Aruni Wijewardane, a career civil servant, has been appointed Sri Lanka’s new foreign secretary replacing a former Navy admiral Jayanath Colombage, who stands accused of overseeing the Illegal detention and torture site known as “Gota's Camp” within the Trincomalee Naval Complex.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s current Prime Minister, has been appointed as the country’s Finance Minister amidst the ongoing economic crisis.

Last week the country officially defaulted on its international debt as it failed to make a payment worth an estimated $78m. Sri Lanka has become the first Asia-Pacific country in decades to default on foreign debt.

A Tamil youth who was arrested by Sri Lankan authorities under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in 2009 and tortured, has finally been acquitted of all charges today.

Sundaralingam Ketheeswaran from Kaluvanchikudy in Batticaloa was just 21-years-old when he was arrested under the draconian PTA on March 18, 2009.

Sri Lankan authorities claimed that he was a “member of a terrorist organisation” and had killed 2 policemen.

Australia’s newly elected Labor government confirmed that a group of asylum seekers who were fleeing from Sri Lanka have been sent back to the island, after their vessel was intercepted by Australian authorities last week.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles confirmed in an interview with Sky News Australia that the asylum seekers were ‘processed’ under Operation Sovereign Borders and then flown back to Sri Lanka on a chartered aircraft.

After Labor leader Anthony Albanese emerged victorious in Australia’s election last week, fresh hope has been raised for the Murugappan family, a Tamil family of asylum seekers who were removed by Australian authorities from their home in Biloela almost four years ago.

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa swore in 8 new cabinet ministers on Monday but has kept himself as minister of finance as he continued to defy calls to resign from anti-government protestors.

Since the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister earlier this month, Rajapaksa has now appointed a total of 10 new ministers.

Despite a 40,000 metric tonne consignment of petrol having arrived in Sri Lanka under an Indian credit facility just yesterday, the country’s cabinet has cleared a proposal to seek a further US$500 million from New Delhi for more.

The 40,000 MT shipment is one of at least four fuel shipments from India that have currently been agreed under a fuel credit line. The line was extended by US$200 million dollars, with three shipments having arrived so far.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power spoke with newly appointed Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe earlier today, where she reiterated “her support to the people of Sri Lanka” and “stressed the need to urgently undertake political and economic reforms”.

Hundreds of people were reportedly arrested by Tamil Nadu police officers on Sunday, as they attempted to mark the 13^th anniversary of the massacre of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state.

The arrests came after Tamil Nadu authorities reportedly banned the Mullivaikkal commemoration, which was being organised by the May 17^th Movement.

(Photo of Sri Lankan Garment Workers, Credit ILO Asia-Pacific)

Sri Lanka’s Joint Apparel Association Forum warns that the country is losing 10-20% of its orders to India and Bangladesh as the ongoing crisis has shaken the faith of buyers.