China’s Foreign Ministery urged the new US administration to adhere to the “one China” policy when dealing with Taiwan in a statement made on Monday.

Speaking at a regular press briefing in Bejing, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, said,

“We urge the new administration to fully understand the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and to continue pursuing the one China policy.”

A United States navy vessel has departed from Colombo, following a five-day visit to the island, starting last week.

The US Naval Ship 'Hopper' arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday, where it was greeted by the Sri Lankan Navy.

A large scale grant-based Sinhalese settlement will be built on public land in Naavatkuli, Jaffna, despite local opposition.

250 Sinhalese beneficiaries have been chosen to receive houses built on land owned by the National Housing Development Authority in Naavatkuli.

After the end of the war, Sinhalese people had settled with temporary buildings in Naavatkuli, and were later granted land permit documents by the Rajapaksa government.

The Right to Information Act will be enacted on February 3rd, the Sri Lankan government said last week, issuing a gazette notification. 

Indian officials have denied any interest in developing the Trincomalee port, reports the New Indian Express.

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sri Lanka met with the Commander of Sri Lanka’s security forces in Jaffna last week.

A former LTTE cadre was arrested in Kilinochchi by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) last week.

Karalasingam Kulenthiran, from Thiruvaiyaru, Kilinochchi was reported missing by his family members on the 13th January.

Relatives found out the following day that he had been arrested by the TID and was being held in Vavuniya.

Mr Kulenthiran was working in an insurance company, having been through the Sri Lankan government's rehabilitation programme.

Sarath Fonseka, the former chief of the Sri Lankan army, has denied involvement in the murder of former Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, after facing five hours of questioning on the subject on Friday.

The current and former Sri Lankan presidents, Sirisena and Rajapaksa, congratulated the newly inaugurated US president, Donald Trump. 

The former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa welcomed what he described as Trump's 'non-interventionist foreign policy'. 

Mr Sirisena expressed his hope for stronger Sri Lankan and US relations. 

"Looking forward to working with you to strengthen the US-Sri Lanka partnership," he said in a tweet. 

Jaffna citizens have demanded an end to illegal settlements of Sinhalese people in the district.

The illegal appropriation of lands to create Sinhala settlement villages and army camps must cease, concluded a meeting of the Jaffna co-ordinating committee on Thursday.

The meeting’s attendants particularly condemned the building of houses in Navatkuli for 53 Sinhalese people.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on the Sri Lankan government to respond to the “clear demand for justice” laid out in the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTF) and fully implement its recommendations.

Parliamentarians from the United National Party dismissed claims there were conditions attached to Sri Lanka regaining GSP+ and asserted what they described as "Sri Lanka's 2500 year old Buddhist culture" was "non-negotiable for whatever reasons". 

Sri Lanka’s security forces must stop harassing former LTTE cadres, the Northern Province Chief Minister has said.

Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran held talks with the EU’s Deputy Head of Delegation over a variety of topics but highlighted the problems especially faced by former fighters.

The Sri Lankan army has been intimidating Mullaitivu villagers ahead of a presidential visit.

Soldiers threatened Keppapilavu villagers against holding protests over land-returns during President Sirisena’s visit.

The villagers were told that if they protested and demanded their own lands back - instead of accepting the alternative lands or monetary compensation currently promised - they would be forced to remain in their displaced situations.