Sri Lanka's outstanding foreign debt by the end of April 2017 was US$ 25.61 billion, the mid-year Fiscal Report concluded. 

This years figure is 23.1 billion dollars higher than the same time last year, LBO reported. 

The country is currently looking to receive its third tranche of its loan from the International Monetary Fund.

Last month a report from the World Bank warned that "slower than expected" progress on reforms was putting economic growth and stability at risk. 
 

The president of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, on Monday promised voters in his hometown of Polonnaruwa he would ensure rice was provided at a concessionary rate if there was any further increase in rice. 

Mr Sirisena stressed he would not let people starve, Colombo Page reported. 

Last week the government announced it would be importing rice from Pakistan after droughts affected paddy production.

The Sri Lankan government has also commenced government level talks on the possibility of purchasing rice from Thailand.

Sri Lanka's Buddhist monks have threatened to launch protests in the street if Tamils are granted more autonomy, the AFP reported on Monday. 

"Monks are going from district to district to educate their followers about the dangers of the proposed constitution," the news wire quoted the monk, Maagalkande Sudaththa as saying at a press meet in Colombo.

Accusing most MPs of being "uneducated", Mr Sudaththa said, "about 70 per cent of MP's are asleep in parliament when important issues are discussed." 

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The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter terrorism, Ben Emmerson arrived in Sri Lanka today to embark on an official five day visit of the island. 

Mr Emmerson plans to obtain first-hand information on steps taken regarding counter-terrorism and assess how they affect the promotion and protection of human rights.

Protests have erupted in Jaffna, after an unarmed Tamil man was shot dead by Sri Lankan police yesterday.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pledged to come up with a proposal for a new constitution that will ensure Buddhism on the island will be free to operate without any government oversight.

“I will come up with proposal to include a clause in the Constitution that the Government cannot get involved in deciding on the matters relating to the three Nikayas, followed by Sri Lankan Buddhists," said the prime minister at Anuradhapura this weekend.

Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera accused former president Mahinda Rajapaksa of branding Sri Lankan soldiers as “war criminals” in a statement released today, reports ColomboPage.

Mr Samaraweera said the forces loyal to the former president were “political ghosts who introduced the white van culture” to Sri Lanka and accused them of “misleading the people as usual”.

Speaking on Mr Rajapaksa’s opposition to the International Covenant on Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, Mr Samaraweera went on to say,

Sri Lankan police shot dead an unarmed Tamil man in Vadamaradchi East, on Sunday afternoon.

Yogarasa Thines, in his twenties and from Thunnalai succumbed to his wounds shortly after being shot by police around the Manatkaadu desert area of Vadamaradchi East.

The Church of St Peter at Navaly remembered over 140 Tamil civilians killed in its premises by Sri Lankan Air Force bombs 22 years ago.

Hundreds attended the remembrance service which included special prayers led by the parish priest, Father Roy Ferdinand, and tributes led by families of the victims at the memorial monument in the church grounds.

On 9th July 1995, the Sri Lankan Air Force bombed the St Peter’s Church in Navaly and the nearby Sri Kathirgama Murugan Kovil, which were both sheltering displaced Tamils from army bombardment.

A total of 13 bombs were dropped on the sheltering shrines, killing 147 on the spot with many more succumbing to injuries later.

Thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers organised a “special Buddhist sermon” at the Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna last month, according to an official military website.