The delegation of Indian politicians from the Bharatiya Janata Party, currently visiting Sri Lanka, has said that India cannot solve the political problems on the island.

Sri Lanka will be one of nine countries that have been granted exemptions from sanctions on Iranian oil purchases by the US State Department.

In a statement, Secretary of State John Kerry said that China, India, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan have again qualified for an exemption to sanctions as these countries had significantly reduced purchases from Iran.

The JHU will be looking to discuss the draft constitution with the UNP, said General Secretary and Sri Lankan Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka. 

“Under Ranil Wickremesinghe in 1994, the UNP proposed to do away with the unitary state. It is good that it is talking about creating a unitary state once again. If the UNP is willing to do so, we are ready to discuss its new constitutional reforms though we are not clear about some of the proposals like the three options proposed in place of the executive presidency,” 

The body of a young woman, found in Maankulam on May 19th, has been identified as that of a Tamil woman recently recruited into Sri Lanka's Civil Defence Force, reports Uthayan.

The corpse of 24-year-old Saroja Thuraisaamy, which was transferred to Kilinochchi Hospital, was identified by her mother yesterday. The family, originally from Kilinochchi, have raised concerns that she was sexually assaulted before being murdered.

A draft of the Code of Media Ethics, proposed by Sri Lanka, stipulates that nothing should be published which “contains criticism affecting foreign relations”.

The clause is the second on the draft, obtained by the DailyMirror, which contains 65 further clauses, including that no information “which could mislead the public” should be published.

Sri Lanka's National Heritage Ministry said on Tuesday that it would be taking legal action against a Japanese beverage company using the Sigiriya site in a beer commercial and thereby 'disgracing' the heritage side.

The Minister Jagath Balasuriya accused the company of misleading officials, stating:

The Buddhist organisation Ravana Balaya has said it would not allow a Hindu temple to Sita to be built on the island, unless a statue for Ravana, a king in the legen Ramayana, was built first.

Speaking to the DailyMirror, leader of the group Itthakande Saddhathissa said they would oppose the temple, which was supposed to be built with Indian funds.