Sri Lanka and India held the second round of talks on a nuclear deal, reports LBO and PTI.

The talks were aimed at drafting the text of an agreement on Bilateral Civil Nuclear Cooperation, the Indian embassy said in a statement issued yesterday.

The Sri Lankan government says it has put aside Rs 300mn to offer to Internally Displaced People (IDPs), whose land was grabbed in Sampur by the military for a High Security Zone, reported BBC Tamil.

A case filed by the displaced, currently ongoing at the Sri Lankan Supreme Court, heard that the government will offer the IDPs alternate lands, and if they were not willing to accept this, they can take the money as compensation, the government attorney said.

The lawyer for the IDPs said it was illegal for the government to acquire private land without holding an inquiry into the need for the acquisition.

However Supreme Court Judge Mohan Peiris accepted the arguments of the government, and requested a report regarding those IDPs who wished to take up the government offer.

Commenting on the development, an attorney at law and lecturer in law at the University of Jaffna, Kumaravadivel Guruparan said the Supreme Court’s refusal to deal with the illegality of the land grab was consistent with its past record.

"This is not the first time that the Supreme Court has responded to petitions relating to land grab in this fashion," Mr. Guruparan told Tamil Guardian.

Updated 23:30 BST

The commander of the Sri Lankan army in Jaffna, General Udaya Perera warned student leaders and members of Jaffna University’s faculty that anyone involved in public commemoration of those who died in 2009 will be arrested, the Uthayan reported today.

A 70-year old woman was injured near Kaithadi, Jaffna, after being hit by a military vehicle, reported the Uthayan.

Pandari Naachchi was admitted to Jaffna hospital, after being hit while crossing the road. Saavakacheri Police is reported to be investigating the incident.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.