Responding to a letter by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) warning Sri Lanka that it risked its international status over its decision to hold elections under a contentious sports law introduced by the new government, Sri Lanka's sports minister, Navin Dissanayake, denied that the ministry was exerting any pressure on sporting bodies.

“We categorically deny that any pressure had been exerted to any sports body or federation by our Ministry,” Mr Dissanayake wrote in a letter dated April 7, reports the Daily Mirror.

The Tamil National Alliance and the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC) called on  the government to avoid implementing the delimitation of electoral boundaries in the Northern Province for the next 10 years,  until displaced people are resettled in their original lands, including those that fled the country due to conflict.

(Security Force Headquarters East)

The Sri Lankan military organised an awareness programme on traffic law to students of the Methodist Tamil School in Pothuvil earlier this week.

The lecture was delivered by a police officer from Pothuvil police station, and army officials and teachers of the school were also present.

The military's ongoing involvement in Tamil affairs almost 6 years after the end of the armed conflict has been widely condemned by Tamil politicians and activists, with numerous calls for the new president, Maithripala Sirisena to demilitarise the North-East.

 The Tamil struggle stands on its own and own arguments and does not need justification, said that a former anti-apartheid activist who works in on promoting justice, reconciliation and democracy around the world.

Speaking to Ceylon Today in an interview on Friday, Dr Ivor Jenkins, highlighting that Sri Lanka had a chance to find a solution to bring stability to the island, said,

“The Tamil ethnic question can indeed be resolved through talks and negotiations to everyone’s satisfaction.”

Sri Lanka’s state owned National Savings Bank (NSB) lost millions of rupees through investments in the Colombo Stock Exchange, said the government’s finance minister Ravi Karunanayake.

ColomboPage reported Mr Karunanayake telling reporters that investments by the NSB resulted in losses amounting to Rs.1.1 billion, after Rs.2.6 billion from bank funds were used to make investments.

An investigation is being launched into the matter added the minister.

Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force (STF) provided weapons training to a politician and 10 other businessmen, reports the Sunday Leader.

According to the paper, defence sources stated the training was provided after applications were submitted to obtain firearms.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa said the government will not be reviewing the country’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) until after 19th Amendment has been approved by parliament.

The Sunday Leader reported the minister as saying the government’s “full attention is now being given to passing the 19th Amendment” and matter such as the PTA will be taken up afterwards.