Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran criticised Sri Lanka’s president after Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, who is wanted over his involvement in the murder case of Tamil youths, was allowed to fly to Mexico last week.

Wijegunaratne, Sri Lanka’s current chief of defence staff (CDS), is wanted over his involvement in helping the main suspect in the abduction and murder case of 11 Tamil youths evade arrest. Despite being wanted for questioning, he was allowed to fly to Mexico and is not expected to return until the end of the month.

Sri Lanka's state minister of national policies and economic affairs, Harsha De Silva said this week the Chinese funded Port City development in Hambantota would have a financial centre functioning under its own new laws. 

“We’re in the process of finalising the Port City legal framework but nothing we do in the Port City will be contra the constitution,” De Silva said, attempting to assure that the City would remain within the current constitutional framework. 

Sri Lanka’s president dismissed claims that he had begun to reduce the size of the military and instead vowed to protect the “pride of the security forces” at the United Nations later this month.

Maithripala Sirisena is due to meet with the UN Secretary General António Guterres as well as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

Sri Lankan police on Wednesday arrested four Tamil youths in Kodikaamam for allegedly hijacking a police vehicle. 

The police reportedly tried to arrest the youths after they were involved in a quarrel at a wedding on September 11. 

The youths however are alleged to have escaped by hijacking the police vehicle, which was later found abandoned around 1km away. 

Sri Lanka's president, Maithiripala Sirisena today warned this week warned police chiefs not to take action against the military "in a manner that would cause embarassment to them", Ceylon Today reports. 

Sirisena made the order on Tuesday, which comes after the chief of defence staff, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne is wanted over his involvement in helping the main suspect in the abduction and murder case of 11 Tamil youths evade arrest. 

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi this week, after he delivered a speech brushing off war crimes allegations as “false and malicious propaganda”.

Jaffna police attempted to arrest a Tamil lawyer wearing a saree with a Buddha face print on Wednesday.

Police officers reportedly waited outside court for the lawyer to arrest her, after being contacted by the court police.

An argument ensued with the lawyer’s colleagues intervening in her defence. The police abandoned the arrest attempt but asked the lawyer to give a statement at the police station, to which the lawyer complied.

A Batticaloa activist who was arrested for organising a hartal and allegedly damaging public property was released on bail on Thursday.

Kanapathipillai Mohan was arrested on Tuesday after being called in by Eravur police for an inquiry about the hartal which was organised in protest against the construction of a bottled water factory in the area.

He was released on bail on Thursday and told to appear in court on November 11.

Two Sri Lankan soldiers were caught breaking into a home in Kilinochchi in the early hours of Thursday morning.

A suspected gang member who was reportedly shot by a homeowner in self-defence died at Anuradhapura hospital today, Thursday.

The deceased, 24-year-old Thiruchelvam Kapilan was one of six suspected gang members who allegedly broke into a home in Mullaitivu on Tuesday and attacked the residents with swords.

The homeowner shot at the attackers with an allegedly locally made firearm, injuring Kapilan who died of his injuries two days later.

Three of the residents of the home in Kaiveli, Puthukudiyiruppu were admitted to Mullaitivu hospital with injuries sustained in the sword attack.