The World Bank has approved $70 million worth of credit to support “local economic activities and livelihoods” of those living in the North-East and Uva Provinces in Sri Lanka. 

The project is to support local economic activity, sanitation and infrastructure within these poorer provinces, through establishment and renovations of “roads, drains, water supply, minor irrigation, IT connectivity, and rural electrification”. 

British parliamentarians reiterated their commitment to working towards justice for the genocide committed against the Tamil people, at an event in parliament last week.

Conservative parliamentarian Robert Halfon said he would “continue the fight for justice for the Tamil people,” speaking at the event organised by the British Tamil Conservatives.

A Sri Lankan police station has begun attempts to permanently seize privately-owned land which it occupies in Jaffna.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has called for further testing of bone samples from a mass grave site in Mannar, where the remains of over 320 people, including children, have been found so far.

<p>A Sinhalese man was arrested in possession of cannabis in Vavuniya on Friday.</p> <p>The 54-year-old from Ja-Ela was found in possession of 9kg of cannabis when the Colombo-bound bus he was on was searched by police in Puliyankulam.</p> <p>Police said he would be produced before court following investigations.</p>

<p>Sri Lanka’s Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) has slammed the current government for reportedly agreeing to a UN resolution at the Human Rights Council, calling it the “worst form of treachery”.</p> <p>"It is absolutely shocking that the Sri Lanka government is not prepared to amend this "bogus" Resolution,” &nbsp;LSSP leader, Tissa Vitarana, said in a statement. “It is the worst form of treachery and no member of Parliament should condone this.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The LSSP joins several other Sinhala political groups in rejecting the UN resolution, including the Sri Lankan president himself, who called for the resolution to be withdrawn.</p>

Australia is set to launch a set of military exercises from Sri Lanka next week as part of the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 (IPE-19) - Australia’s largest ever defence engagement.

A Sri Lankan parliamentarian who will be a member of a delegation to be sent to the UN Human Rights Council next week, has slammed the UN human rights chief’s report on the island, calling it "an atrocious piece of writing containing lies, half lies and highly contestable statements”.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister declared his government has “never done anything detrimental” to the country’s military, claiming an upcoming United Nations resolution is simply an extension of one previously passed two years ago, in an effort to allay Sinhala nationalist fears this week.

The Sri Lankan army continued with its militarisation of Tamil children in the North-East, with yet another event at a preschool in Mullaitivu this week.