Mangala Samaraweera said his government has been able to “successfully address” both the island’s debt burden and issues of human rights, both of which had tarnished Sri Lanka’s international reputation, in a speech last week.

Mr Samaraweera, who recently became the government’s finance minister having previously held the foreign minister post, said his government would continue to make progress on those issues.

“When we came to office, this government was burdened with many thing,” he said. “Debt was one, human rights violations was another. We have been able to successfully address both issues by now.”

Almost 50 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy in yet another incident, reports the Times of India.

Sri Lanka’s Naval spokesman Commander Chaminda Walakuluge accused the fishermen of bottom trawling and said those arrested have been taken to the fisheries inspection office in Jaffna.

The latest incident comes after India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said the fishermen issue had been taken up by India's prime minister Narendra Modi.

A protest was held in Jaffna today calling for the release of Tamil political prisoners who are being held in Sri Lankan prisons.

Ministers from Myanmar and Sri Lanka pledged their governments take steps to have closer defence co-operation this week.

At the side-lines of the ASEAN summit in Manila, Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake met with  H.E. U Kyaw Tin, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for Myanmar, where the two discussed co-operation in areas of tourism, education and defence.

“The two Ministers noted the longstanding friendship between the two countries including in Buddhism and Cultural Linkages,” reports Colombo Gazette.

A 22-year-old Tamil man, reportedly a main suspect in the sword attack on police in Kokkuvil, was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Department, along with six other Tamil youths on Monday.

A police spokesperson claimed that all seven youths were part of the 'Aava' criminal gang.

The youths underwent extensive interrogation by TID officers and are to be presented to the Jaffna Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The Australian government deported at least 13 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka on Friday, according to a press release from the Australian High Commission.

“These non-citizens have been found not to engage Australia’s protection obligations, and have no lawful basis to remain in Australia,” said the statement. 

“Settlement in Australia will never be an option for anyone who attempts to travel to Australia illegally by boat”.  

The Northern Provincial Council chairman C V K Sivagnanam criticised the reports that recent violence in the North-East was due to the LTTE regrouping, describing such comments as "malicious" and "unreasonable".

"An unknown power wants to keep this part of the country in tension. There is information that some of the people who are so-called rehabilitated ex-militants are allegedly used as informants and military intelligence agents," Mr Sivagnanam was quoted by Ceylon Today as saying. 

The Northern Province's health minister P Sathiyalingam resigned from his ministerial post on Monday. 

He will continue to serve as a councillor in the province. 

The reasons behind his resignation are not yet clear. 
 

Interpol is to hold a workshop in Colombo in collaboration with the Sri Lankan police on counter-terrorism and transnational crimes. 

The three day workshop will be attended by police teams from India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia and Bangladesh. 

Sri Lanka's police spokesperson told the Daily Mirror, “the visiting investigation officers have excelled in the fields of crime and terrorist investigation, intelligence office, transnational crimes, law enforcement and Police training."

Sri Lanka's police along with its armed forces have been accused of human rights violations over many decades

The Iranian president on Monday offered Sri Lanka its technical and engineering services, IRNA reported. 

“Iran-Sri Lanka ties have always been friendly and excellent and removal of sanctions today has created good opportunities for promoting mutual cooperation which should be used optimally in line with boosting bilateral ties,” Mr Rouhani said to Sri Lanka's Speaker of House, Karu Jayasuriya who is currently visiting Tehran. 

Welcoming the offer, Mr Jayasuriya said the “people of Sri Lanka have a great respect to the Iranian nation.”