The Bodu Bala Sena has requested the Sri Lanka president, Maithripala Sirisena to pardon the group's leader Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, who was sentenced this week to 19 years rigorous imprisonment to be served in six years for contempt of court. 

Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo On Thursday, the BBS general secretary, Sihala Ravaya Magalkandey Sudatta said Mr Gnanasara should be released due to his 'ill health'. 

Mr Gnansara, who is currently admitted at Jayewardenepura hospital, was ordered to be arrested by the court. 

Twenty-seven Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on Thursday, the PTI reports. 

The fishermen, from Nagapattinam, Thondi and Pudukottai were arrested for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters. 

The Sri Lankan navy has impounded four fishing boats, Pudukottai Assistant Director of Fisheries Kumaresen said. 

The arrest is the latest in a series of arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy, despite ongoing talks by both governments on the issue. 

India's Central Government has rejected a proposal by Tamil Nadu for the release of seven people convicted over the assassination of the then prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi. 

In a letter that was formally accepted by the Supreme Court on Friday, the Centre said the case "an unparalleled act in the annals of crimes committed in this country". 

"The brutal act brought the Indian democratic process to a grinding halt inasmuch as the general elections to the Lok Sabha and Assemblies in some States had to be postponed,” the letter added. 

Tamil Nadu had launched the request for the release of those convicted in March 2016. 

Sri Lanka's Joint Opposition said it would be filing legal action against the country's Free Trade Agreement with Singapore, arguing that it was illegal. 

“Government has claimed that a gazette notification containing a list of items for which tax and duty will be removed was issued, but such a document cannot be found. Therefore the FTA is illegal,” the Joint Opposition MP, Bandula Gunawardene was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

The United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education that will see US Peace Corps come and teach English on the island.

Sri Lanka’s parliament's High Post Committee has approved Dayan Jayatilleke to be appointed as the government’s ambassador to Russia, despite opposition from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Mr Jayatilleke previously acted as Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva between June 2007 and October 2009. It was during that time that Sri Lanka launched a massive military offensive, killing tens of thousands of Tamil civilians. Mr Jayatilleke led the Sri Lankan government delegation that lobbied against calls for an international investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Northern Provincial Council member, T. Ravikaran, has been arrested by Mullaitivu police this evening.

Police said he was arrested in connection with vandalism of government property, referring to a protest by Tamil fishermen outside the district’s office of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

During the protest on August 2nd, protestors demanded that officials come out and listen to their demands. When none came out, protestors broke a police barricade and entered the building.

TNA leader R. Sampanthan will remain the Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker announced on Friday, reports Colombo Page.

The announcement comes following a consultation with the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), currently officially a constituent of the Sri Lankan government, on whether it wanted to take up the Opposition post.

Eight UPFA MPs who identify as part of the self-styled ‘Joint Opposition’, a collective of Pro-Rajapaksa parliamentarians, had written to the Speaker requesting the Leader of the Opposition post be given to UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardene, claiming he had the support of 70 UPFA MPs.

Sri Lanka’s Organised Crime Prevention Division (OCPD) announced that it had taken 59 statements from various individuals with regards to a speech made by United National Party parliamentarian Vijayakala Maheswaran.

Ms Maheswaran was forced to resign her ministerial post after she faced a backlash from Sinhala politicians including from within her own party, for reportedly calling for a resurgence of the LTTE to tackle the rising gang violence in the North-East.

Sri Lanka’s prime minister has said that his government will provide all the necessary facilities to resettle Tamil refugees returning from Tamil Nadu, reports DD News.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Wednesday that the Ministry of Resettlement is working on providing permanent land, housing, livelihood assistance and other facilities to the returning families.

According to the Prime Minister, 9509 refugees have returned to Sri Lanka since 2010 with the support of the UN refugee agency.

Tamil refugees deported from other countries, particularly Australia, have been arrested and harassed by authorities in recent years.