The North-East has been the most affected by the current drought that has affected the island with hundreds of thousands suffering, according to the Northern Province Disaster Management Center.

The Island reported the Center as stating Jaffna was the hardest hit region, with 126,296 persons of 34,049 families affected by the conditions.

Sri Lankan police have arrested a Buddhist monk in Colombo as he staged a protest against the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) on Wednesday.

Watareka Vijitha Thera was arrested by Colombo Fort Police as he protested outside the Presidential Secretariat.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Finance and Mass Media said media institutions on the island had a responsibility to report the truth, as he accused certain outlets of producing fake news.

ColomboPage reported Minister Mangala Samaraweera as stating “it is the responsibility of the media to impart truthful information to the public with self-regulation”.

Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has signed an affidavit testifying against two senior Army officers who face corruption charges.

Mr Rajapaksa’s testimony was in response to claims by the senior army officers that they had acted under the instruction of the former defence secretary.

Sri Lanka’s Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundera during the second day of his visit to Jaffna said the threat of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam has not been removed.

Speaking at a meeting with religious leaders and civil society organisations, Mr Jayasundera said,

The former navy spokesperson was re-remanded until August 10 today by the Colombo Fort magistrate over the abduction and disappearance of 11 Tamil youths in 2008, reports Daily Mirror. 

Commodore D K P Dassanayake was arrested last month after being identified as a suspect in the crime by Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Division. 

On 1st August 2007, Sahathevan Nilakshan, an up and coming Tamil journalist was shot and killed by suspected Sri Lankan military intelligence personnel.

The Sri Lankan government has cut import taxes on rice, flour, maize and fish in an attempt to keep prices down after drought affected crops, reports Economy Next. 

The 5 rupee import tax on rice has been cut to 25 cents and fish levy cut from 50 rupees to 25 rupees. 

The commander of the Sri Lankan army has reiterated “strong army commitment” to peacekeeping missions at a seminar held at the Hotel Taj Samudra in Colombo today.

Two suspects have been arrested in Jaffna today for their alleged involvement in a sword attack on police constables in Kokkuvil last week.

A statement released by the police said that Jaffna and Kopay police had arrested 20 year old Thavarasa Madushan and 23 year old Vijayarathnam Sivaraj.

The Sri Lankan president deployed military officials to examine the welfare of those affected by drought in the country. 

Mr Sirisena gave the order at a special meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday on the issue, Colombo Page reported. 

Sri Lanka’s Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera reiterated that Sri Lanka is not within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court 

Writing in the Daily Mirror Mr Mangala Samaraweera said,

Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday promised to resolve the island's debt crisis by 2025. 

"Just like good parents don't pass on their debt burden to the children, this government will not hand over the country's debt to the future generations and Sri Lanka will be a country free of debt by 2025," Mr Wickremesinghe was quoted by Colombo Page as saying. 

A Sri Lankan government minister met with a senior Buddhist monk today, to brief the clergy on the process to draft a new constitution for the island.