President Mahinda Rajapaksa has announced in his budget speech to parliament that state-owned airlines SriLankan and Mihin Lanka will receive a $200mn bailout.

SriLankan will receive $150mn and Mihin Lanka $50mn from the state, according to LBO, which described both companies as making “record losses”.

The Sri Lankan government has accused British Prime Minister David Cameron of failing to follow protocol during his visit to Sri Lanka last week.

A government source told the BBC that Cameron had “breached protocol several times”.

The source claimed the prime minister had “brushed aside” the main local Tamil official, who was supposed to escort him around a refugee camp.

Reflecting on the British Premier's historic visit to Jaffna, the DMK president Karunanidhi of Tamil Nadu, India, said that David Cameron had "secured a permanent place in the hearts of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Tamils living in other countries, and Tamils in Tamil Nadu".

Commenting on the Indian Prime Minister's decision not to go, Karunanidhi said that if the decision had been taken in view of the sentiments of Tamils, then that should have been outlined in a letter to the Sri Lankan President.

The controversy surrounding Sri Lanka and allegations of war crimes risks overshadowing the Commonwealth Games due to be held in Scotland next July, reported the Herald Scotland.

With Sri Lanka taking over the Chair of the Commonwealth, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sharing the limelight with the Queen at the Games.

Extracts from the editorial Monday by Australia’s The Age newspaper:

“There was a world of difference in the way British Prime Minister David Cameron managed his visit to the Commonwealth [summit] in Sri Lanka and the approach taken by our Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. One was inspirational; the other fawning.