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.

Travel restrictions have been placed on the North to prevent foreign elements funding another war against the Sri Lankan government, said the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition party's general secretary on Monday.

Susil Premajayanth added that the lifting of the European Union ban on the LTTE could be blamed on pro-LTTE diaspora and stressed that the government had a responsibility to prevent another war, reports Colombo Gazette.

The recent European Court of Justice ruling to lift restrictions placed on individuals and organisations allegedly linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a result of “pro-LTTE” diaspora and opposition parties attempting to oust the current presidency said the Sri Lankan president on Monday.
 

Sri Lanka’s information minister Keheliya Rambukwella has confirmed that the presidential elections will be held in January, two years earlier than scheduled.

Rambukwella, who is also the government spokesperson said at a public meeting on Monday that a final announcement will be made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"The presidential election will be held in January. I know the date but can't say it at the moment," he said.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa met with Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi earlier today and discussed “a number of issues”, PTI reported.

India’s Defence Secretary RK Mathur, who visited Sri Lanka recently, was also present.

Officials did not reveal what was discussed during the meeting.

 

A 17 year old high school student has been reported missing in Jaffna after she failed to return home from a tuition class, reports the Uthayan.

Sivanesan Perani, who lives and goes to school in Mandaithivu, was reported missing in Jaffna on Monday. 

The parents of Perani have informed the police, who are reportedly investigating the disappearance.

Young woman reported missing in Batticaloa (04 October 2014)

A United Nations official was stopped from entering the North on Wednesday, due to the Ministry of Defence's newly re-introduced travel restrictions, requiring all foreign citizens to seek prior permission from the Ministry to enter the Tamil region in the North of the island.

Beth Crawford, the country representative for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), was turned away at Omanthai check point, reports Sri Lanka's Sunday Times.