Ten Tamil youths have been arrested after Vadamaradchi villages were subjected to a third search and round-up operation by Special Task Force troops in 24 hours.

Thunnalai, Kudavaththai and Vembadi villages were surrounded by STF troops and police at around 4am on Sunday morning, with the security force personnel going house by house to carry out searches.

Ten were arrested and one motorcycle seized.

Ten Tamils were arrested in Jaffna on Saturday evening when Sri Lankan Special Task Force troops and police engaged in sudden checking activities in the Thirunelveli and Kondavil areas.

Koppay police said that some of youths were arrested on various suspicions, others because they failed to sufficiently identify themselves.

Although parents of some of the arrested youths went to the police station to identify them, they were told by police that since they were arrested by Special Task Force troops, they could not be released without their permission.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has assured  parliamentarians from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) that Minister of Foreign Affairs  Ravi Karunanayake will be out of government in the near future, reports Colombo Gazette.

The assurance was given after parliamentarians of the SLFP requested a meeting to speak about corruption charges against Mr Karunanayake.

The Foreign Minister previously denied having been asked by President Sirisena to resign.

The Ministry Of Power and Renewable energy stated that they have signed private energy contracts to deal with the shortage of electricity that the island is currently facing.

The ministry’s media spokesperson, Sulakshana Jayawardena said that whilst the government was working to generate a smooth supply of electricity, private energy contracts were also being singed to ensure the grid has a stable supply of electricity reports Adaderana.lk.

The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena has implemented a development programme in his home town of Polonnaruwa, to 'avoid the injustice caused to the people of the Polonnaruwa district". 

The project, which is aimed at 'uplifting the rural economy', will is to be completed over three years, Colombo Page reported. 

The programme includes the development of educational, health and drinking water facilities in the region. 

A 22 year old woman from Switzerland was reportedly raped in Anuradhapura by a three-wheel driver on July 27. 

According to the Sunday Times when the victim presented at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital for medical assistance, there was only a male Judicial Medical Officer working at the time and therefore she declined an examination. 

"In disgust" the paper reported, the woman left Sri Lanka along with three of her friends the following day. 

A man was arrested on July 30 and produced in court, the paper added. 

Sri Lanka's Minister of Port and Shipping, Mahinda Samarasinghe on Saturday presented the Hambantota Port agreement to senior Buddhist clergy, assuring them the government was not handing over parts of the island to China. 

The port is being leased for 99 years, the minister told the prelates. 

The TNA leader, R Sampanthan celebrated 40 years of Ranil Wickremesinghe's parliamentary career this week during a ceremony in parliament to mark the occasion. 

“Premier by nature is calm and stable person and a person who cannot be ruffled easily. We are felicitating him on his outstanding achievement of being 40 years in Parliament but the concern is his future. He and President Maithripala Sirisena should work together to come up with a political solution to the national question,” Mr Sampanthan qas quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

The Chief of Sri Lanka’s army has pledged he would protect those who “fought bravely” in the military and that “murderers” would be punished, in a speech in Kandy this week.

"Those who fought the war will not be punished,” said army chief Mahesh Senanayake.

“Not a single soldier who fought bravely has been punished, nor will they be allowed to be penalised because we have not committed any offences".

Hundreds of Sri Lankan soldiers and Civil Security Department members were involved in cleaning up shrubs and wild plants from around Mallavi hospital last month.