Sri Lanka's Department of Archaeology is dumping the ruins of an ancient Pillaiyar temple situated near the seven hot springs in Kanniya into a well, and building a Buddha statue in its place, residents in Trincomalee told the Tamil Guardian. 

A farm worker in Mullaitivu was injured yesterday when an explosive detonated in Neththaliyaru, Visvamadu West. 

Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday announced the establishing of the 'Palmyrah Fund' to develop the North-East. 

After months of delays, Sri Lanka on Tuesday signed an agreement with India and Japan to develop the East Container Terminal at Colombo Port. 

Members of India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) is on its way to Sri Lanka, CNN News 18 reported today. 

The visit follows the Easter Sunday suicide bombings by Islamist extremists supportive of Islamic State, which left over 250 people dead. 

Soon after the bombings it emerged that India had warned the Sri Lankan government about the attacks. 

"We have our own FIR against ISIS modules. The visit is not to assist Sri Lanka with their probe but to see if an exchange of information and evidence gathered by us and them can be mutually beneficial,” a senior NIA official was quoted by the news site as saying. 

A Tamil Guardian journalist, K. Kumanan, was assaulted by the police officer in charge of the Kokkilai police station in Mullaitivu after he went to Neeraviyadi Pillaiyar temple to report on the lack of progress in fulfilling a court order to remove CCTV cameras. 

The officer was reported to have verbally abused him; thrown his camera; taken photos of him; and has physically assaulted him.

The Sri Lankan military’s Psychological Operations department held a series of public meetings in the last week, reportedly “in view of the recent upsurge of violence and the birth of Muslim fundamentalism”.

A Sinhalese settler in Mullaitivu was arrested on the charges of obstructing a government official from carrying out his duty, after he assaulted the Kokkilai West village officer.

The incident occurred on May 14 when a confrontation occurred between the village officer’s team of officials and Sinhalese settlers about a government housing scheme that was to be built in Mugathuvaram.

The village officer was assaulted and had his motorcycle keys and work diary snatched from him.

While the officer filed a police complaint the next day, police failed to take action for a week.

Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena yesterday urged the international community to relax travel advisories, stating the security situation was 99% ensured. 

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry continued to suffer, despite government efforts, in the wake of the devastating Easter Sunday attacks last month.

Voice of America reports industry experts as saying hotel occupancy rates across the island have fallen by at least 85 percent. “Most beaches, eateries and stores in popular tourist areas are now empty,” it added.