The Mahaweli Authority has issued land permits to 8 Sinhalese settlers that have been squatting on Tamil-owned land in Mullaitivu, defying a court order to return the lands to their original owners.

Japan’s defence minister was taken on a tour of the Sri Lankan navy camp in Trincomalee earlier today, as part of his visit to the island.

A public interest litigation petition has been filed in by a non-governmental organisation in India to refer Sri Lankan navy attacks on Indian fishermen to the International Court of Justice, prompting the Director of Fisheries to call for the central government to put diplomatic pressure on Sri Lanka to “avert such instances in future”.

Tamil villagers in Trincomalee confronted officials from the Sri Lankan government’s Land Surveying Department on Tuesday, who were reportedly surveying land so that they could construct a Buddhist temple in the region.

The Sri Lankan government officials had arrived at Thiriyai in the Kuchchaveli division in Trincomalee, when locals gathered at the area they were surveying as they fell within areas of private land owned by the villagers.

Five Buddhist monk students were remanded by Matara Magistrate Court on Monday over the ragging of a first year student at the University of Ruhuna. 

The five, who are second year students, were charged last month under the Anti-Ragging Act over the incident which is said to have taken place at the Bhikkhu hostel in Eliya-Kanda on July 18. 

The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member, T Ravikaran and six others, who were arrested after participating in a protest earlier this month against illegal fishing in Mullaitivu by Sinhala fishermen, have been ordered to appear before the Magistrate's court on October 30. 

Mr Ravikaran and others were charged with allegedly causing damage to public property during the protest. 

The BJP MP, Subramanian Swamy met with the former Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa today in Medamulana. 

Describing him as a "long-time friend of Sri Lanka who has always so vehemently spoken out against LTTE Terrorism", Mr Rajapaksa tweeted that he had accepted Mr Swamy's invitation to speak at an event in New Delhi. 

The expert committee appointed by the Sri Lankan president to re-examine the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with Singapore in January, has announced it will be seeking public opinion. 

Maithripala Sirisena appointed the committee after the Joint Opposition reiterated its threat of legal action against it. 

The Sri Lankan navy arrested eight Indian fishermen on Tuesday night for alleged poaching. 

The men were apprehended off the cost of Kalpitiya. 

Their fishing boat was impounded and has been transferred to the authority of fishing officials in Puttalam.

The arrest is the latest in a series of arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy, despite ongoing talks by both governments on the issue. 

4.5 acres of land in Kankesanthurai were released by the Sri Lankan Army today, after 27 years of occupation.

Vavuniya residents protested on Tuesday against attempts by Sri Lanka’s Archaeology Department to seize the lands of an ancient Tamil temple in the district.

MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A., the critically acclaimed documentary based on 22 years of archival footage from the career and personal life of international star M.I.A. will be screened at the British Film Institute next month.

A Sri Lankan navy ship left Trincomalee for Australia yesterday, to participate in a military exercise with 26 other countries, including the United States, Canada and China.

A Japanese navy ship arrived in Trincomalee yesterday as part of a goodwill visit to the island.