The chief minister of the Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran said it was "understandable" the NPC's education minister refused to hoist the Sri Lankan flag due to the Sinhala Buddhist supremacist ideology of successive governments. 

Stating that he would not have refused to hoist the flag himself, Mr Wigneswaran said however that he expressed his resistance against Sinhala hegemony in other ways. 

A Catholic shrine in Jaffna was attacked on November 14, with the statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus being removed from the shrine and destroyed. 

The attack on the shrine is among a series of attacks on Hindu and Christian places of worship across the North-East in recent months.

Two Hindu shrines were attacked in Mannar last week by unknown persons, with the statues of Pillaiyar ripped from the shrine and thrown into shrubbery. 

Members of the Northern Provincial Council adorned Gloriosa Lilies (Kaathikai Poo) and planted trees earlier this month ahead of Tamil National Remembrance Day on November 27. 

Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force troops have been deployed to patrol areas of Jaffna with police office officials claiming the increased activity is to clamp down on sword attacks and gang violence in the district.

Local and civil society groups have cast suspicion on the annual claims of increased criminal activity in November while Tamils organise around remembrance events.

Over forty arrests were made in the Jaffna district last week, allegedly in connection with sword attacks.

As part of ongoing Maaveerar remembrance events, a blood donation drive was organised by the youth in Elalai, Jaffna.

Sri Lanka's new Foreign Exchange Act came into affect today, following Act being gazetted last week by the prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

The move comes amid repeat warnings from international financial institutions amount the island's debt burden and economic situation.

The Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is to embark on an official visit to India tomorrow, into to participate in the opening ceremony of the th Global Conference on Cyberspace to be held in New Delhi. 

Mr Wickremesinghe is expected to meet his counterpart, Narendra Modi and the Indian president, Ram Nath Kovind. 

He will be accompanied by Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe, Minister Sagala Ratnayaka, the prime minister’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, additional secretary Saman Athaudahetti and special assistant Sandra Perera. 

The Colombo appointed governor of the Northern Province, Reginald Cooray said he would seeking advice from the Attorney General's department regarding the Northern Provincial Council's education minister's refusal to hoist the Sri Lankan flag last week. 

Mr Sarveswaran refused to hoist the flag during a ceremony at a school in Vavuniya on November 16 where he had been invited as the chief guest.

Mr Cooray made his comments at a press conference today that he had arranged to dicuss the incident. 

Shops owned by Muslims in Vavuniya were set alight during the early hours of Monday monday by unknown persons. 

Local police commenced investigations this morning.