The main Muslim clergy body in Sri Lanka, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, has asked stores to sell halal products to Muslims only, after Buddhist protests against the sale of halal meat.

A 37 year old British Tamil man has been reported missing in Colombo, reports Uthayan.

The man, Arumugam Yogeswaran, is originally from Karainagar, but is now a British citizen. He is believed to have recently visited his wife and relatives in Jaffna, before travelling to Colombo in order return to London.

The Sri Lankan Navy has confirmed that they will be providing pilgrims with 'assistance' for the upcoming St Anthony's Church annual feast in Kachchativu.

Apart from providing 'security', the Navy will be providing jetties for boats, deploying medical teams, building roads and painting the Church, all 'under the instruction of Northern Naval Area Commander Rear Admiral Shirantha Udawatte ', reported ColomboPage.

Protests in India against UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya have forced him to return to Sri Lanka, cutting his trip in India short.

Protestors from various organisations, including DMK, BJP, MDMK, PMK, VCK, Naam ThamizharIyakkam gathered outside the hotel where Jayasuriya was staying and chanted slogans demanding that he leave India immediately.

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee claimed that India was 'making progress in our engagement with Sri Lanka' on the issue of equality for Tamils, when addressing the Indian Parliament on Thursday.

Speaking to Parliament, Mukherjee said,

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalitha has said that the state will not host the Asian Athletics Championships, due to be held in July, because of the participation of Sri Lankan athletes.

The government is to announce that elections in the North will be held on 7th September, reports Uthayan.

The move is seen as a pre-emptive attempt to diffuse the criticism Sri Lanka is expected to receive at the upcoming UNHRC session, as well as controversy surrounding the Commonwealth summit due to be held in November in Colombo.

Speaking at a function in Chennai, The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalilitha broke her silence over the killing of 12 year old Balachandran, calling it an “inhuman act of extreme cruelty,” urging for those accountable to face international trial.

The evidence of the killing of Balachandran and systematic killing of other Tamils “reveals the mindset of the present government in Sri Lanka” she said.

The Chairperson of the Defence Ministry, Ioma Rajapaksa, handed over the keys of a newly constructed house to its owner, a ’war hero’, at a function today.

In its latest report, the International Crisis Group (ICG), reiterated the call for international action, arguing that the Sri Lanka government has "crossed a threshold into new and dangerous terrain".

Alan Keenan, ICG's Sri Lanka project director said:

“The Rajapaksa government’s politically motivated impeachment of the chief justice last month reveals both its intolerance of dissent and power sharing and the weakness of the political opposition”