The Buddhist group Bodu Bala Sena said on Tuesday it will contest parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka, but denied reports that it would field a candidate to run against President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January's presidential election.

General Secretary Gnanasara Thero said monks will not contest, but that the BBS will put forward laymen candidates to contest the parliamentary seats.

"Buddhist monks will offer guidance to them and will not contest elections,” Gnanasara said.

Ruling party MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardene accused the Tamil National Alliance of obstructing peace in Sri Lanka, according to Asian Mirror.

Speaking at parliament at the second reading of the Land (Restrictions on Alienation) Bill on Monday, the monitoring MP for the External Affairs Ministry said that peace had been realised to 99%, but that the remaining one percent cannot be achieved due to the TNA.

India is to provide equipment and training to the Sri Lankan military reports Colombo Page.

Bi-lateral cooperation is expected to increase between India and Sri Lanka with India working to build Sri Lanka’s military capacity by providing training and hardware.

The announcement comes after the Sri Lankan defence secretary and his Indian counterpart met to discuss defence ties on Monday.

Over 800 Sri Lankan military personnel are trained by Indian military establishments every year.

The Jaffna Press Club held a memorial service over the weekend, remembering the lives of two Tamil journalists - Mylvaganam Nimalarajan and Mr Sachithananthan.

The event was held on the date marking the 14^th death anniversary of Nimalarajan, who was a senior journalist having contributed to the BBC Tamil and Sinhala services, the Tamil daily Virakesari and Sinhala weekly Ravaya. The Committee to Protect Journalists stated he was gunned down in his home due to his coverage of the political violence before and during the 2000 parliamentary elections. Members of the government aligned paramilitary group the EPDP, are suspected of carrying out the killing.

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence has requested Tamils in the North to register their name, address, email address, telephone phone number and other personal information, including names of household occupants, in order to search for any property lost after 1980, the Sunday Times reports.

"Those who had lost property or land should send in details about themselves and their property to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, 15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha, Colombo 03," the paper quoted the MoD as saying.