The US Pacific Army’s Humanitarian Mine Action team has concluded a three-week programme to train new and current deminers at the Boo Oya army camp on Vavuniya.

The United States Army’s team of medical, veterinarian, and explosive ordnance specialists worked alongside the Sri Lanka Army Humanitarian Demining Unit as part of the Sri Lanka Army Engineers’ curriculum, a statement on the US embassy’s website said.

"We in the opposition do not want to see international interference in the country. Why cannot the LLRC recommendations be fully implemented?"

Sri Lanka’s Presidential Adviser on Reconciliation Rajiva Wijesinha indignantly dismissed calls for an international investigation, in a heated interview with Al Jazeera this week.

In a 5-minute interview, where Wijesinha frequently clashed with the Al Jazeera presenter whom he refered to as "my dear lady", he stated that there was “no question” of an international investigation into human rights violations. 

He went on to chide the presenter for echoing calls for an international investigation, stating that he "reject(s) totally" claims that the Sri Lankan government has been unable to independently investigate itself.

The Sri Lankan MP also went to slam British Prime Minister David Cameron, stating he doesn’t “run the world” and accusing him of “talking rubbish”, before labelling Gordon Weiss, who helped co-author an ICEP report released this week, “a very clear liar”.

Even Al Jazeera was lambasted by Wijesinha, who he accused alongside of having a “disease”, alongside people of the West for focussing on accountability for war crimes.

Extracts from the interview have been reproduced below.

The United Nations has stated that it has made clear the need for accountability on Sri Lanka, but refused to comment on whether an international investigation will take place.

Answering questions in Parliament, Britain’s Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire, once again stated that Sri Lanka has until March 2014, to begin credible domestic accountability processes before the UK will call for an international investigation.

Drawing on previous statements, Swire stated,

Tamil children in the North are increasingly dropping out of school, reports IRIN news service.

The situation is mainly aggravated by lack of meaningful job opportunities, with poor families needing all able-bodied members to find odd jobs or agricultural work to make ends meet.

Sri Lanka has rejected the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, made by an Australian NGO on Wednesday.

The International Crimes Evidence Project accused the Sri Lankan government of “crimes against humanity of persecution”, which could constitute of genocidal acts, and called for a international inquiry into the allegations.

India will extend its visa-on-arrival facility, from initially eleven countries to 180, meaning tourists from nearly all countries will not have to apply for a visa in advance form an Indian embassy, reported Zee News.