A Tamil man has been reported missing from Mannar, reports Tamilwin.

Anthonipillai Saint Nicholas Gunabal of Andankulam who runs a barbershop in the area has not been seen since Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Gunabal’s wife filed a missing report with Adamban police on Friday.

The Sri Lankan government said it would study the statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Pablo de Greiff "carefully" and would continue to engage with him. 

The Sri Lankan government on Saturday expressed its support for a united Spain in response to the Catalan government declaration of independence. 

"Sri Lanka and Spain enjoy an enduring friendship, and Sri Lanka considers Spain as an important member in Sri Lanka's partnership with the European Union," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, K Palaniswami on Saturday urged the Indian premier to secure the release of the 54 fishermen currently detained in Sri Lanka. 

“I strongly urge you to … take up the alarming and frequent abduction of our fishermen in their traditional waters with the highest authorities in the Sri Lankan government,” Mr Palaniswamy said in a letter to Mr Modi, reported The Wire. 

A young mother in Jaffna committed suicide along with her three children on Friday unable to cope with heavy debts, which caused her husband to commit suicide one month ago. 

The tragedy comes as community groups have expressed increasing concern over financial hardship within families in the North-East, causing them to turn to precarious sources of loans, including banks, microfinance companies and personal acquaintances. Debts are often followed by harassment as families struggle to repay the loans. 

Sri Lanka's paramilitary leader and former chief minister of the Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan has been indicted over the assassination of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Joseph Pararajasingham, the attorney general told the Supreme Court on Thursday. 

Mr Pararajasingham was shot dead by two gunmen in Batticaloa as he attended a Christmas mass on December 24, 2005. 

A trial has been scheduled for November 6th, 7th and 17th. 

Pillayan, who has been held on remand requested the Supreme Court to allow him to be released. 

Sri Lanka's finance minister Mangala Samaraweera rejected a statement by the former commander of the security forces in the Vanni, that those supporting the new constitution were traitors and should be killed, stating that 63 lakhs of people had voted in favour of a new constitution. 

Mullaitivu residents protested against landgrabs in Mullivaikkaal, forcing surveyors to turn back from the area.

A Sri Lankan Navy camp in Jaffna was searched by police on Thursday in connection with the murder of a Tamil man in Ariyalai last week.

24-year-old Don Bosco Rikman was shot in Ariyalai East on Sunday afternoon and later died from internal bleeding while receiving treatment at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

After receiving an anonymous tip-off about the location of the vehicle used by the assailants, the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department secured a warrant to search the Gotabaya navy camp in Mandaithivu from Kayts magistrates court.

However police announced later that the search had produced no evidence and that investigations continue.

A Tamil political prisoner has been acquitted after a decade of detention and repeated attempts at conviction by the Sri Lankan state.

Kanagarathnam Jeevaratnam was acquitted of charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act by the Colombo High Court on Thursday morning.

Mr Jeevaratnam was abducted by Karuna’s paramilitary group in Trincomalee on 23rd June 2007 and handed over to Sri Lankan police.

After questioning by the Terrorism Investigation Department, police filed charges under the PTA at Trincomalee Court.