The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (CCCSL) said that Chinese banks were feeling demotivated to extend loans to Sri Lanka, amidst criticism of Chinese funded loans by Sri Lankan officials.

CCCSL spokesperson Chen Chuan stressed to Xinhua “that it is the Sri Lankan government that submitted applications for loans from Chinese banks and no one forced the Sri Lankan side to apply for loans”.

“Some high ranking official's wrong allegations on interest rates of Chinese loans have damaged the images of Chinese banks in Sri Lanka and demotivated their enthusiasm of offering preferential loans to the country,” added the spokesperson. "We hope that Sri Lankan official concerned will make remarks based on the facts, take the people's well-being as first priority and make joint efforts with the Chinese side to maintain the good environment of China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation."

The Kuragala mosque will be demolished and rebuilt at another location, after long-running protests by Sinhala-Buddhist groups.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Arts and Culture Nandimitra Ekanayake said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed a committee to investigate the location, which then established that the mosque sat on a Buddhist archaeological site.

“The committee has assembled on April 21 and discussed with the Muslims of the mosque to relocate the mosque in another place since the report produced by the committee has proved that the mosque had been built in an ancient Buddhist Archaeological site,” the minister said.

The government will provide Rs1mn (£5,000) to rebuild the mosque in another location.

The general secretary of the Bodu bala Sena, Galagodatte Gnanasara will be charged with trespassing and making defamatory remarks, the Daily Mirror reports.

Colombo Fort magistrates ordered the police to file the charges against Gnanasara and several other monks, who will be required to attend court on June 16.

The commander of the Sri Lankan navy and other senior military members visited a United States nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, as it passed by the region earlier this month.