S. P. Thamilselvan, the head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was remembered by the Tamil National People's Front on Thursday, on the tenth anniversary of his assassination by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF).

The leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) told the constitutional assembly on Wednesday, the situation for Sri Lanka would only get worse internationally if the government failed to address the national question. 

"Sri Lanka knows very well that all the problems it has faced in the international arena, particularly since 2012, is because of its failure to manfully address the National question. Things can only get worse; they cannot get any better if the same attitude remains," Sampanthan was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

A delegation of EU MEPs who are currently visiting Sri Lanka said they were disappointed about the lack of progress on repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act. 

“We were told ‘it will be done’. We were under the impression that there will be rapid change but there isn’t. We hope once the Budget process is out, Parliament will take measures to change this piece of legislature,” the MEP, Jean Lambert who led the delegation was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying at a press conference today. 

Two Indian navy ships and an Indian coast guard vessel docked in Colombo today, as they arrived for a training visit in Sri Lanka.

A Hindu temple in a Vavuniya village was attacked on Wednesday night.

Sri Lanka's former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the "LTTE and the diaspora are involved in bringing in a new constitution", the Daily Mirror reported. 

“Terrorism existed during different governments, and there was a group who spread the opinion world over expressing that terrorism can never be defeated and peace cannot be established. These are the groups who are in the forefront of bringing a New Constitution," he was quoted as saying. 

Thirteen Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy this morning.

As frustrations grow about the unabating levels of militarisation in Tamil areas, the Sri Lankan Army has created a new scheme in which soldiers plough the fields of impoverished Tamil farmers.

The Chinese Vice Premier, Wang Yang told the Sri Lankan foreign minister, Tilak Marapana who is currently visiting Beijing that the government expected the two countries to work more closely, reports Xinhua.

“China highly values its relations with Sri Lanka, and regards the country as an important cooperation partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes and beyond,” Mr Yang was reported by the Chinese state owned news site as saying.

Commemorations leading up to Maaveerar Naal have commenced in the Tamil homeland, starting with the planting of trees in Mannar.

Launched last year by the Northern Provincial Council to the honour those who died fighting in the Tamil struggle, the initiative began with special prayers at Thiruketheeswaram Kovil.