The UK’s Foreign Office Minister for Asia and the Pacific visited Jaffna today, as part of an official visit to the island.

The Sri Lankan navy on Thursday detained four Indian fishermen and confiscated their boat, for allegedly entering the island's waters. 

The fishermen have been identified as Tamilselvan (50), Appadurai (52), Rangasamy (45) and Jeeva (55). 

The men have been taken to Karainagar in Sri Lanka, Times of India reported. 
 

Sri Lankan police have raided a house in Devipuram, Puthukudiyiruppu on Tuesday arresting a man who they claim was manufacturing arms, Ceylon Today. 

The police claim to have found "three dipping guns, seven muzzle-loaders, 12 pipes used for making guns, ten kilos of T-56 bullets, 500 grams of explosives, saws, pliers and a large quantity of equipment" at the time of arrest. 

The man who has not been identified, has been accused by police of being a previous member of the LTTE, working within the arms manufacture section. 
 

Soldiers from Sri Lanka’s Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment donated blood at Jaffna Teaching Hospital earlier this month.

Talks between India and Sri Lanka on the development on oil tanks on Trincomalee are underway, officials from the Joint Working Group (JWG) were quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

The Managing Director of Lanka Indian Oil Company Shyam Bohra told the paper, "the government to government talks were taking place through the JWG to work out modalities for the development of the Oil Tank Farm in Trincomalee."

"No final decision had been taken yet in this regard," he added. 

Two Jaffna University students shot dead by police last year were remembered in Jaffna, ahead of the one year anniversary of their murders this month.

A memorial service for N. Kajan and V. Sulaxan was held at the Venkaram library in Ponnalai on Wednesday.

A former LTTE cadre and restaurant owner in Jaffna has filed a complaint with the Sri Lankan human rights commission after being harassed by police officers who also attacked an elderly employee at his business last week.

On Tuesday, five police officers from the Chavakachcheri police station entered the restaurant in civil clothing and asked for alcohol.

When 70 year old R. Shanmuganathan told the officers that the restaurant did not sell drinks for takeaway, the officers attacked him and then took him to the police station, as well as looting the restaurant’s storage room of alcohol.

The British Minister for Asia and the Pacific met with TNA and Opposition leader R. Sampanthan in Colombo on Thursday.

In the meeting with minister Mark Field, Mr Sampanthan discussed the TNA’s efforts in the constitution making process.

“We cannot fail in this process,” Mr Sampanthan said of creating a new constitution that would bring about a political solution to the island’s ethnic conflict.

“If we fail, that will pave the way for renewed violence,” he said.

The Sri Lankan navy issued a gazette notification last month to acquire 672 acres in Mullivaikkaal. 

The acquisition comes despite ongoing calls on the Sri Lankan military to release occupied land across the North-East. 

Last month the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Sri Lankan government to "to move faster on other essential confidence building measures, such as release of land occupied by the military."
 

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A Sri Lankan court has issued a restraining order banning a planned protest in Hambantota this week by Joint Opposition MPs. 

The protest was planned to demonstrate against the government signing agreements with foreign countries regarding the development of Hambantota port and Mattala airport. 

The order prevents MPs Namal Rajapaksa and D.V. Upul from being in the areas surrounding Hambantota Port, the Indian Consulate and any roads leading to the Port tomorrow.

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