A number of armed robberies were reported in Jaffna district this week with men carrying swords and iron rods breaking into homes. 

Yesterday four houses across Chavakachcheri and Meesalai were targeted by a group of four men.

The men first broke into an elderly woman's home on Dutch Road, Chavakachcheri and beat her with iron rods until she handed over her jewellery. The group is later entered a home in Sangathanai where they slashed one of the residents before escaping. 

Sri Lankan police arrested thirteen Tamil youths in Thenmaradchi yesterday over alleged gang violence. 

The youths, who police say are part of two gangs known as 'I' and 'Sava', were accused of taking part in sword fights. 

At 4pm the youths were reportedly seen carrying swords and iron polls in the Ezhuthumadduvaal area before escaping by car when police arrived. 

The youths were later arrested in Maruthenkeni. 

Sri Lanka's finance minister, Mangala Samaraweera said on Wednesday that the government would write off micro-finance loans to women up to Rs 100,000 in certains including the North-East as well as Anuradhapura, and the president's home town of Polonnaruwa. 

The Former Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines held posts at another state institution during his tenure at the airline, violating Finance Ministry conditions.

Testifying before the Presidential Commission investigating the airline's malpractices, the ariline's secretatry revealed that the former CEO, Kapila Chandrasena, held posts at Mobitel, the state-owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom.

Mr Chandrasena did not disclose to SriLankan that he had held the posts of Acting CEO and consultant for Mobitel, drawing salaries and privileges from both institutions.

Sri Lanka has signed the agreement for a $100 million USD loan from the World Bank for a project to modernise its education system.

The focus of the General Education Modernization (GEM) project will be on children from schools located in disadvantaged regions, the World Bank said.

Dr. Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives said that although Sri Lanka has made progress in expanding access to education, overall learning outcomes needed to improve.

A group seven of Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy this week, for allegedly engaging in “in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters”.

Iran has reportedly dismissed a plan by Sri Lanka to clear $250 million of oil debts with tea shipments as “impossible”.

The Financial Tribune reports that the offer was made by Lucille Wijewardena, chairman of Sri Lankan Tea Syndicate, as Colombo attempts to get around international sanctions on Iran.

The leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party said the international community has a responsibility to help achieve justice, in a statement released to mark the genocidal acts of Black July.

“35 years ago, genocide erupted in Sri Lanka, as mobs carried out pogroms across the country, killing between 400 and 3,000 Tamils, brutalizing countless more, and leaving 150,000 people without homes,” said NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.

French Tamils marked the 35^th anniversary of the Black July pogroms, with a commemoration service in Paris this week.

Sri Lanka and China have vowed to strengthen defence ties, Xinhua reports.

Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary, Kapila Waidyaratne, said China had always been a valuable partner of Sri Lanka and the two nations had enjoyed diplomatic relations for 61 years, supporting each other in the regional and international sphere while making efforts to deepen pragmatic cooperation.

The Defence Secretary was chief guest at a reception at the Chinese embassy in Colombo, celebrating the 91st founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.