Mangala Samaraweera said his government has been able to “successfully address” both the island’s debt burden and issues of human rights, both of which had tarnished Sri Lanka’s international reputation, in a speech last week.

Mr Samaraweera, who recently became the government’s finance minister having previously held the foreign minister post, said his government would continue to make progress on those issues.

Almost 50 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy in yet another incident, reports the Times of India.

Sri Lanka’s Naval spokesman Commander Chaminda Walakuluge accused the fishermen of bottom trawling and said those arrested have been taken to the fisheries inspection office in Jaffna.

A protest was held in Jaffna today calling for the release of Tamil political prisoners who are being held in Sri Lankan prisons.

Ministers from Myanmar and Sri Lanka pledged their governments take steps to have closer defence co-operation this week.

At the side-lines of the ASEAN summit in Manila, Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake met with  H.E. U Kyaw Tin, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for Myanmar, where the two discussed co-operation in areas of tourism, education and defence.

A 22-year-old Tamil man, reportedly a main suspect in the sword attack on police in Kokkuvil, was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Department, along with six other Tamil youths on Monday.

A police spokesperson claimed that all seven youths were part of the 'Aava' criminal gang.

The youths underwent extensive interrogation by TID officers and are to be presented to the Jaffna Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The Australian government deported at least 13 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka on Friday, according to a press release from the Australian High Commission.

“These non-citizens have been found not to engage Australia’s protection obligations, and have no lawful basis to remain in Australia,” said the statement. 

The Northern Provincial Council chairman C V K Sivagnanam criticised the reports that recent violence in the North-East was due to the LTTE regrouping, describing such comments as "malicious" and "unreasonable".

The Northern Province's health minister P Sathiyalingam resigned from his ministerial post on Monday. 

He will continue to serve as a councillor in the province. 

The reasons behind his resignation are not yet clear. 
 

Interpol is to hold a workshop in Colombo in collaboration with the Sri Lankan police on counter-terrorism and transnational crimes. 

The three day workshop will be attended by police teams from India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia and Bangladesh. 

The Iranian president on Monday offered Sri Lanka its technical and engineering services, IRNA reported. 

Ten Tamil youths have been arrested after Vadamaradchi villages were subjected to a third search and round-up operation by Special Task Force troops in 24 hours.

Ten Tamils were arrested in Jaffna on Saturday evening when Sri Lankan Special Task Force troops and police engaged in sudden checking activities in the Thirunelveli and Kondavil areas.

Koppay police said that some of youths were arrested on various suspicions, others because they failed to sufficiently identify themselves.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has assured  parliamentarians from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) that Minister of Foreign Affairs  Ravi Karunanayake will be out of government in the near future, reports Colombo Gazette.

The Ministry Of Power and Renewable energy stated that they have signed private energy contracts to deal with the shortage of electricity that the island is currently facing.