Sri Lanka’s trade deficit widened by 8 percent to US$ 782.8 million reports Colombo Page.

The widening trade deficit came despites an increase in exports in 2016, which sow exports increase to US866.3 million.

Sri Lanka’s widening trade deficit happened amidst a modest depreciation of the strength of the Sri Lankan rupee.

Reducing the trade deficit has one of Sri Lanka’s key priorities, alongside regaining the GSP+ trade concessions to aid Sri Lanka’s exports.

Families gathered by the shores of Mullaitivu to mark Maaveerar Naal on November 27. 

In an emotional event, families cried as they lit fires and lamps to remember fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres, sending the lamps adrift in the waters where so many LTTE cadres and Tamil civilians perished at the last stages of the armed conflict in 2009. 

Tamil political parties and party members paid tribute to fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre on Saturday November 27 with remembrance events marking Maaveerar Naal (Tamil national remembrance day).

The Tamil National Alliance marked Maaveerar Naal at its office on Martin Road in Jaffna, whilst its main subsidiary party, the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) held an event at its party office in Chavakachcheri. ITAK also held commemorations in the East at the party's headquarters in Batticaloa.

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) held its Maaveerar Naal in Jaffna, with its president, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and other key party representatives and members present. 

Students at the University of Jaffna marked Maaveerar Naal (Tamil national remembrance day) on November 27, following on from the remembrance event which took place two days earlier. 

As many joined their families to attend large-scale events taking place at formerly destroyed LTTE thuyilum illams (LTTE resting homes), some students at the University of Jaffna lit lamps and lay flowers by the monument commemorating those 'who had sacrified their lives for freedom'. The monument was initially erected in November 2006, however was vandalised by Sri Lankan security forces. 

Paramilitary leader and former Sri Lankan minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan (alias Karuna) was arrested on Tuesday by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over the misuse of a bullet proof vehicle. 

According to reports, Karuna was arrested after being requested to give a statement at the FCID. 

Tamils in Myanmar commemorated Maaveerar Naal at an event in the nation's largest city Yangon.

The event, organised by the Tamil Youth Association, saw participation by many second and third generation Burmese Tamils.

American Tamils in several states marked Maaveerar Naal with events in their localities.

Commemoration events took place across the US, including in Boston, the DC metro area, Florida, San Francisco, North Carolina and New York City.

Events saw participants lay flowers and light candles at pictures of fallen combatants, shrines or replica tombstones. Cultural performances were conducted and speeches were made, including by NPC Councillor Ananthy Sasitharan in Virginia.

The chair of the British All Party Parliamentary Group For Tamils called on Sri Lanka to allow the Tamil community to publically mark Maaveerar Naal annually, without intimidation or harrassment from Sri Lankan security forces.

In a statement released to mark Tamil National Remembrance Day, parliamentarian James Berry said “remembrance is a vital tool in healing and reconciling communities traumatised by conflict”. “It is also an important element of transitional justice, because there can be no true reconciliation without proper accountability,” he added.

Sri Lanka’s president has written to US President-elect Donald Trump in the hope of pressuring the United States to stop pursuing accountability for war crimes committed by Sri Lankan troops.

“I will write to President (Donald) Trump to ask him to free us from these accusations,” the New Indian Express reported Maithripala Sirisena telling a  Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) membership drive in Galle.

Thousands of Tamils marked Maaveerar Naal in the UK on Sunday, November 27th.