The Women Action Network on Wednesday condemned the physical attacks and verbal harassment of female candidates in the run up to Sri Lanka's local government elections.

An elderly Tamil woman was found dead in her home in Jaffna with several assault wounds on Sunday.

The victim whose body was found at the home in Aanaikottai, Jaffna has been identified as 72-year-old Jeganathan Sathiyabama.

Mrs Sathiyabama who was immobile spent most of her time home alone and was cared for in the evenings by a relative, neighbours said.

Her body was discovered by the relative when he went to her in the evening on Sunday.

The jewellery she usually wore was missing, relatives said.

Police are investigating.

Two Special Task Force intelligence officers accused of murdering a Tamil man in Jaffna last year have had their remand extended by the Jaffna magistrate.

The case of the Ariyalai murder of 24-year-old Don Bosco Rikman was taken up at Jaffna magistrates court on Tuesday.

Judge S. Satheeskaran denied the two intelligence officer’s request for bail, stating that the investigation is still ongoing.

They have been remanded until February 6.

The leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R Sampanthan on Tuesday stressed the need for the Prevention of Terrorism Act to be repealed in a meeting with a representative of the EU to Sri Lanka. 

Mr Sampanthan stressed that the repeal of the PTA was a commitment made by the Sri Lankan government to the international community, and specifically the EU, however the government had failed to deliver on it. He also called for those those detained indefinitely under the PTA to have their cases processed. 

Mothers of the disappeared in Vavuniya on Tuesday continued their protest calling on the government to provide answers on the whereabouts of their missing loved ones. 

The protesters, who have been demonstration for over 330 days, expressed their frustration at the government's failure to deliver on promises. 
 

The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday signed a Free Trade Agreement with Singapore, despite professionals in Colombo urging the government against the pact. 

The pact was signed by Sri Lanka's Minister for Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama and Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaranduring during an official state visit of Singaporean prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. 

Professionals objecting to the FTA said there was insufficient legal framework for such a pact in Sri Lanka. 

The chief minister Uva Province Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, who forced the principal of Badulla Tamil Girls' School to kneel before him, was granted bail after turning himself in to police following widespread calls for his arrest. 

Badulla Magistrates Court granted bail on two sureties of Rs 200,000 each. 

Teachers unions and parents at the school have this week expressed their outrage at his degrading treatment of the Tamil principal, calling for him to be arrested. 

Mr Sirisena had previously ordered an investigation into the incident. 

Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena pledged this month to take over the running of the country's economy, through the National Economic council which was set up three months earlier. 

Speaking to an election rally in Kegalle, Mr sirisena was quoted by Economy Next as saying he would be "taking over the responsibility of strengthening the economy and called upon domestic investors rally around to build the economy of the 'motherland'."

Parents of students at Badulla Girls' Tamil School held a demonstration on Monday to protest against the degrading treatment of the school principal by the Uva chief minister. 

The chief minister, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake forced the principal of Badulla Tamil Girls' School to kneel before him and apologise for allegedly disregarding an order he had issued. 

Fifty-eight people were arrested on Sunday during violent protests and clashes with officers following the shooting dead of a motorcyclist by Sri Lankan police. 

The 58 people arrested, were today released on bail by the Tissamaharama magistrate on sureties of Rs. 200,000 each. 

A 44 year old man was shot dead by Sri Lankan police officers in Kataragama on Saturday night after he allegedly sped through a police checkpoint without stopping. 

The CID has been ordered to investigate the incident.