Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake urged China to help Sri Lanka through its financial crisis by adjusting loan rates, on Sunday.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post , Mr Karunanayake, said,

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on Friday to discuss the promotion of bilateral cooperation between the two governments.

During his visit Mr Wickremesinghe also met with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugratnam, Minister for Economic and Social Polices Mr K Shanmugam and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

Former senior LTTE official Subramaniam Sivakamy, better known as Colonel Thamilini, has died at the age of 43, due to cancer. She was reportedly hospitalised a few days ago and passed away this morning.

Col Thamilini, from Paranthan in Kilinochchi, was the head of the LTTE women's wing political division and one of the most senior members of the movement to be detained by the Sri Lankan military in 2009. She was held in Welikada prison for 3 years, before being moved to Poonthottam rehabilitation camp. She was released to her family in June 2013.

The Sri Lankan police have cordoned off an area in Ariyalai, Jaffna after the discovery of the skeletal remains of two women earlier this week.

The police have reportedly brought forensic experts to exhume the area and denied entry to anyone else who attempted to access it.

The Sri Lankan government hired two new hangmen last week, after calls for the abolition of the death penalty on the island.

Though the role has been described as “light administrative work”, Prisons Commissioner General Rohana Pushpakumara said "in the event the government wants to carry out executions, we should be prepared".

One of the 14 applicants interviewed last week as a former Sri Lankan soldier. "I'm angry at drug traffickers, murderers and those who rape children, so I will not hesitate a moment if I am asked to execute them," he said. "If they are not implementing the death penalty then I will quit."

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said a “Compassionate Council”, composed of Buddhist monks and other religious leaders, will decide on whether those accused of international humanitarian law violations would be granted amnesty.

Speaking to the Straits Times Mr Wickremesinghe said the “bulk of cases” will be dealt with by a Truth Commission. “And from there starts the role of the Compassionate Council,” he said. “They will be the key people.”

Sri Lanka’s Security Forces Commander-West, Major General Ubaya Medawela has been appointed as the Military Adviser at the Office of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York.

The commander is set to join the mission by the end of this month reports Daily Mirror.

He has previously commanded 554 Infantry Brigade in Jaffna and was the General Officer Commanding of Sri Lanka's infamous 53 Division.

The 53 Division is accused of the summary execution of prisoners on May 18 2009, during the final hours of the armed conflict. Amongst those thought to have been killed by the troops include Tamil journalist Isaipriya (See more from Channel 4 here and Human Rights Watch here).

The former military spokesperson has staunchly denied accusations of human rights abuses by Sri Lankan troops, having previously declared "the Sri Lankan military did not commit any war crimes".

He has also rejected video footage shown by Channel 4 News of summary executions of Tamils committed by Sri Lankan soldiers, stating that there were “malicious intentions behind the doctored documentary of Channel 4".