The JVP on Saturday called on the government to hold local government elections immediately, arguing that there was no reason why it should not be held after the passing of the Local Government Elections Amendment last week. 

“The Speaker should endorse the Bill immediately while Local Government Minister should do the rest so that elections could be held within 70 days as assured by the Chairman of the Elections Commission,” JVP leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

Hundreds of Sri Lankan soldiers stationed in Kilinochchi carried out activities under a dengue prevention scheme earlier this month, reports the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence.

Germany’s ambassador to Sri Lanka said many important issues remain unsolved in Sri Lanka and warned that urgent action was needed to implement a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on accountability for mass atrocities.

Speaking to The Island, German Ambassador Jorn Rohde said that "the first successful steps have been taken with regard to Right to Information, Constitutional Assembly and Office of Missing Persons”.

However he went on to add,

Photographs: Shalin for Tamil Guardian

Sand smuggling and attacks on police vehicles in the Thunnalai area made crackdowns necessary, Sri Lankan police and army officials said at a public meeting with the town’s residents on Saturday, stating that arrests would continue until all suspects were caught.

Over 1300 foreign citizens were refused entry into Sri Lanka last year, including 217 Indian citizens, the Sunday Times reported. 

Entry was also refused to 210 citizens from China, 239 from Pakistan, 166 from Afghan, 41 from Egypt and 6 from Syria. 

Citizens from Pakistan, Egypt, Syria and Afghanistan required special clearance from Sri Lanka's State Intelligence Service (SIS), the paper reported. 

See more here.  

An European Union delegation will visit Sri Lanka next month as part of a formal monitoring process following the granting of GSP+ earlier this year. 

The delegation from Brussels will visit from the 5 to 13 September and "will begin the process of monitoring the implementation of the 27 international conventions which make up for the GSP plus" the EU Chargé d'affaires, Paul Godfrey told Ceylon Today in an interview. 

Stating that the assessment "would be made purely in terms of the implementation of those 27 conventions", Mr Goddfrey added that "counter-terrorism legislation and areas such as torture, rights of children are part of that."

We want to see Sri Lanka fulfill the UNHRC co-sponsored resolution the European Union's Chargé d'affaires told Ceylon Today in an interview published Sunday, adding "we are disappointed that we haven't seen more progress". 

Sri Lanka’s Secretary to the Ministry of Defence attended a military exhibition in Russia this week, as part of a visit to the region after expressing interest in Russian arms and ships.

The Japanese government donated eight new fishing boats, engines, fishing nets and cooler boxes to fishermen in Sampur last week, reports The Island.

Japan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Kenichi Suganuma visited the region to officially hand over the donation to the Sampur Fishermens’ Society. The donation is part of a project funded by the Japanese government and implemented by the Sevalanka Foundation with a grant of approx. Rs. 13.5 million.

See more details of the project from The Island here.

The United States Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs is set to address a conference being hosted in Colombo in September, according to a State Department press release.

Alice Wells, who also serves as the Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, will travel to Dhaka, Islamabad, and Colombo from August 28-September 2.

During her visit, the State Department reported she “will meet with government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives to discuss our cooperation in the region”.