The 30th death anniversary of Annai Poopathy, who fasted unto death in protest against the atrocities committed by Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF), was commemorated in Batticaloa.

The final of a football tournament held in memory of Anna Poopathy took place at Batticaloa’s Weber stadium on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena reportedly attacked foreign diplomats who are based in Colombo for allegedly “interfering” whilst his government blocked internet access and social media, in the wake of anti-Muslim violence by Sinhala Buddhist mobs last month.

Speaking to an audience of Sri Lankans in London, Mr Sirisena accused foreign diplomats of “going beyond their mandate” according to The Island.

"We were able to avert a major calamity by swift intervention," he was quoted as saying.

The Sri Lankan president went on to claim that “all international agencies had praised the manner in which his government had handled the Kandy situation”.

Students at Jaffna University held a remembrance ceremony to mark 30 years since the death of Annai Poopathy.

Britain’s Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox, who has a controversial relationship with Sri Lanka, met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in London yesterday, where they discussed trade and investment opportunities between the two governments.

At least 1600 million rupees would be required to restore the 683 acres in Myliddy, recently released from Sri Lankan Army occupation, back to habitable conditions, the Jaffna District Secretariat has said.

The owners of the released land returned last weekend to find their homes and infrastructure including wells and outbuildings had been demolished by the troops.

The DS requested the amount from the Sri Lankan resettlement ministry and said that the 1600 million rupee figure would go towards constructing 1000 new houses and repairing 250, restoring 300 toilets and 300 wells, repairing roads, reconstructing schools and community spaces and clearing overgrown forests.

Sri Lanka’s Finance  Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who is in London with Sri Lanka’s delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the trip would be a platform to expand trade ties beyond the GSP+ concession of the European Union.

Speaking at the side-lines of the summit, Mr Samaraweera said,

“The summit which is being held at the heart of CHOGM London, will bring us many benefits. On Monday, we had discussion to strengthen financial and trade relation at Guildhall, London where the Commonwealth Business Forum’s first session was commenced.”

Sri Lanka’s former ambassador to the United States claimed that he was prevented from leaving the country by the Department of Homeland Security, who stopped him boarding a flight and questioned him on war crimes committed by Sri Lankan troops during the island’s armed conflict.

In an interview to The Island, Jaliya Wickramasuriya claimed that he had attempted to board a flight from Atlanata to Chile late last year, when he was stopped by Homeland Security officials.

 A Tamil asylum seeker who fled Sri Lanka to seek safety in Canada has been found killed, reportedly murdered by an alleged serial killer in Toronto.

Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam arrived in Canada in 2010, one of 492 Tamils aboard the MV Sun Sea, a dilapidated vessel that docked into British Columbia.

Canadian police announced that Mr Kanagaratnam was probably killed by accused serial killer Bruce McArthur sometime between early September and mid December 2015.

Yet the 37 year old was never reported missing. Police said an  undisclosed international agency ultimately helped identify him from his remains.

Police Scotland has come out in defence of a contract with the Sri Lanka, which included training of Sri Lanka’s notorious Special Task Force, despite continued concerns over the use of torture by security forces.

In response to a freedom of information request submitted by The Ferret, Superintendent Shaun McKillop, head of Police Scotland’s International Development and Innovation Unit, defended the relationship with Sri Lankan security forces, that has reportedly stretched back to nearly 10 years.