Exports of travel goods from Sri Lanka will be duty free entry to the United States following a decision by the US to approve the inclusion of travel goods from all General System of Preferences (GSP) beneficiary countries, reports Xinhua News.

Sri Lanka was included in the expanded US General System of Preferences scheme on July 1 according to a statement released by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Sri Lanka's police have been given a two month deadline by the Ministry of Law and Order to complete investigations on high profile cases committed by the former government, Economy Next reported. 

According to the paper Minister Sagala Ratnayaka is taking a "hands on approach" to ensure progress after Mr Sirisena urged him "to deliver or depart". 

The cases are expected to include the assassination of a prominent Sinhala editor, Lasantha Wickremetunga and the murder of Wasim Thajudeen. 

The former of commander of Sri Lanka’s contingent of peace keeping troops to Haiti has been appointed as the Army Chief of Staff reports Adaderana.lk.

Sri Lanka’s soldiers were implicated with rape and running child sex rings whilst serving as UN Peace Keeping forces in Haiti. In 2007 a group of Haitian children identified 134 peacekeepers from Sri Lanka in a child sex ring that lasted several years. Though repatriated none of the implicated soldiers were prosecuted in Sri Lanka.

The Jaffna High Court judge Ilancheliyan was fired at on Saturday evening, in a suspected assassination attempt which the judge believes to be linked to his overseeing of dangerous criminal cases.

The Premier of Ontario said the Black July pogrom of 1983 serves as a reminder of the need to “remain ever-vigilant against all forms of bigotry and intolerance,” in a message of commemoration this week.

“History is a great teacher — for those who are open to its lessons,” said Premier Kathleen Wynne. “That is why today, you pause to remember the victims of violent acts against Tamils. We also remember the lives lost and displaced in the Sri Lankan Civil War that followed.”

The Leader of the Opposition in Britain Jeremy Corbyn has called for a focus on accountability in Sri Lanka and an audit of British funding for the training of Sri Lankan police, as he expressed deep concern over reports of the ongoing torture of Tamils.

Responding to a report by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) which documented continued human rights violations by Sri Lankan security forces, Mr Corbyn said he was “deeply concerned… about the ongoing torture of Tamils”.

The Sri Lankan navy have arrested eight more Tamil Nadu fishermen on Friday, for allegedly crossing into Sri Lankan waters. 

The fishermen, who were detained off the coast of Point Pedro, have been transferred to Kankesanthurai navy camp for further investigation.

This the latest in a series of arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy. 

See here and here. 

Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) ordered the Northern Provincial Council member, M. K. Shivajilingam to the CID headquarters in Colombo for questioning, it emerged this week, over comments he had made about Mullivaikkal commemorations at a press conference at Jaffna Press Club in May

Mr Shivajilingam however has refused to travel, informing the CID that he is unable to travel to Colombo, a minimum 8 hour journey from Valvettithurai, where he is based.

If the CID wish to take a statement from him, they should come to Valvettithurai police station, Mr Shivajilingam said.

Vavuniya citizens have expressed fear and anxiety about the ongoing Sinhalisation and colonisation of the traditionally Tamil district through Sinhalese settlements.

The chairperson of the Vavuniya Citizen Committee, K. Thevarajah, said Tamil political leaders and parliamentarians must act to stop the Sinhalisation of Vavuniya and protect the district’s Tamil heritage and population.

Mr Thevarajah said that multiple Sinhalese settlements have meant that Sinhalese now make up 32% of registered voters in Vavuniya North, with the concentration growing.

Sri Lanka's police officers dressed in plain clothes on Thursday attempted to abduct a student known for his anti-government views, however, were stopped by fellow students, local news sources reported. 

Condemning what he described as the "white van abduction", the finance minister, Mangala Samaraweera said, "I spoke with the Inspector General of Police and he said he will take disciplinary action against those responsible."

"We condemn this action of the police," he was quoted by AFP as saying.