A local United Nations official in Sri Lanka reportedly “laughed at” concerns expressed by Human Rights Watch over the invitation of Sri Lankan prime minister and accused war criminal as the ‘Chief Guest’ for an event last week, a move the group had called a "slap in the face for victims of human rights abuses and war crimes”.

“They now want to take decisions on behalf of the UN,” the official was quoted by Sri Lanka’s Sunday Times as stating. “How much more stupid can things take,” he reportedly asked.

Sri Lanka will continue to benefit from the GSP+ trade preferences from the European Union (EU) despite being in breach of many conventions. 

"The EU GSP+ scheme will be available for a period ahead until there is reclassification," Thorsten Bargfrede, the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation, reportedly said at a webinar titled 'GSP+ for Enhanced Market Access'. 

GSP+ is granted if the 27 international conventions related to human and labour rights, environment and good governance are implemented. 

Sri Lankan MPs have signed a petition urging the President to pardon former MP, Duminda Silva, who is currently serving a sentence for murder. 

The Sunday Times reported that at a meeting last week, the Chief Government Whip's office staff circulated the petiton for MP signatures, highlighting that a pardon is a stong likelihood.

Sri Lankan police arrested 15 Tamil devotees last week, including a priest, who were worshipping at a temple in Puliyankulam, Vavuniya.

Special arrangements for the full moon day special pooja at the Shiva Nagathambiran Temple were taking place when Puliyankulam police came and arrested the individuals and detained them at Puliyankulam police station. They stated that the reason for the arrests was because the individuals from outer districts “did not follow [COVID-19] health guidelines.”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called featuring Sri Lanka’s prime minister and accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa as the 'Chief Guest' at a UN event a "slap in the face for victims of human rights abuses and war crimes."

The Sri Lankan prime minister’s office has denied a meeting was scheduled to take place with visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, contradicting a US State Department official’s comments just days earlier.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was conspicuously absent from high-level meetings with Pompeo, who met with Sri Lanka’s president and foreign minister. As speculation grew over a potential snub, a government minister claimed that both prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his sibling president Gotabaya Rajapaksa were “opposed” to Pompeo’s trip.

A large-scale excavation to recover weapons belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Vavuniya turned up only a crowbar, used to crack coconuts, and an empty beer can.

Sri Lankan police obtained court permission to conduct the excavation in the Vilakkuvaithakulam area, Vavuniya after reportedly receiving intelligence from Batticaloa about a stash of LTTE weapons. A Vavuniya judge and the Omanthai Police officials were also present during the operation on Thursday.

21 containers filled with up to 260 tonnes of waste, initially shipped to Sri Lanka, were returned to England on last month after Sri Lankan officials claimed they were brought onto the island in violation of international laws governing the shipping of hazardous material.

Commenting on the passage of Sri Lanka’s 20^th Amendment (20A) to the constitution, the Deccan Herald writes that Sri Lanka has “taken a decisive step towards becoming a constitutional autocracy”.

In their statement, they note that the passage of the 20A has diminished the role of the Prime Minister to a “ceremonial one” and that “parliament has been reduced to a rubber stamp”.