There have been more than 90 incidents of attacks on Christians in Sri Lanka in 2017 alone said the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), noting a rise in the number of assaults.

NCEASL general secretary Godfrey Yogarajah told Christianity Today that there have been hundreds of attacks on Christians since the government of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena came in to power, adding that the number of incidents rises in the run up to Christmas.

Yesterday marked the 12th death anniversary of the late Tamil politician Joseph Pararajasingham, who was shot dead on Christmas Eve by armed government paramilitary men in 2005.

Despite the present government's pledge of accountability and almost two years passing since the UNP-SLFP coalition came to power, no one has been held accountable for his death.

Mr. Pararajasingham, who was a senior Tamil National Alliance (TNA) figure, and the MP for Batticaloa district, was shot and killed by two gunmen whilst he was attending Christmas prayers at the St Mary's church in Batticaloa town. His wife, Sugunam Pararajasingham was seriously wounded in the gunfire.

The cremation of a Buddhist monk, led by Sri Lankan army and police forces, in a location adjacent to both a memorial for Tamil massacre victims and a Hindu temple has caused anger in Jaffna.

Sri Lanka's minister of fisheries and aquatic resource development, Mahinda Amaraweera reiterated on Saturday that the government would not sell "even an inch of state owned land to private investors."

Prosecutors in Malaysia have agreed to withdraw an appeal over the conviction of a Malaysian human rights activist who screened the ‘No Fire Zone’ documentary highlighting massacres committed by the Sri Lankan military during the final stages of the armed conflict on the island.

Lena Hendry, a former programme director for media rights NGO Pusat Komas, was convicted over the screening of the documentary and eventually fined Malaysian Ringgit 10,000.

The Sri Lankan government plans to establish new wind and solar power plants in the North-East, Colombo Page reported. 

A 100MW wind power plant in Mannar Island is to be established in Mannar island, which the government will then develop into an energy park. 

A 100MW solar power energy park is planned to be built in Pooneryn, Kilinochchi by 2020. 

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena praised the Sri Lankan army as “world recognised” and pledged to continue supporting troops in an address at a military passing out ceremony last week.

The Sri Lankan navy announced the completion of a newly constructed welfare building and transport yard at its base in Kayts, Jaffna this month, as the military continues to consolidate its presence in the North-East.

The Sri Lankan army coerced local school children to participate in a Christmas celebration at a military camp in Kilinochchi this month. 

In a statement explaining its vote in favour of the UN resolution on the status of Jerusalem, the Sri Lankan government said it had voted based on its "traditional and principled position". 

It was not a vote against any member state of the UN, Sri Lanka stressed, adding that it believed in the "vision of two states living side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition". 

Sri Lanka's minister of law and order, Sagala Ratnayake on Thursday warned of strict legal action against anyone inciting communal or religious violence via social media posts. 

An increased number of police personnel had been deployed ahead of the election in February, the mnister added. 

"The police would act ensuring a free and fair election on instruction by the Elections Commission," Mr Ratnayake said. 

The United Nations’ refugee agency spoke out against the deportation of a Tamil asylum seeker to Sri Lanka, stating it was a worrying breach of the Australian government’s international legal obligations and presented “a serious risk of return to danger”.

UNHCR spokesperson Catherine Stubberfield said that “since July 2012, people who sought asylum by sea were excluded from lodging an application in Australia for up to four years”.

A former Sri Lankan navy spokesperson accused of involvement in the disappearance of 11 Tamils youths in 2008 has been remanded once more.

The latest remand against Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake and five others will last until January 2^nd.

The leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R Sampanthan has been admitted to hospital with “tiredness”, reports the Daily Mirror.

A family member was quoted by Daily Mirror as stating that Mr Sampanthan fell ill on Thursday evening.