A US $167.2 million disbursement has been approved by the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after completing the second review of Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

The IMF Executive board completed the review on Monday, allowing for the release of US $167.2 million which forms part of a 3 year arrangement to provide up to US $1.45 billion of assistance during Sri Lanka’s monetary reform process.

To date a total of approximately US $501.5 million has been released to Sri Lanka, reports adaderena.lk.

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena reportedly questioned his cabinet on how the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism Ben Emmerson was allowed to meet Tamils detained as alleged Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters.

The Daily Mirror reported the meeting request was sanctioned by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

A Tamil journalist was harassed by Sri Lankan soldiers in Vadamarachchi while on the way to report on the protest of the families of the disappeared in Maruthankerny.

Jaffna-based journalist Uthayarasa Shalin was stopped by two soldiers on a motorcycle on Monday afternoon on the route to Maruthankerny.

Having questioned Mr Shalin about his destination, the soldiers told him he could not go on as the mentioned protest had finished.

Mr Shalin denied that the protest had ended and insisted that he had to continue, identifying himself with his media accreditation.

A Tamil journalist who was summoned to Colombo by the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department was today interrogated for three hours in Jaffna and made to sign a statement written in Sinhalese, despite not being able to understand the contents.

Jaffna-based broadcast and print journalist T. Pratheepan faced investigation at Achuveli police station this morning over the broadcast of a politician’s press conference.

The Sri Lankan Army partnered with Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) of Canada to hand out “gifts” to schoolchildren in Batticaloa and Amparai last week, declared an official military website.

Freedom From Torture said members of the international community, particularly the United Kingdom and European Union, must do more to dismantle the structures that allow torture to continue in Sri Lanka.

Responding to a report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism Ben Emmerson, FFT said his findings corroborated many of their own reports.

The Sri Lankan navy declared open a new ‘Tactical Room’ at its Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee last week.

Three Muslim men were arrested last week following an attack on a Catholic shrine in Mannar.

A roadside shrine to Saint Michael Sammanasu (Angel) in Tharavan Kottai, Ezhuthoor was found with its protective glass shattered and the icon of the saint smashed last Sunday morning.

The attack took place in the context of a dispute over a plot of land belonging to the Catholic Church in Thoddaveli, an area which has seen demographic change from predominantly Catholic to majority Muslim through purchases and settlements.

Sri Lankan Airlines launched new services from Colombo to Tamil Nadu’s second largest city on Sunday.

The airline will operate four flights per week, from Colombo to Coimbatore.

The state supported airline has been under a reform process seeking to expand its network of flights, after it suffered heavy losses whilst previously being a fully nationalised airline.

See more here.

The Sri Lankan government has requested the assistance of Interpol in arresting a Sri Lankan army officer who has gone into hiding after absconding from the Sri Lankan embassy in Washington, reports ColomboPage.

The officer, who served as a security advisor at the embassy, reportedly “disappeared” after his tenure ended last year. He was due back in Sri Lanka to report back to the army.

His whereabouts are currently unknown and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has reportedly called on Interpol to assist in arresting the officer.