Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said his government would use growing international relations to help strengthen the military, in a speech made this week.

Addressing a military graduation ceremony on Monday, Mr Sirisena praised the “that knowledge, bravery, talent, skill and militancy shown by the military forces immensely helped to defeat the ruthless terrorist organization”.

The Chief Minister of the Northern Province CV Wigneswaran said out of the tens of thousands of acres of land occupied by the Sri Lankan military, only 5.2% of it had been returned to Tamil families.

Speaking in Jaffna this weekend to mark International Human Rights Day, the chief minister said out of 67,000 acres of private land owned by Tamils that were seized by the Sri Lankan armed forces, only 3,500 acres have been released.

Several Malaysian political parties and non governmental organisations have lodged protests over Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's visit to the country.

Thousands of Tamils gathered in Dortmund last month to remember those that sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Tamil nation.

Members of the Tamil National People’s Front marked 10 years since the death of Anton Balasingham, the chief political strategist of the LTTE, today.

The US State Department this week announced it would be offering up to $1.7 million for transitional justice and reconciliation projects in Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka was this week selected to receive aid from the Millennium Challenge fund, the US government's Millennium Challenge Corporation tweeted today. 

Protests have taken place in Hambantota over a proposed deal that will see a Chinese state owned company control an 80% stake in the town's port.

Port workers and local residents blocked a main highway leading into the town to demonstrate against the $1.1 billion deal that will see China Merchants Port Holdings Company gain an 80% share of the port and adjoining land.

Today marks 10 years since the passing of Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Sri Lanka's military approached senior TNA MP Maavai Senathirajah to gather "information" on Sunday night, according to sources in the North-East.

Two men visited the ITAK office at Martin Road in Jaffna on Sunday at around 7:30pm, asking security guards, in Sinhalese, to speak to the MP, who is also the leader of ITAK. As he wasn't in the office, the men waited until his arrival soon after.

Rejecting the UN Committee Against Torture's call on Sri Lanka to investigate the former intelligence chief, Sirisa Mendis, the state minister of defence, Ruwan Wijewardene told The Sunday Leader MR Mendis would not be investigated. 

Mr Wijewardene was quoted as saying "he does not see any need to investigate Mendis as the allegations against him are baseless." 

The newly appointed Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam, has written to India’s prime minister to call for action against the Sri Lankan navy after yet another reported attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen this weekend.

Families of the disappeared living in Vavuniya marked international Human Rights Day on Saturday with a demonstration followed by a discussion forum. 

The event was organised by the'Forum for Families of Searching, Handed, Kidnapped and Forcibly Disappeared Relatives - Tamil Homeland'. 

Photograph Sunday Times

Sri Lanka's navy commander, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne assaulted a journalist on Saturday, who had been reporting on protests at Hambantota Port. 

Wearing civilian attire, Mr Wijegunaratne marches up to the journalist before launching a strike aimed at the cameraman.