The Sri Lankan government has hardened its stance on a lease agreement with the Indian Oil Corporation.

The Indian company is trying to set up a bitumen plant in the northeast, however Sri Lanka has not signed the 10-year old agreement.

Foreign media who have arrived in Sri Lanka to cover the Commonwealth summit, will be restricted to reporting on CHOGM related events only, said Media Secretary Charitha Herath.

“There will be no restrictions on travel within Sri Lanka for foreign media personnel who arrive in the country for CHOGM, but only as tourists,” he said.

“However, those who come as part of the official delegations of various countries, can carry out media related activities and will get accreditation to cover only CHOGM related events.”

Indian media reports say Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has will not attend the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka next week.

India will be represented by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

Students of Jaffna University have been told to go home after notices were posted on the premises, saying that it will be closed until December 2, according to Colombo Gazette.

A new report by the BBC revealed further evidence of the rape and torture of Tamils in Sri Lanka today.

The thirty minute documentary, ‘Sri Lanka’s Unfinished War’ exhibited witness statements of men and women that alleged to have faced rape and torture by the Sri Lankan forces as recently as August 2013.

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Tamil torture victims recalled their experience at the hands of the Sri Lankan state and warned against sending Tamils back to the island.

Commenting on British Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to attend CHOGM, one of the men, who could not be identified for security reasons said,

“I deeply regret [the British Prime Minister’s] decision to visit Sri Lanka at this juncture”.

He went on to say,

As part of an ‘Engage Sri Lanka’ campaign, the Sri Lankan government will hand out a 222 page book to brief journalists attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo.

The Channel 4 News Editor Ben de Pear,  today provided a detailed response to Sri Lanka’s ‘Corrupted Journalism’ booklet, which looked to discredit the work of Channel 4 News.

Extracts of his written statement are reproduced below: