There was a tense situation in Potpathi, Kokkuvil yesterday after two Tamil youths, A Deniswaran and Sujivan, were injured by Sri Lankan police motorbikes. 

Residents condemned the police, accusing them of driving straight in front of the youths who were also on motorbikes at the time, causing the youths to veer off and crash into the police motorbikes.

Police officers were seen to be kicking the injured youths, before residents intervened and carried the two youths to Jaffna Teaching Hospital. 

The health of the incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president Kalaignar M Karunanidhi has deteriorated, the executive director of the hospital said in a statement today. 

The 94-year old five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu was admitted into the Kauvery hospital branch in Chennai’s Alwarpet after contracting a UTI and high fever on July 28. 

Switzerland's Federal Councillor for the Department of Justice and Police, Simonetta Sommaruga arrived in Sri Lanka this week on a four day visit. 

"She is keen to see for herself Switzerland’s activities in various areas such as reconciliation, dealing with the past and strengthening of the rule of law in the country," the FDJP said in a statement. 

Ms Sommaruga is to meet with the Sri Lankan president, prime minister and the leader of the TNA, R Sampanthan. 

The Sri Lankan navy announced it had arrested a group of asylum seekers, who had attempted to flee the island this week.

A former pilot with the Sri Lankan Air Force was arrested at Colombo airport this morning, after he was found to be carrying an unregistered pistol.

The former head of Sri Lanka’s military intelligence has been further remanded over the 2008 abduction and assault of a journalist.

Former Military Intelligence Director and Chief of Staff of the Army, Major General Amal Karunasekara, was arrested earlier this year. The now retired Sri Lankan military officer has had his case remanded until August 20th.

He is one of eight suspects arrested over the abduction and assault of Keith Noyahr, who was an associate editor of The Nation when he was abducted in May 2008. The suspects include six Sri Lankan army personnel.

A protest by Tamil fishermen in Mullaitivu against illegal fishing by Sinhala fishermen has entered its 5^th day.

India and Sri Lanka held the tenth round of talks for widening the scope of the existing free trade agreement between the two countries.

A free trade agreement in goods has been in existence since March 2000, but talks are ongoing to widen the scope to include services and investments.

"The talks are going at a healthy pace and both the countries are targeting to conclude the talks by December for the Economic and Technology Co-operation Agreement (ETCA)," an official said, PTI reports.

A memorandum of understanding to hand over the management of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport to India is being reworked by the Sri Lankan government, the Sunday Times reports.

The draft of the MoU is being reworked after it was presented to Sri Lanka’s cabinet, at the Indian government’s request.

“The Sri Lankan Government’s terms only allow for management control of the commercial activities of the airport while ownership and all statutory functions, including air traffic control and air traffic rights, will be under the control of the Sri Lankan authorities,” an official in Colombo said.

The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) said it will continue to undertake civilian flights across the island, despite a suspension over airworthiness of some of its aircraft.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) had recalled the certificate of airworthiness (CofA) issued to the air force’s Xian MA60 aircraft, reports the Sunday Times.