The Sri Lankan government has appointed six “Competent Authorities” that will handle the 37 enterprises that are due to be taken over by the recently passed Assets Acquisition Bill.

The District Secretary of Hambantota and the District Secretary of Monaragala are set to oversee the running of two sugar companies, while the District Secretary of Badulla has been appointed as the Competent Authority for Colombo Commercial Company Limited.

The Sri Lankan sports ministry has announced that the three biggest cricket stadiums on the island will be maintained by the military from this month.

According to the Sri Lankan cricket board, this move is due to debts incurred by the board while co-hosting the world cup earlier this year, costing them $69 million. Two new stadiums were built and one was completely refurbished, at an estimated cost of $46 million.

The huge debts have resulted in players' wages being unpaid for many months.

Sri Lanka is to provide flood relief goods such as tea, biscuits, sleeping bags, bed sheets, exercise books and medicines to those affected by the floods in Sindh province of Pakistan.

According to the Sri Lankan government's official news portal, Mahinda Rajapaksa personally instructed G.L. Peiris, the Minister of External Affairs, to arrange for the donation.

Last week, officials from Pakistan's army, toured Sri Lanka and pledged to provide military and demining training.

"Dear 'Shooty',

I've just watched our Prime Minister talking about shared Commonwealth values in Perth. My mind turned at once to you and your solitary, late-night death in Villawood detention centre last week.”

"The second major issue for the meeting concerned the civil war in Sri Lanka and whether both the government and the Tamils had committed war crimes in the conflict's final years. The question, however, was virtually ignored."

"Indeed, there is now sufficient evidence to justify a full international inquiry into the actions of both sides, potentially leading to indictments before the International Criminal Court."

Reporters Without Borders have expressed concern after Frederica Jansz, the editor of The Sunday Leader received death threats from the “Sinha Regiment”.

Indian army officials visited the Sri Lankan army's Security Forces Headquarters in the Vanni region on Wedesday, during a six day tour of the country.

The delegation, leg by Air Commodore P R Navalkar of the Indian Air Force, also called on Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya, Sri Lankan Army Commander. Bilateral discussions included military training.

“Last week Attorney-General Robert McClelland halted the possibility of the arrest and charging of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and in my view undermined similar ''citizens arrests'' of individuals against whom it could be said there is a prima facie case of crimes against humanity.”

One of the suspects on death row in Tamil Nadu for his alleged role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi still dreams of an independent country for Eelam Tamils.

39 year old Perarivalan, also known as Arivu, was convicted for assisting the alleged killers of Rajiv Gandhi by providing them with batteries in 1991.

 He has been on death row for the past 20 years, but a huge campaign has been ongoing in Tamil Nadu to stop the death sentence in his case and the case of the other two individuals on death row for the killing.

Sri Lanka blocked access to the anti-government website Lanka-e-news this week, drawing criticism from the US.
 
Perhaps this is the story that prompted the move: 'doctored photographs'.