There would be no significant change in trade policy with Sri Lanka, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mark Linscott said on Monday whilst visiting the island. 

Meeting wtih Sri Lankan officials including the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Chinthaka Lokuhetti, Mr Linscott said, “it is tough to predict the future.”

“The new US administration has a significant shift in change towards several of its trade agreements - mainly the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal; and there is a big focus on re-negotiating NAFTA as well as correcting our current trade deficits too.”

The Sri Lankan navy arrested 8 people for alleged illegal fishing activities in Mannar, Colombo Page reported. 

The people were arrested on September 13 and 16 in the Erukkulampiddi and Palakuda lagoon area of Mannar, for allegedly using unauthorised fishing nets. 
 
They have been handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries of Mannar and Puttalam. Their three dinghies and three fishing nets have been seized. 

The Sri Lankan government rejected reports that it was planning to halt the issuing of visas to those travelling from Myanmar in a bid to stop Rohingya Muslims from entering the island. 

Nihal Ranasinghe from the Department of Immigration and Emigration told BBC Sinhala that there was "no truth" in such reports. 

Villagers from Kaiveli in Mullaitivu have complained that they have still not been allowed to resettle in their homes, over eight years after the end of the war.

The Sri Lankan government has reportedly abandoned attempts to pass the 20^th amendment to the constitution, according to the Daily Mirror.

The reported move by the government comes after Sri Lanka’s supreme court ruled that sections of the proposed amendment will need to be put to a referendum, as well as having two-thirds of parliament’s support.

If the government confirms that its pursuit of the amendment is abandoned, provincial council elections in Sabaragamuwa, North-Central and Eastern Provincial Councils will have to be held by the end of this year.

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is co-hosting the Pacific Airlift Rally 2017, a military exercise currently underway on the island, alongside the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), a Major Command of the United States Air Force.

Tamils gathered at the Lt. Col. Thileepan memorial in Nallur on Sunday to mark the third day of his hunger strike that took place 30 years ago.

The Sri Lankan government has announced it will block all visas for tourists from Myanmar, in an effort to stop Rohingya Muslim refugees from entering the island.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Sri Lankan Minister of Internal Affairs S. B. Navinna, said his government took the decision to stop Rohingya Muslims from seeking refuge in Sri Lanka. He warned that Rohingya may attempt to enter the island by posing as tourists.

Organisers of the ongoing commemorations to Thileepan have condemned as an intimidation tactic the burning of tyres in front of the Nallur monument.

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said the former commander of the army should “shut up”, after stating he would testify against a military colleague accused of war crimes.

In an interview to Ceylon Today, Mr Rajapaksa rebuked former army commander Sarath Fonseka’s comments.

“Everybody was shocked by Fonseka’s statement,” he said. “An Army Commander should not behave like this.”

When asked what the former army commander should do next, Mr Rajapaksa responded, “he should shut up.”

The former president also denied reports of human rights violations taking place during the armed conflict.