<p>The Sri Lankan military said it was not aware of the issuing of an arrest warrant for Brigadier Priyanka Fernando by a UK court yesterday, stating that it was “not concerned” over the matter.</p> <p>"If a warrant has been issued then the relevant authorities must follow the due procedure in order to inform us formally" Media Spokesperson of Sri Lanka Army Brigadier Sumith Atapattu told <a href="http://www.sundaytimes.lk/article/1064829/sl-authorities-uninformed-of-…">Times Online.</a></p>

<p>Sri Lanka’s current defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando stated that his government would be arresting a group of soldiers accused of committing murder, in a surprise announcement on Monday.</p> <p>He said that a group of 11 soldiers would be arrested in coming weeks, accusing them of having committed a crime - but did not elaborate on the specific incident he was referring to.</p>

<p>Britain’s Petitions Committee has called on the UK government to give a “revised response” to a petition which has gathered over 17,000 signatures, calling on Britain to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court.</p> <p>The Petitions Committee, made up of a group of MPs who oversee the petitions system, said the response from Britain to the petition “did not directly address the request of petition”.</p> <p>The Committee has “therefore written back to the Government to ask them to provide a revised response”.</p>

<p>The British Foreign Office stands accused of “shredding history” after it emerged that it had destroyed almost 400 files related to its links with the Sri Lankan government as it waged a war against the Tamil armed struggle.</p> <p>A freedom of information request by the Morning Star found that the Foreign Office had destroyed nearly twice as many files on its engagement with Sri Lanka from the 1970’s onwards, than it had previously admitted.</p> <p>Though the British government admitted last year that it had destroyed 195 files from the 1970’s, the Morning Star revealed that shredded another 177 files from the 1980s, bringing the total to 372.</p>

The Westminster Magistrate’s Court has issued an arrest warrant for Brigadier Priyanka Fernando of the Sri Lankan army earlier today, having found him guilty of committing public order offences whilst stationed in London.

Fernando was found guilty of violating sections 5 and 4A of the Public Order Act, with the court stating that his actions were threatening, caused harassment, and that he intended them to be so.

<p>The Sri Lankan navy arrested four Indian nationals for attempting to allegedly attempting to enter the country illegally.&nbsp;</p> <p>The men were detained in seas off the Northern province in two dinghies.&nbsp;</p> <p>The navy have accused them of illegal immigration and taken them to their base at Kankasanthurai.</p>

Farmers and local residents celebrated the annual 'Ulavar Vizha' or farmers' festival on January 18 in Palachcholai, Porathivu Pattu, Batticaloa. 

Families with children gathered to celebrate the harvest and traditional farming. 

Students from the Hindu College in Kalviyankadu, Jaffna protested this morning against the authorities failure to curb the increased use of drugs in Jaffna. 

Condemning the violent attacks related to the use of drugs, students accused authorities of allowing the ongoing smuggling of drugs into the region. 

Civil society organisations and women's rights group protested in Jaffna on Sunday against Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the planned Counter Terror Act (CTA). 

"Say no to PTA & CTA" and "don't take away rights by PTA & CTA", protesters demanded, as they gathered by Vempady junction in Jaffna town, and marched towards the main bus station. 

A group of Sinhala villagers led by a Buddhist monk disrupted a Thai Pongal celebration at a Hindu temple in Mullaitivu last week, as tensions continued to flare in the area with the construction of a large Buddha statue.