Indian and Sri Lankan officials held talks in Colombo about trade, investment and economic cooperation.

"Recognising that India is Sri Lanka's leading trade partner and that bilateral trade between the two countries has now reached $5 billion, it was agreed that the potential which remains to expand bilateral trade further to the tune of $10 billion would be exploited in the next 3 years," said a statement issued by the government today.

The trial of the murdered British tourist Kuram Shaikh has been transferred to Colombo after the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) told the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s court that the suspects allegedly threatening witnesses.

The suspects include the Chairman of the Tangalle Prageshiya Sabha, who was previously released on bail. 

Thousands of Buddhist monks are planning to hold a demonstration against the 13th Amendment.

The National Movement for the Abolition of Provincial Councils (NMAPC) will be held on the 2nd of July and will call for the abolition of the 13th Amendment of the constitution.

One of the officials of the organisations, Vappa Thera, said that some elements were trying to split the country using the 13th Amendment.

A member of the North-Western Provincial Council, Ananda Sarath Kumara , was arrested after forcing a school teacher to kneel for disciplining his daughter.

The teacher of Nawagattegama Isuru School in Puttalam was made to kneel after she asked Kumara’s daughter to lengthen the hem of her school uniform.

The deputy principal withdrew a statement given to the police, after suspected intimidation.

The United States Ambassador Michele J Sison inspected a new laboratory complex built for the Sri Lanka Ministry of Justice Government Analysts Department, earlier this month.

The laboratory facilities were built after the U.S Department of Justice entered into a $2.1 million Forensic Assistance Program to help technically enhance the Sri Lankan criminal justice system.

Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in Tanzania to commence a 5 day visit to Tanzania and Seychelles. Rajapaksa’s arrival in Tanzania marks the first ever visit by a Sri Lankan president to the two nations.

“The only reason I’m out of prison is because my family paid. I was kept detained to get money from my family. There was never an official charge. No attempt was ever made to investigate the abuses I suffered. We don’t feel we’ll get justice out of the system,” 

“I was blindfolded and with my hands tied behind my back. Sometimes our heads were banged against the wall or we would be kicked on our chests. Many times I was half conscious or would lose consciousness. When I would come back I would find people hitting me. They used to say: ‘You must accept that you are part of the Tamil Tigers and you must sign these papers’”.

“For three days we didn't know what had happened to us, they just beat us. No questions were asked, only beatings and torture. We were kept in the same place but in different rooms. I could sometimes hear my friend crying as he was being beaten up and he could hear me,”

“They were trying to push me to sign by holding a pen in my hand and putting the paper in front of me, but I refused to do that, and after that the beatings started increasing. Once they hit my head so hard the blood was pouring down my side and there was a crack in my skull. You can still see the scars now,”