 70 per cent of the gravesite, so the body count is bound to be much higher,” Professor Somadeva told The Independent.

Today marks 12 years since the passing of the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Anton Balasingham. 

Balasingham, or as he was fondly known among Tamils - Bala Anna, was widely respected by the nation. His charismatic addresses drew tens of thousands, as he provided political analysis with sharp wit. Leading LTTE delegations through numerous negotiations, Bala Anna eloquently and forcefully articulated the rights of the nation. His intellectual prowess and political acumen earned him respect from all sides of the negotiating table.

He remains an extraordinary theoretician and a formidable figure within the Tamil struggle.

Bala anna's special relationship with the Tamil Guardian is a bond that we remain deeply proud of to this day.

<p>Sri Lanka's Supreme Court today began hearing the appeal filed by Mahinda Rajapaksa against the Court of Appeal's interim injunction, preventing them from functioning in their appointments.&nbsp;</p> <p>The appeal hearing begins the day after the Supreme Court decision to overturn the dissolution of parliament.&nbsp;</p> <p>A request was made for a five-member bench to hear the appeal, however this too was rejected today by the Supreme Court.&nbsp;</p> <p>The hearing has been taken up by Justices Eva Wanasundara, Buwaneka Aluwihare and Vijith K Malalgoda.&nbsp;</p>

Despite Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court judgement on Thursday, Maithripala Sirisena’s opponents may not yet be able to write him off, warned The Economist today.

“As unusual as it was, the court’s slap to the country’s head of state came as no surprise,” said the paper. “Mr Sirisena has been testing the limits of his powers ever since October 26th.”

“But Mr Sirisena’s opponents may not be able to write the president off so easily,” it warned.

<p>Residents of Jaffna and Kilinochchi have been alarmed by the sudden deployment of Sri Lankan troops on streets since the beginning of this week, according to local reports.</p> <p>A heightened military presence was noted by locals in busy areas including Stanley Road and other main streets in Jaffna town, as well as on the main A9 road through Kilinochchi town and its off-roads.</p> <p>Locals also noted that the troop numbers within the army camp opposite Kilinochchi’s Kanthasamy temple had seemed to increase.</p>

Security had to be ramped up outside Sri Lanka’s oldest major press house on Thursday, after United National Party (UNP) supporters began demonstrating outside the building.

Daily Mirror and Colombo Gazette report that the UNP supporters had demanded that posters of Mahinda Rajapaksa be removed from the walls of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon also known as Lake House. Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force and riot police reportedly had to be deployed in order to quell the crowd.

Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force and riot police reportedly had to be deployed in order to quell the crowd.

Families of the disappeared in the Eastern Province protested in Amparai on Monday to mark International Human Rights Day and call for answers and justice for their disappeared relatives.

In a landmark ruling on Thursday, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court overturned the dissolution of parliament ordered by Maithripala Sirisena, deeming his move illegal in the latest twist in the island’s political crisis.

The closely watched decision earlier today, saw judges vote unanimously against Sirisena’s move last month, in which, alongside former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, he sought to call snap parliamentary elections. Security was stepped up outside the court house, with armed and uniformed officers from the Special Task Force deployed outside the court house.

A protest calling to protect workers’ rights and end exploitation of workers took place in Kilinochchi on Sunday.

The demonstration by labour unions in Kilinochchi called for an end to violence against workers, as well as gendered and sexual violence against female workers.

Tamils in Jaffna held a protest today against corruption and administrative mismanagement in Sri Lanka's transport board's Northern province's office. 

Protesters accused senior staff of making false allegations against employees who whistleblow on corruption in the department. 

Demanding that such a culture of retribution against whistleblowers must end, protesters called for the regional manager to be replaced.