<p>United States Representatives Ilhan Omar, Bill Johnson and Jim McGovern on Friday urged the State Department to assert the need for respect for due process, religious minorities and the rule of law.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ratings agency, Moody's Investors Service warned this week that the Easter Sunday bombings would hit GSP grwoth and add greater pressure of the country's debt refinancing.&nbsp;</p> <p>"The primary challenge facing Sri Lanka is its large external debt refinancing needs over the next five years, with over $3 billion principal payable annually on external government debt over 2020-2024," Moody's analyst, Matthew Circosta.&nbsp;</p>

The Sri Lankan military has built a large Buddhist vihara over the site of an occupied Hindu temple in Karaithuraipattu division in Mullaitivu. 

<p>Drought in Mullaitivu has affected 13889 families, the district’s government agent said.</p> <p>The agent Roobavathy Ketheeswaran said that families who rely on agriculture had been the most badly affected.</p> <p>Officials were attempting to distribute drinking water to those who needed it, she said.</p>

<p>A prominent Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka has accused Muslims of destroying the island’s majority Sinhalese community and called for a boycott of Muslim- run shops and businesses.</p> <p>Monk Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana, the chief prelate of the Asgiriya Chapter of Buddhism&nbsp;said, “Don’t eat from those (Muslim) shops. Those who ate from those shops will not have children in the future. In another 10 to 15 years, we will know the consequence.”</p>

<p>Sri Lanka Finance Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, has stated that he is currently in discussion with a Chinese-backed Asian Infrastructure Development Bank for a loan of up to a billion US dollars.</p> <p>In parliament, Samaraweera said he was "in talks with AIIB for close to a billion US dollars in funds for the power sector and highways development,"</p> <p>The Chinese-backed bank has already confirmed it will provide 280 million US dollars for Colombo Urban Development and a project for landslide protection.</p>

<p>Kabir Hashim and MHA Haleem, who resigned earlier this month, have been reappointed to their previous ministerial posts.</p> <p>Both of the UNP politicians were sworn in as ministers before President Maithripala Sirisena. Kabir Hashim was sworn in as Minister of Highways, Road Development and Petroleum Resources Development and MHA Haleem was sworn in as Minister of Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs.</p> <p>On June 3, three ministers and five junior ministers resigned from their cabinet positions saying they had done so as a result of the “hate culture” against Muslims in government at present.</p>

Residents from Iluppaikulam in Vavuniya protested yesterday against the lack of adequate housing, calling on the government to establish a housing scheme. 

Two Sinhalese men were arrested yesterday in Jaffna. 

The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has cancelled his planned trip to Sri Lanka, the US embassy said in a statement today.