The British High Commission in Colombo said the government is studying the recent EU judgement which annulled measures taken against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

According to The Sunday Leader, a high commission spokesperson said that the EU ruling does not affect the ban on the LTTE in the UK, under the Terrorism Act.

“This is separate from the EU provisions. But it is also important to note that the EU Court judgment is a legal decision on procedural grounds and not a political decision by the EU member states. The judgment did not involve any substantive assessment of the classification of the LTTE as a terrorist group,

"We, like others, are studying the judgment and appropriate next steps; and for the time being, the freeze on LTTE funds imposed by the EU has been maintained for another three months. In the UK, it is illegal to supply funds to the LTTE under our Terrorism Act 2000,” " the spokesperson said.

The leader of the MDMK, Vaiko, criticised the BJP led Indian government's policy on Sri Lanka, stating that it was affecting the Tamils adversely.

"Though the previous UPA discreetly helped Sri Lanka against Tamils, it later backtracked but the BJP government is openly aiding Colombo," Vaiko was quoted as saying by PTI.

The Sri Lankan government has asked Chinda for a "massive" loan from China to fund another project in Hambantota, reports the Sunday Times.

According to the paper, government officials were seeking a loan for an extension on the Southern Expressway, and China's EXIM bank has agreed.

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Sri Lanka hired its eighth American public relations firm this year to reach out to US media, officials and policy makers.

Levick, an organisation subcontracted to the Liberty International Group, has been hired to speak on behalf of the Sri Lankan central bank.

The body of a 41 year old Tamil man was found floating in a pond in Meraya plantation, in Nuwara Eliya, this week.

The man, identified as father of two, Ramasamy Ramachandran, went missing after leaving his home one morning, reports Uthayan.

His body was recovered by Lindula police, and handed over to the Nuwara Eliya district hospital for post mortem.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his last budget presentation before the presidential election in January, granted several concessions and handouts to the people of Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa pledged that families of military personnel and police officers would receive Rs. 1000 per a month, as well as a guaranteed a 17.6% rise in rice prices, and pledged to provide farmers with free rice for the next season.

Journalists will be given interest-free car loans and school teachers and university lecturers will receive a rise in allowances, his budget further proposed.

The president also promised free health check-ups for all citizens and a pension scheme for garment sector employees.

TNA MP Maavai Senathirajah and leader R. Sampanthan delighted to shake hands with President Rajapaksa. (Photographs BBC Sinhala)

The leadership of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) celebrated the 2015 budget with the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday.

TNA MP Suresh Premachandran smiles on at Sampanthan-Rajapaksa exchange.

The opposition party, UNP, JVP and JHU meanwhile, were not in attendance, according to BBC Sinhala.

The Commonwealth secretary general will visit Sri Lanka tomorrow to brief the Sri Lankan president on Commonwealth goals and review progress made by Sri Lanka in their national development plan and post-conflict plans, reports Colombo Page.