A Tamil couple seeking asylum for themselves and their two infant daughters in Australia are being held at a detention centre in Melbourne after Border Force officers stormed their home and gave them ten minutes to pack their belongings and leave.

The family who lived in a rural town in Queensland were detained a day after their visas has expired. 

The Tamil Refugee Council said that the family were misled over their visa status and expecting to have their visa renewed.

The Council also said the family were mistreated in the way they were transported, with the couple being separated and the children not allowed to sit with their mother.

A committee to probe the anti-Muslim violence in Kandy is to be appointed by the Sri Lankan president, the Presidential Secretary has said.

The committee will be made up of three retired judges, who will be appointed on President Sirisena’s return from foreign visits.

The announcement was met with derision in some areas, with critics pointing to Sri Lanka’s long history of appointing fruitless committees, commissions and task-forces.

The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena arrived in Japan on Monday as part of two day official visit. 

The visit is aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries, as well as improving trade relations. Mr Sirisena will participate in an investor and business conference. 

Mr Sirisena is expected to hold discussions with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

The former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Sunday asserted that the main reason for Sri Lanka's issues was because the government was following the advice of NGOs rather than the advice of the Maha Sangha, 

“The government has forgotten religious values, our culture and sovereignty and this has resulted in various issues within different sections of society," he was further quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

"It was pointless giving priority to Buddhism only in the Constitution," he added. 

The Indian government has announced concessional financing of 100 million USD to fund solar projects in Sri Lanka.

The announcement was made at the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance in New Delhi, to which Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena travelled this week.

Half of the amount has been tabled for setting up rooftop solar panels in government schools, colleges, hospitals and other government buildings on the island.

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The United Nations Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman on Sunday expressed concern over the Sri Lankan government's failure to carry out pledged reforms. 

In a statement, it was noted that Mr Feltman "expressed concern that many elements of the government’s visionary 2015 program seem stalled, despite their importance to sustainable peace, security and prosperity in Sri Lanka, and he appreciated the reassurances from Government leaders of their intention to move forward. He encouraged the Government to communicate their actions and timelines for reforms to the Sri Lankan people."

Germany’s head of state has postponed a planned trip to Sri Lanka after recent anti-Muslim violence led to the declaration of a state of emergency on the island.

The Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, had planned to travel to India and Sri Lanka from the 21st - 28th March.

Sources in Berlin say the Sri Lanka leg of the trip, which was initially planned after accepting an invitation from the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena, has been cancelled due to the recent unrest caused by anti-Muslim violence in Kandy and other parts of the island.

The Sri Lankan president held discussions with the Indian prime minister, Narenda Modi this weekend, during a visit to India. 

Discussions included enhancing cooperation between the two countries, Indian media outlets reported. 

Mr Sirisena's official visit was to participate at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) conference. 

Sri Lanka's media minister and former foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera defended the Sri Lankan president's decision to block access to social media, describing it as "appropriate and vital". 

Speaking to Sri Lankan Mirror, Mr Samaraweera was quoted as saying that "although he does not personally endorse censorship of social media, at this decisive moment, the decision taken by the president to temporarily block social media sites was an appropriate and vital decision." 

The Sri Lankan government continued to block access to Facebook, Whats App and Viber despite the lifting of the curfew in villages affected by the anti Muslim violence. 

Social media websites were blocked by the government on March 7 following attacks against Muslims carried out by Sinhala Buddhist mobs. 

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) said the decision to continue the suspension was made at the request of the Ministry of Defence.