Sri Lanka is ready to host this years annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) next month, said the current chairman and Sri Lanka's speaker - Chamal Rajapaksa.

The conference takes placed on 7th- 15th September in Colombo. Over 600 delegates from 54 countries are expected to take part.

A case of demand … and supply.

The head of Sri Lanka’s market regulator resigned Friday, saying he come under pressure at the behest of powerful stock market players being investigated for stock manipulation. (See Reuters’ report)

Securities and Exchange Commission chief Tilak Karunaratne had been pushing for investigations into stock market malpractice, including so-called pump-and-dump deals in which investors are lured into apparently cut-price equities.

"I don't even call them investors. They are crooks. The pressure from those crooks goes elsewhere and then in turn that party is exerting pressure on me," Karunaratne told Reuters.

Although he did not elaborate, he didn’t need to.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, urged Sri Lanka to allow the displaced Tamils to be allowed to return to their homes.

In her Independence Day address, Jayalalithaa said,

The Tangalle Magistrate’s Court has released a politician of the ruling UPFA and 9 others who were accused of raping a child, on bail.

ColomboPage reported on Friday that Tangalle District Magistrate Yuresha de Silva released the suspects, including Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Anjana Liyanage, on a Rs 25,000 cash bail.

The Sri Lankan army - the all-rounder, ever expanding security force - has found yet another civilian project to venture into - education.

A new computer centre, a reading camp, books, stationary and seminars have been bestowed upon Jaffna, the army has proclaimed.

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has warned of an increase in anti-Britsh rhetoric and an ‘upsurge in nationalism’, and has warned its citizens to stay away from political rallies.

In its travel advice it also noted an increase in reports of sexual attacks on minors.

The Sri Lankan government has announced that they will be establishing diplomatic relationships with 13 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Sri Lanka has rejected South Africa’s offer to broker talks between the Tamil National Alliance and the Colombo government, The Island newspaper reports.

The government will not accept any third party mediation, the paper said.

"Protecting the population includes not only complying with the law of armed conflict, but also consistently respecting and protecting the human rights and basic dignities of the populations we serve. Failure to treat civilians with respect risks alienating the population and re-animating old or new grievances that can give rise to renewed conflict."

"This is the first lesson I’d like to speak about, the need to engage legitimate authorities as early as possible. In our experience the engagement of legitimate civilian authorities includes working with civilian authorities both within our own government, and, more importantly, outside of it – with local experts."

Protesters gathered by Jaffna bus stand, demanding justice to the murdered Tamil political prisoners - Nimalaroopan and Dilrukshan.

See here for report on Uthayan.

Despite the presence of police officers and intelligence officers within and around the crowd, protesters gathered in this morning. Shouting slogans such as "the deaths of Nimalaroopan and Dilrukshan need justice", and "we'll send the murderous regime home", protesters  held banners and placards demanding that the those responsible be punished.

Human rights activists in Sri Lanka have blamed the government for the deaths of Tamil detainees after violence in a Vavuniya prison and called for an UN-led investigation the deaths, reported the BBC on Wednesday.

A total of 28 activists have issued a statement, saying the deaths of Nimalaroopan and Dilrukshan were caused by torture, inflicted by prison officers, after detainees protested over the disappearance of a fellow Tamil inmate.

"We, the civil society, have lost confidence in domestic mechanisms in being able to deal with such situations," they write.

The power cuts imposed across the country due to continuing problems at the Chinese built Norochcholai power plant have been extended for another fortnight.

Sri Lanka has lost around 17% of its capacity to meet demand for electricity due to the failure.