Sri Lanka's Higher Education Minister SB Dissanayake has advised girls to "maintain their beauty" while also focusing on their physical fitness and education, reported Colombo Gazette.

(Pictures: @ananthysasi)

Flooding has hit low-lying and coastal areas on the Jaffna peninsula, after several days of torrential downpours.

Several camps for internally displaced people, who were displaced by military high security zones and the tsunami, are affected by the floods and residents have been temporarily resettled in schools, churches and other public buildings.

Hundreds of families from Kaarainnagar, Kalaiboomi, Sethengulam and Valithoondal, and IDP camps in Alavetti South, Konappulam, Sapabathipillai, Kankani have been moved to shelters in the regions, reported the Uthayan.

The common opposition's candidate for the presidential elections next month Maithripala Sirisena says he will restore all military decorations and civic rights of former army commander Sarath Fonseka, who was arrested and stripped of his honours after he ran against President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2010.

“I will restore all rights and military decorations of former army commander within hours of my election,” Sirisena said.

The presidential candidate said Gen Fonseka, who is thought to hold command responsibility for mass atrocities committed in 2009, is "venerated" by the masses.

"The Rajapaksas disparaged the general and attempted to paint a black picture of the war hero, but they could not hoodwink the masses and today General Fonseka is venerated by the members of the security forces and masses," he said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he will remain president of Sri Lanka after next month's presidential elections, despite being challenged by someone from his own party.

Rajapaksa,addressing a rally in Embilipitiya, said he does not need to sign multiple MoUs with his coalition partners, unlike his challenger Maithripala Sirisena.

He said his government is united behind one cause and it is thus unnecessary to sign separate agreements with his constituent parties.

The Catholic Church has reiterated calls for Sri Lankan authorities to remove presidential election posters which feature the image of Pope Francis with incumbent Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, ahead of a visit by the Pope next month.

The Church’s statement comes after the director for the media and information center for the Pope’s visit urged Sri Lankan parties last week to refrain from using the pope’s image to further their election campaigns.