Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena pledged this month to take over the running of the country's economy, through the National Economic council which was set up three months earlier. 

Speaking to an election rally in Kegalle, Mr sirisena was quoted by Economy Next as saying he would be "taking over the responsibility of strengthening the economy and called upon domestic investors rally around to build the economy of the 'motherland'."

Parents of students at Badulla Girls' Tamil School held a demonstration on Monday to protest against the degrading treatment of the school principal by the Uva chief minister. 

The chief minister, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake forced the principal of Badulla Tamil Girls' School to kneel before him and apologise for allegedly disregarding an order he had issued. 

Fifty-eight people were arrested on Sunday during violent protests and clashes with officers following the shooting dead of a motorcyclist by Sri Lankan police. 

The 58 people arrested, were today released on bail by the Tissamaharama magistrate on sureties of Rs. 200,000 each. 

A 44 year old man was shot dead by Sri Lankan police officers in Kataragama on Saturday night after he allegedly sped through a police checkpoint without stopping. 

The CID has been ordered to investigate the incident. 

Sri Lanka's prime minister said on Sunday the country would be signing a Free Trade Agreement with Singapore when the prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong visits later this month.  

"In 2016, I led a trade mission to Singapore to secure a Free Trade Agreement - to boost our economy. On Monday, after much hard work, we will welcome PM Lee Hsien Loong to Sri Lanka to sign that Free Trade Agreement," Mr Wickremesinghe tweeted. 

Mr Loong is to undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka on January 22-24. 

An inquiry has been ordered following widespread outrage over the Uva chief minister forced the principal of Badulla Tamil Girls' School to kneel before him and apologise for allegedly disregarding an order he had issued. 

The teachers' trade unions and Ceylon Teachers Union on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Chamara Sampath Dassanayake be arrested for the degarding way he treated the principal, threatening a strike if action was not taken. 

Following the outcry, the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena announced on Sunday he had ordered an investigation into the incident.  

A 44 year old man was shot dead by Sri Lankan police officers in Kataragama on Saturday night after he allegedly sped through a police checkpoint without stopping, the Daily Mirror reports. 

The police constable present fired at the man, who was riding a motorcycle at the time, as he passed through the checkpoint despite the police officer signalling to him to stop. 

There was a tense situation in the area between local residents and police following the shooting, with Special Task Force officers being deployed to ensure security in the area. 

The CID was ordered to the area to investigate the incident. 

Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police laid the foundation stone for new police headquarters in Mullaitivu on Saturday.

While calls for demilitarisation and protests for the release of military-occupied land continue across the Tamil homeland, the Chief of the Nepalese Army paid a visit to the Sri Lankan Army's Security Force Headquarters in Mullaitivu on Saturday.

A senior official from India's Ministry of External Affairs visited Batticaloa on Friday to inspect progress at the third stage of India's housing scheme. 

Postal voting for Sri Lanka's local government elections is to begin on January 22 for officials at police stations, election offices, district secretariats and the divisional secretariat. 

Officials at other government offices will be allowed to start their postal vote on January 25-26. 

Around 560,000 applications for postal voting have been accepted by the Election Commission.