The University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC) hopes to expand Tamil studies at the university with the help of donations by a UTSC alumnus.

Scarborough businessman Ravi Gukathasan has contributed $2 million to support Tamil studies at the university.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) to create a television channel that will showcase reconciliation programming.

The project is budgeted at 180 million rupees and was initiated with the aim of improving peace and harmony between the different ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is committed to implementing the most recent Human Rights Council resolution according to the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, although there is only consensus for establishing a credible domestic mechanism.

The foreign minister, Managala Samaraweera, gave a talk about Sri Lanka’s reconciliation process at Chatham House in London on Wednesday night. The minister’s speech was followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

Human Rights Watch urged Sri Lanka not to back-track on the commitments made by the government at the UN Human Rights Council regarding accountability and justice. 

Sri Lanka would issue a temporary resident visa to foreigners who would be investing over US $300,000 in the country, the finance minister, Ravi Karunanayake was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

Relatives of the disappeared held a protest in Vavuniya today expressing frustration with Minister Sathiyalingam and the TNA leadership.

The protestors voiced their disappointment at the lack of progress in having their missing loved ones accounted for.

They held banners criticising the TNA, in particular the leader R Sampanthan, and P. Sathiyalingam, the NPC representative for Vavuniya.

Any potential improvement in Sri Lanka’s credit profile will depend on how closely the government complies with conditions laid out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Fitch Ratings.

The European Commission has proposed the granting of trade concessions to Sri Lanka under the GSP+ scheme, in exchange for the government’s “commitment” on human rights and labour conditions.

Sri Lanka's foreign affairs minister, Mangala Samaraweera met with the UK's Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, Boris Johnson in London this week. 

Mr Samaraweera is currently on an official visit to the UK in an effort to foster greater relations between the two countries. 

Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged the Sri Lankan government to "promptly implement" recommendations on transitional justice made by the Consultation Task Force. 

The North must be declared drought affected and farmers and agricultural workers be given compensation to prevent starvation, the Northern Provincial Council has urged.

In the NPC’s 82^nd sitting, members called for emergency action to be taken to prevent starvation and also to provide clean water to the people of the North.

Extreme drought in the region has caused widespread failure of rice crop cultivation, the council stated.

USAID has implemented a project to provide clean water to communities that are impacted by disasters and chronic kidney disease in southern Sri Lanka and in the North-East.

The $1 million program builds on the previous USAID projects that have provided access to drinking water in communities that are especially prone to droughts and floods, as well as communities and hospitals that are impacted by chronic kidney disease.

Sri Lanka’s president attended a ceremony that marked the Uva - Wellassa rebellion today, an uprising by Kandyan chiefs against British rule.

The ceremony was held after Maithripala Sirisena annulled an 1818 British gazette notification that branded the Sinhala chiefs who led the uprising as traitors.

The Sri Lankan army handed out packets of milk to female former fighters, at a military arranged ceremony in Jaffna last week.

The programme was organised by the Sri Lanka Army 7th Battalion (7 SLAWC) and headed by Major Geetha Rankothge Commanding Officer.