The Sri Lankan military announced that it held more Christmas events in churches across the North-East this year, as military involvement in civilian activities ramped up in the Tamil homeland during the festive period.

The head of Sri Lanka’s army has been accused of bearing responsibility for the alleged loss of military intelligence records regarding disappeared journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.  

Speaking to BBC Sinhala, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake said that it was not "practical" for military records on the abduction of the journalist to still have been kepy "if the military intelligence was intelligent".

"If someone is involved in this, if they are aware of an investigation, if it is the intelligence unit, aren't they intelligent?" he said.

His comments provoked sharp criticism, including from Sandya Ekneligoda, the wife of the disappeared cartoonist.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary will be able to access a proposed new electronic identity card system without the need for any court orders, reports EconomyNext.

The new system, which is being challenged in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court later this month, is reportedly being designed without any privacy laws in place.

EconomyNext reports fears over the security of data held by the government, reporting that there have been hacks in similar electronics citizens databases in India.

“Critics have said it lays the foundation for a 'big brother' police surveillance state,” it added.

A Tamil National Alliance candidate in the upcoming Local Government polls was allegedly assaulted by a supporter of the paramilitary group, EPDP, on Saturday. 

The assault took place as the victim, 67 year old Kasilingham Satkunathevan, was campaigning door to door with leaflets.

The EPDP supporter became angered that Mr Satkunathevan had come to his house to campaign, hitting him with a broom stick and an axe handle. 

Sri Lanka's police force is to increase security operations across the island ahead of the upcoming local government elections, the police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara was quoted by the Colombo Page as saying. 

The Inspector General of Police has "given instructions to seize illegal firearms, set up instant roadblocks covering all island wide police stations and intensify operations to arrest suspects on warrants", the paper reported. 

The police had to date received 54 complaints of election law violations, including damage to property and threat to persons. 

The deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Saturday told reporters he was confident that all the fishermen currently detained by Sri Lankan authorities would be released. 

Speaking to reporters in Rameswaram, a day after the chief minister sent a letter to Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, Mr O Panneerselvam said the state government would prevail on Delhi to take up the issue. 

A delegation of fishermen had presented a letter to the Tamil Nadu government asking them to ensure the speedy release of detained fishermen and their boats, The Hindu reported. 

The Sri Lankan military declared open a new Officer’s Mess at its 621 Brigade Headquarters this week, as the army continues to consolidate its presence in the North-East.

Sri Lanka’s commander in the Vanni Major General Kumudu Perera declared open the new building in a military ceremony that took place, complete with Kandyan dancers.

Three board members of a Tamil temple who were arrested on charges of damaging an archaeological site have had their remand extended until January 11th to give more time to Sri Lanka’s archaeology department and Sampur police to produce actual evidence that the location in question was a designated archaeological conservation site.

Sri Lanka is planning to carry out an island wide household debt survery, the country's Central Bank Governor, Indrajit Coomaraswamy was quoted by Economy Next as saying. 

“As part of our macro prudential surveillance, a systemic risk survey is being conducted on a biannual basis to identify systemic risks to the domestic financial system.Stress tests are to be developed for Licensed Finance Companies LFCs. In addition, a country-wide assessment of household indebtedness is to be carried out," Mr Coomaraswamy was quoted as saying. 

Thirteen Tamils accused of fraud, falsifying documents, extortion and money laundering in order to fund the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are to stand trial in Switzerland on Monday.

The men, from Germany, Switzerland and Sri Lanka, are accused of sending $15.3 million to the LTTE.