The TNA leader, R Sampanthan told the visiting foreign minister of Singapore, Vivian Balakrishnan that the unity government was essential to ensuring the success of the constitutional change process.
Urging both the UNP and SLFP to "put their petty political agendas aside", Mr Sampanthan said, "this is an urgent need for the whole country and all its people."
Singapore and Sri Lanka committed to arriving at a free trade agreement by the end of this year, Singapore's foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan said following his meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart in Colomb
Sri Lankan police detained an Indian citizen from Tamil Nadu who was on a family holiday in the island for wearing a dress with the image of Buddha on it, The Hindu reported.
She was only released after she signed a statement and apologised.
Sri Lankan police officers visited the Colombo office of the Tamil diaspora TV station, IBC Tamil two times over a four day period and sought the personal details of staff members.
A US $167.2 million disbursement has been approved by the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after completing the second review of Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
The IMF Executive board completed the review on Monday, allowing for the release of US $167.2 million which forms part of a 3 year arrangement to provide up to US $1.45 billion of assistance during Sri Lanka’s monetary reform process.
Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena reportedly questioned his cabinet on how the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism Ben Emmerson was allowed to meet Tamils detained as alleged Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters.
A Tamil journalist was harassed by Sri Lankan soldiers in Vadamarachchi while on the way to report on the protest of the families of the disappeared in Maruthankerny.
Jaffna-based journalist Uthayarasa Shalin was stopped by two soldiers on a motorcycle on Monday afternoon on the route to Maruthankerny.
Having questioned Mr Shalin about his destination, the soldiers told him he could not go on as the mentioned protest had finished.
A Tamil journalist who was summoned to Colombo by the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department was today interrogated for three hours in Jaffna and made to sign a statement written in Sinhalese, despite not being able to understand the contents.
Jaffna-based broadcast and print journalist T. Pratheepan faced investigation at Achuveli police station this morning over the broadcast of a politician’s press conference.
The Sri Lankan Army partnered with Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) of Canada to hand out “gifts” to schoolchildren in Batticaloa and Amparai last week, declared an official military website.
Freedom From Torture said members of the international community, particularly the United Kingdom and European Union, must do more to dismantle the structures that allow torture to continue in Sri Lanka.
Responding to a report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism Ben Emmerson, FFT said his findings corroborated many of their own reports.
Three Muslim men were arrested last week following an attack on a Catholic shrine in Mannar.
A roadside shrine to Saint Michael Sammanasu (Angel) in Tharavan Kottai, Ezhuthoor was found with its protective glass shattered and the icon of the saint smashed last Sunday morning.
Sri Lankan Airlines launched new services from Colombo to Tamil Nadu’s second largest city on Sunday.
The airline will operate four flights per week, from Colombo to Coimbatore.
The state supported airline has been under a reform process seeking to expand its network of flights, after it suffered heavy losses whilst previously being a fully nationalised airline.
