A former pilot with the Sri Lankan Air Force was arrested at Colombo airport this morning, after he was found to be carrying an unregistered pistol.

The former head of Sri Lanka’s military intelligence has been further remanded over the 2008 abduction and assault of a journalist.

Former Military Intelligence Director and Chief of Staff of the Army, Major General Amal Karunasekara, was arrested earlier this year. The now retired Sri Lankan military officer has had his case remanded until August 20th.

He is one of eight suspects arrested over the abduction and assault of Keith Noyahr, who was an associate editor of The Nation when he was abducted in May 2008. The suspects include six Sri Lankan army personnel.

A protest by Tamil fishermen in Mullaitivu against illegal fishing by Sinhala fishermen has entered its 5^th day.

India and Sri Lanka held the tenth round of talks for widening the scope of the existing free trade agreement between the two countries.

A free trade agreement in goods has been in existence since March 2000, but talks are ongoing to widen the scope to include services and investments.

"The talks are going at a healthy pace and both the countries are targeting to conclude the talks by December for the Economic and Technology Co-operation Agreement (ETCA)," an official said, PTI reports.

A memorandum of understanding to hand over the management of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport to India is being reworked by the Sri Lankan government, the Sunday Times reports.

The draft of the MoU is being reworked after it was presented to Sri Lanka’s cabinet, at the Indian government’s request.

“The Sri Lankan Government’s terms only allow for management control of the commercial activities of the airport while ownership and all statutory functions, including air traffic control and air traffic rights, will be under the control of the Sri Lankan authorities,” an official in Colombo said.

The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) said it will continue to undertake civilian flights across the island, despite a suspension over airworthiness of some of its aircraft.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) had recalled the certificate of airworthiness (CofA) issued to the air force’s Xian MA60 aircraft, reports the Sunday Times.

The Sri Lankan military continued to exert its presence in Tamil schools in the North-East, declaring open a computer laboratory at the Sri Ganesha Maha Vidyalaya in Pungudutivu, Jaffna.

The Sri Lankan government announced that it managed to “convince” the European Union (EU) to ensure the LTTE is kept on a list of banned terrorist organisations, despite a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling last year.

“We have managed to convince the EU’s 28-member states of the continuing threat of the LTTE,” said Rodney Perera, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Brussels. “This was an arduous task since we had to update dossiers with tangible evidence, from the years past up to the present.”

The Communist Party of China (CPC) said it hoped to build ties with the former Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa and his new party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). 

The CPC's Vice  Minister of International Development, Guo Yezhou met with Mr Rajapaksa and the SLPP chairman, G. L. Peiris yesterday, the Daily Mirror reported. 

"CPC official commended the efforts taken by the former government to foster ties between Sri Lanka and China, while the CPC expressed its desire to enhance party to party relations with the SLPP," Mr Peiris was quoted by the paper as saying. 

Sri Lankan police yesterday arrested eleven Tamil youths, accused of being involved in 'Aava gang' violence. 

The youths, aged between 18 to 20, who were due to sit their A Level exams this year, are understood to be from Chavakachceri, Sarasaalai and Maravanpulavu. 

Four swords, a motorbike and other weapons were found in their possession, police said.