Photographs DailyMirror.lk

Over 4000 Buddhist monks held a special all-night prayer service invoking their blessings on the government and Sri Lanka.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa prays

Chanting the 'Jaya Pirith', the Buddhist monks prayed to celestial powers "to help the country's forward march, dispelling all challenges and setbacks posed to the nation", the Daily Mirror reported.

Four Buddhist monks, accused of insulting the Quran, were granted bail on Monday and warned by the court not to "indulge in such activities", reports AFP.

The monks, part of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), reportedly intruded n on a meeting of religious leaders and proceeded to make disrespectful remarks against the Quran.

"The four priests along with two laymen were summoned by court today and granted bail in the sum of 100,000 rupees ($770) each," police spokesperson Ajith Rohana told AFP.

Updated 17:28 BST

Students of the University of Jaffna have been told that the university will be closed from May 16 to May 20, covering May 18, which is marked by Tamils across the globe, in remembrance of those that died in the massacre in Mullivaikal and the rest of the conflict.

Meanwhile posters have appeared in Jaffna, accusing some students and academics of supporting a revival of the LTTE, saying that this was their last chance to cease those activities.

A notice issued by the registrar of the university, V Kandeepan, announced the closure and requested all students to vacate their hostels, without providing a reason for the closure.

A search operation by the Sri Lankan Army, Navy and Police, targeting Tamil youths, was conducted in Verukal, Trincomalee this morning, reported BBC Tamil.

Military personnel questioned Tamil males over the age of 15 and detained several individuals.

The army claimed that they conducted the operation after a T56 rifle was found earlier, reported the BBC.

A woman in her early 20s has reported being raped by Sri Lankan military personnel in Vanni in early April. 

The incident has only just come to light after the victim, fearing further sexual attacks if she stayed, was able to flee the Vanni accompanied by her mother.

Jan Jananayagam, co-founder of Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), is amongst eight women recognised for their achievements by INSEAD, one of the world’s top business schools.

"Here at INSEAD, we are proud to highlight some of the women we admire for their ambition, drive and passion to change the world one step at a time," the school said on its website.

The Tamil Youth Organisation – Canada has expressed its gratitude to the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, for rejecting Sri Lanka’s proscription of several diaspora groups, including TYO.

A statement released by the organisation praised the Canadian government for confirming that the ban has no legal effect in Canada, and that the government showed “genuine concern for the wellbeing of its citizens”.

“The proscription of entities and individuals that continuously showcase their determination for the liberation of the Tamil homeland has always been a tactic used by the Government of Sri Lanka. Exploiting the legal system in order to deny the Tamil people basic human rights is a method the Sri Lankan government used consistently throughout history,” the statement further said.

Sexual harassment by military personnel has led to a surge in girls dropping out of school in Murippu, Kilinochchi, local sources said this weekend. Murippu is a small village on the Akkarayalkulam-Kilinochchi road.

Girls attending Murippu Mahavidiyalayam and Akkarayankulam School are subject to persistent sexual harassment from troops based at Murippu Army camp and adjacent cantonments, they said.

The Uthayan newspaper marked the 8th anniversary of a deadly attack on its premises, which left two people dead.

Army-backed paramilitaries attacked the offices of the paper on the 2nd of May, 2006, with subsequent protests against the violence bringing Jaffna to a standstill.

TNA MP Maavai Senathirajah, Northern Provincial Councillors P. Kajatheepan and E.Arnold, Valikamam North Regional Council chairman S.Sukirthan, Nalloor cooperative leader P.Kanakasabaabathi and Uthayan employees attended the event in the offices of the paper.

See below for extracts of Tamil Guardian’s coverage of the event in 2006.

A gang of five men armed with automatic rifles entered the Uthayan office and began firing. Marketing manager Bastian George Sagayathas, 36, also known as Suresh, was the first killed.

The gunmen then moved to the circulation section and, while firing, ordered workers to lie down and not to raise their heads. S. Uthayakumar, 48, was injured during the shooting.

Circulation supervisor S. Ranjith, 25, was killed when he raised his head to see what was happening to Uthayakumar. He was held down and shot dead.

Karu Jayasuriya signs petition, M.A. Sumanthiran stands behind. Photographs DailyMirror