The Right to Information Act proposed by the UNP has been blocked by the government, according to UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Jayasuriya said that he was informed the bill could not be presented as it had already been defeated in 2010.

Canada has urged Sri Lanka to conduct a full investigation into the murder of Canadian Tamil businessman Anthonypillai Mahendrarajah.

Mr Mahendrarajah was murdered while he was visiting his native town of Kilinochchi to reclaim property occupied by Sri Lankan businesses, which brought him into conflict with the military.

A federal judge in USA called into question the "emblazoned banner of terrorism" during the sentencing of Karunakaran Kandasamy, accused of providing material support to the LTTE.

Emphasising the need to "look at the case specifically", Judge Raymond Dearie said he believed that Kandasamy was engaged in providing humanitarian, not military, aid for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Deeming the 20-year sentence sought by the prosecution "excessive", Judge Dearie sentenced Kandasamy to time served in jail of five years. 

GTF delivers tribute message

The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) joined President Jacob Zuba, ministers and senior government officials of South Africa to pay tribute to the late activist and minister, Roy Padayachie, at his state funeral in Durban on Wednesday.

As one of the handful of speakers requested to address the mourners and pay tribute to the late Mr Padayachie, the GTF's spokeperson, Suren Surendiran, shared his memories of Comrade Roy, who he described as a pivotal and inspirational figure to the organisation.

President Jacob Zuma greets Mr Surendiran

Addressing the mourners, Mr Surendiran said,

"let me, on your behalf, salute Comrade Roy, whom I and a large number of Tamil speaking people admire so much, for his leadership, not just in this country, but throughout the Tamil diaspora for laying the foundation for Global Tamil Forum, and for his crucial and catalytic role in bringing the liberation campaign together, with a vision to follow."

"The reward he sought, as he has always said, is not recognition, nor status, nor titles, nor money but that the coming generation – who never even knew him – enjoys a better life, thanks to his courageous work. And I also want to pay my personal tribute, to his work and his leadership in achieving, by his determined action, what many thought was impossible - to internationalise, the Tamil Question."

The General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Maithripala Sirisena has accused the Tamil National Alliance of assisting 'LTTE activists' to enter the country.

Sirisena, who is Minister of Health, also questioned if the opposition UNP was assisting the TNA to help the re-emerging of the LTTE.

The Sri Lankan Government has ordered the state-owned milk company Milco to buy up all unsold milk from farmers.

Farmers recently held demonstrations, highlighting their inability to sell fresh milk in the Sri Lankan market by spilling 12,000 litres on the streets of Hatton.

The popularity of imported milk powder in Sri Lanka have damaged sales of fresh milk. However, the government has fought back by ordering Milco to purchase unsold milk and boost national self-sufficiency.

An estimate for supplementary expenses, submitted by the Sri Lankan government on Monday, included Rs 347,500,000 to pay for 52 vehicles for several ministries and members of the judiciary, reported The Island.

According to the newspaper, the estimate includes Rs 200 million to purchase cars for judges serving at the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court.

Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Dilan Perera and UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayaka called each other ‘gigolos’ during a debate in parliament, The Island reported on Wednesday.

The debate centred around the fate of Rizana Nafeeq, a house maid on death row in Saudi Arabia.

"There are gigolos who go from here and stage protests in front of our embassies but no problem could be solved in this manner," Minister Perera.