Sri Lanka missed benchmarks set out by the International Monetary Fund for December, Economy Next reported. 

The benchmarks included introducing a formula to price fuel, as well as automatic market pricing of electricity. 

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The international community must act to “ensure justice and lasting peace in Sri Lanka” said a statement signed by ten Tamil diaspora groups to mark the New Year.

“We would like to bring to the attention of the international community that in the 15 months since the resolution, even basic pledges have been broken by the government -  the commitment to release all political prisoners, return of occupied land that belongs to the Tamil people and repeal of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) are all promises which have not been fulfilled,” said the statement.  

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena claimed his government would regain the GSP+ trade concession by next week, in a speech delivered on Friday.

Speaking at the opening of a bridge in Kandy, Mr Sirisena said during his tenure the government was able to rebuild relations with the international community.

He went on to add that by next week, the GSP+ trade concessions, which were revoked during the previous government, would be returned.

Joint opposition party supporters, locals and Buddhist monks marched in Amabalantota on Saturday protesting against the government's deal to lease land in an industrial zone in Hambantota port to a Chinese company. 

Government supporters attacked protesters with clubs, the AP reported. Protesters retaliated by throwing rocks. As the violence escalated, Sri Lankan police used water cannons to break up the protest. 

Sri Lanka's state minister of finance, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene this week reiterated that the president, Maithripala Sirisena rejected the inclusion of foreign judges in any probe and under no circumstances would the government target 'war heroes' for war crimes charges. 

“President Sirisena and the government have full confidence in our judiciary, legal process and judges. We have extremely eminent and experienced judges and our judges have served in various countries and global organizations that have given much credit to the country," he was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

People cannot be prohibited from entering any Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam - LTTE cemeteries - a Kilinochchi court has ruled.

The Kilinochchi magistrates court has rejected Kilinochchi police's call to bar people from entering the cemeteries, with the judge also stating that people had the right to remember and pay tribute to their dead relatives.

Thousands of Tamils gathered at LTTE cemeteries across the North-East to mark Maaveerar Naal.

The ruling follows the arrest on Thursday of five people attempting to construct a memorial monument at the Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam.

The five were released on bail for 50,000 rupees.

Sri Lanka's justice minister, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshes said on Friday that he had "no confidence" in the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTF), which was appointed by the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

"No one is complaining about the independence of the judiciary anymore. We have reconciliation and peace processes in place. This report, at this juncture, is totally unwarranted. Therefore, we don’t have to follow these recommendations by the CTF,” Mr Rajapakshe told the Daily Mirror. 

The Sri Lankan air force is currently in the process of finalising the purchase of further jets, reported the Daily Mirror. 

The ministry of defence was granted permission to proceed with the purchase by the president and Cabinet. 

“Contemporary aircraft which would be suitable for the coming years would be purchased,” SLAF Spokesman Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne was quoted as saying. 

Sixteen Kfir jets were bought from Israel between 1995 and 2005. At least seven were destroyed. 

Kumar Ponnambalam, the human rights lawyer and former leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), who was assassinated 17 years ago was remembered by the Tamil National People's Front today.

The TNPF held a remembrance event at their headquarters in Kandharmadam.

Tamil children at a nursery in Jaffna were taken on a tour of a Sri Lankan air force base by the military last week.

The visit, organised to “enhance mutuality and strengthen Reconciliation process”, according to an official website, was organised by the Sri Lankan Headquarters Security Force (Jaffna).