Sri Lankan troops who took part in the the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) navy exercise for the first time, have returned to the island.

Sri Lanka was invited to join the exercise, alongside twenty-five other states, despite concerns regarding Sri Lankan troops having committed human rights abuses. During the final phase of the armed conflict tens of thousands of Tamil were massacred by a Sri Lankan military offensive, which saw widespread shelling of civilian centres, including schools and hospitals. To date, there has been no accountability mechanism to deal with the reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sri Lanka’s archaeology department declared that a large swathe of land in Nedunkeni, where a Hindu temple is situated, has now come under their control and warned locals that it is now off limits.

The Sri Lankan army announced that it will supply bus services in Colombo and across the south of the island, as strikes by transport workers continue.

The army announced that it had already made 28 military buses available in Colombo and had a further 44 buses on standby.

A navy ship from China’s People’s Liberation Army docked in Colombo this week, taking part in activities organised by the Sri Lankan military.

The ship, 'Qian Weichang', reportedly “visited some places of tourist attraction in Sri Lanka and took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy” according to an official military website.

US troops are to begin “combined humanitarian assistance and disaster relief” with the Sri Lankan military next week, as part of an annual joint exercise.

‘Pacific Angel 2018’ is scheduled to take place in and around Anuradhapura from August 13^th – 18^th, reports the US Indo-Pacific Command website.

Sri Lanka’s ‘Joint Opposition’ (JO) has vowed to continue its fight to oust the TNA leader from the post of Leader of the Opposition, Daily Mirror reports.

Commenting on Parliamentary Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s announcement that the TNA and ITAK leader R. Sampanthan would remain in the post, JO parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardene said the “speaker’s ruling is not a defeat and it has not ended our struggle.”

Another MP, Chandima Weerakody, said the TNA and the JVP could not be considered as opposition parties as they both support the government.

Jaffna-based journalist Uthayarasa Shalin has been summoned to Colombo by Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) along with five other residents of a Jaffna suburb.

The summons are in relation to the display of a map of the Tamil homeland during a Hindu temple festival in Aanaikkottai, Jaffna.

Locals in Eravur, Batticaloa protested on Thursday against the a bottle water factory being built in Periyapullumalai.

Protesters expressed concern that the company would take excessive amounts of water from Batticaloa's local water supplies. 

The Sri Lankan police have arrested at least four more people in the middle of the night, who were involved in the ongoing protest against illegal fishing by Sinhala fishermen in Mullaitivu. 

The Karaithuraipattu Divisional Council (Prathesa Sabai) member Mariyanayagam Thommaipillai, as well as three protesters, Vincent D Paul Arulnathan, Gerrard Rayan and Thileepan have been arrested. 

Yesterday the Northern Provincial Council member, T. Ravikaran, has been arrested and later released on bail. 

The Bodu Bala Sena has requested the Sri Lanka president, Maithripala Sirisena to pardon the group's leader Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, who was sentenced this week to 19 years rigorous imprisonment to be served in six years for contempt of court. 

Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo On Thursday, the BBS general secretary, Sihala Ravaya Magalkandey Sudatta said Mr Gnanasara should be released due to his 'ill health'. 

Mr Gnansara, who is currently admitted at Jayewardenepura hospital, was ordered to be arrested by the court.