The Sri Lankan government announced it had reversed a decision to award China a $300m housing deal, and has instead chosen to pursue a joint venture with an Indian company.

The announcement comes as Sri Lanka’s prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visits new Delhi, where he will meet Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi on Saturday.

Sri Lanka’s president called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week, where he denied reports that he had told a cabinet meeting that Indian intelligence agencies were involved in an alleged plot to assassinate him.

Seven Tamils who were arrested in relation to the alleged possession of an LTTE flag and ammunition in Oddusuddan have had their charges dropped by the Mullaitivu court.

A total of 19 Tamils were arrested over the incident in which an LTTE flag and ammunition were allegedly transported in a three-wheeler.

Of these, 7 have had their charges dropped by the Mullaitivu court.

The remaining 12 have had their remand extended until October 29.

A frontline organiser of the recent commemorations in Jaffna of Thileepan’s fast unto death, has been summoned by Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID).

TID officers went to the home of Kanthaiah Prabhakaran, a local organiser and former LTTE cadre, in Maravanpulavu, Chavakachcheri on Thursday and issued a summons slip calling him in for questioning on October 29.

No reason has been stated on the notice for the summoning.

A video has emerged capturing the moment that a group of Sinhala men threatened Tamil students who had completed a 194km protest walk to Anuradhapura prison on Saturday, demanding the release of political prisoners.

The group of men approached the students just outside the prison complex and threatened them, accusing the Tamils of “representing the LTTE”.

Joint Opposition parliamentarian and leader of the National Freedom Front Wimal Weerawansa claimed that the Tamil diaspora are working with India intelligence series, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to “conspire in Sri Lanka”.

Union Minister of State and BJP representative in Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan said that the prospect of LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran being alive would make Tamil society “immensely happy” this week, ahead of reports that his party is looking to partner with the AIADMK.

A contingent of Sri Lankan naval troops have returned from a military training exercise in India last week, as Colombo continues to expand its military relations despite concerns over human rights abuses.

Both Sri Lankan naval ships Sagara and Suranimala took part in exerecises with Indian troops at the southern port of Cochin in Kerala.

Sri Lanka’s Central Bank announced that it had secured a USD $1,000 million loan from the China Development Bank (CDB) on Wednesday, just days after the prime minister warned that the island’s economic crisis will worsen.

The Sri Lankan President’s Media Division issued a statement this morning, dismissing reports that Maithripala Sirisena had told a cabinet meeting that Indian intelligence agencies were involved in an alleged plot to assassinate him.

The Sri Lankan military held a series of events across the heavily militarised North-East this month, as it marked the 69^th anniversary of the army.

Thousands of troops took part in all the events that the military organised, in particular lavish Buddhist ceremonies and massive military marches through the streets of the North-East.

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena told his cabinet of India’s involvement in an alleged assassination plot to murder him and former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, reports EconomyNext.

The Sri Lankan military collaborated with a Jaffna-based company to hold job interviews for unemployed Tamils in Kilinochchi this week, as the armed forces continue to interfere with civilian life in the Tamil North-East.

The military announced that the “conduct of interviews [were] launched under the supervision of Major General Vijitha Ravipriya, General Officer Commanding, 57 Division with the able support of the 573 Brigade Commander”.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet with his counterpart Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi later this week.

Wickremesinghe’s office confirmed the visit to the Hindu, adding that he is set to take part in high-level meetings on October 19 and 20.