Jaffna University has signed a collaboration agreement with the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences  worth over US $900,000, reports Colombo Page.

The agreement which will span a period of 3 years will be utilised to upgrade laboratory faculties for technical assistance and capacity building of the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Technology at the Kilinochchi campus and at the Faculty of Science at the Jaffna campus of the University of Jaffna.

Sri Lanka will immediately import 200,000 metric tons of rice from India, Pakistan and Myanmar confirmed the Ministry of Industry and Commerce on Friday.

The Sri Lankan government has also commenced government level talks on the possibility of purchasing rice from Thailand.

The latest announcement comes after the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on Monday said that the country was not facing any shortage in rice stocks.

Sri Lanka’s navy is set to receive its largest vessel in a longstanding agreement with India.

Sri Lanka’s navy officials are currently in India to learn to operate a new Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ahead of an official handover in August.

A spokesperson from Sri Lanka’s navy said the officials were in India to validate that the ship met their requirements.

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The Government of Sri Lanka and Japan have agreed a concessionary loan of approximately $273 million was reports Colombo Page.

The agreement was signed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a water supply expansion project in the Western Province.

The Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka Fusato Tanaka, told press said the “project will contribute to improve the water situation in Western Province in line with rapid urbanisation.”

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The 54 acres of land around Myliddy harbour which were announced for release from military occupation have not entirely been released.

In particular a historic tuberculosis clinic, built by British colonialists, based in around 6 acres of land announced for release remains occupied by military forces.

Further, the released lands do not comprise any residential lands but only crop field lands, along with the land of two Saiva kovils.

Sri Lankan troops took part in a military exercise on Vaharai beach in Batticaloa this week.

Over 100 Sri Lankan Marines, 30 commandos and 30 Special Forces personnel took part in the exercise, which according to the Daily News was held to “amplify the operational readiness, in collaboration with allied forces, to withstand any form of threat posed by an enemy both from the sea and land”.

Several senior members of the Sri Lankan army have been summoned to appear before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Serious Acts of Fraud (PRECIFAC), over the theft of metal in Kankesanthurai in Jaffna.

PRECIFAC has called for Former Army Commander General Daya Ratnayake and other senior military members, including from the Defence Ministry, to appear before the commission on July 13.

The commission is investigating the theft of metal machinery parts from a cement factory in Kankesanthurai from 2012-2013.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assured his parliament that any new constitution for the island will continue to grant Buddhism “first and foremost” place, pledging that amendments would not be implemented.
Responding to claims from the opposition that there have been attempts to scrap Article 9 of the Sri Lankan constitution – the clause that grants Buddhism primacy on the island – Mr Wickremesinghe said that the steering committee which he heads would not allow such a change to take place.

The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappdi K Palaniswami, wrote to the Indian premier, Narenda Modi on Friday, expressing his concern about Sri Lanka's new fishing legislation which bans bottom trawling. 

Describing the legislation, which was adopted on Thursday, as a “harsh step to undermine the diplomatic efforts”, Mr Palaniswami said it was “aimed at preventing our fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights in the fishing waters."

His letter is the latest in a long series of letters from chief ministers of Tamil Nadu to Delhi on the issue of fishing and the arrests of fishermen by Sri Lankan navy personnel. 

A former deputy chief justice of South Africa, Dikgang Moseneke met with officials from Sri Lanka's Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation this week to share his experiences of constitution making process. 

Highlighting the fact South Africa's constitution was not based on religion or ethnicity, Mr Moseneke said, "in our system everybody has right to be a Buddhist, be a Muslim, to belong to a Hindu religion or even no religion”.  

“Unity in diversity, mutual respect and co-existence”as important element for reconciliation," he added, the Sunday Times reported.