After recent comments by Pope Francis that he was considering a visit to Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse has officially extended an invitation for the Pope to visit the island and see the government’s commitment to “ensuring equity, harmony and sustainable economic, social and cultural development”.

Newly appointed Army Commander Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake has warned that as the country heads towards ‘political reconciliation’ new forms of threat may emerge against national security.

Ratnayake outlined that overseas ‘separatist extremists’ posed a threat to the country and that the army should undergo restructuring and develop innovative strategies to help to combat such threat.

The Cultural Affairs Minister TB Ekanayake has said the government is looking at moving the British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy, as it is located at a higher elevation than the Temple of the Tooth.

The minister said it is an insult to the tooth artefact, believed by Buddhists to be Buddha’s actual tooth, for a cemetery to be on the land of the temple and it was the government’s responsibility to keep it as an area of purity and sanctity.

The government is continuing to hope to attract $2bn worth of Foreign Direct Investment in 2013, said Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene.

In the first six months of this year, Sri Lanka attracted $430m of investment mainly from China and India, a drop of 4.8% year on year.

“We are targeting a $2 billion foreign direct investment by end of this year,” Abeywardena said.

British University Tamil Societies across London collaborated to hold a Black July remembrance discussion session at the London School of Economics on Monday.

"Canada will continue to monitor events in Sri Lanka and do what we can to try to increase pressure on the government of Sri Lanka to make changes,"

"As the prime minister has stated very clearly, we expect our concerns to be addressed prior to the next Commonwealth meeting. However, given the current circumstances, it would be very difficult for this government to fully participate."

The Sri Lankan Army organised Pooja ceremonies at the Koneshwaran Hindu Temple in Trincomalee, reported the Ministry of Defence.

The Army reported large numbers of people gathering at the temple to worship and pay ‘homage to the Gods’.

The Sri Lankan Army has generated over Rs 50m through agriculture on Tamil land.

The army is engaging in 6 projects, including in Udayarkaadu, Kandakaadu, Menik Farm, Vellankulam and Nachikkuda, spending Rs 26.16m, according to the Director of Agriculture and Livestock of the army, Colonel Buwaneka Gunaratne.