The Sri Lankan Parliament’s Speaker is to be presented with the UPFA’s stance on the Leader of the Opposition post today, following concerted efforts to oust TNA leader R. Sampanthan from the position by the self-styled ‘Joint Opposition’.

Eight members of the Joint Opposition had written to the Speaker requesting the appointment of UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardene as Leader of the Opposition as he had the support of 70 members in the opposition benches.

As those 70 members were elected with the UPFA as a constituent of the Unity Government, the Speaker said he would have to seek official clarification on the current position.

The chair of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has accused the Sri Lankan government of drafting a new constitution with hatred towards the Rajapaksas and of including provisions that threaten national security and interests.

“This is not the way to draft a new Constitution by targeting a particular group of people. No Constitution drafted in that manner is going to stand the test of time,” SLPP G. L. Peiris said, according to the Daily Mirror.

Sri Lankan police report that twenty-two Tamils have been arrested in Jaffna over recent days, accused of being involved in gang violence in the region. 

A special committee has been formed to control the violence, Jaffna's Senior Inspector General of Police, Jeyasunthara said at a meeting of the Jaffna Civil Security Committee today. 

The arrests have been criticised by civil society groups and participants of the meeting however, who accused the police of re-arresting Tamils who had been previously arrested of minor crimes without any proof.  

Sri Lanka’s Buddhist monks are soon to be insured under a special scheme, the Sunday Times reports.

The insurance scheme would cover monks serving in state institutions, teaching in government schools and students in the monastic colleges.

The proposal has been submitted for approval to the Sri Lankan cabinet by the Buddha Sasana Ministry.

Sri Lanka’s unemployment has risen to 4.5% in the first quarter of 2018 according to a survey by the state statistics office.

The unemployment level rose to 4.5%, up from 4.1% a year earlier.

The Department of Census and Statistics claims the drought may be to blame for the dip in the number of people on work, particularly agricultural workers.

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Sri Lanka is considering granting visa free entry to visitors from ‘tourist friendly nations’, including India, the country’s tourism minister said on Monday.

China and some West Asian and European countries are also being considered.

Over 384,000 Indians visited Sri Lanka last year. The Sri Lankan government said it wanted to increase that number to 440,000.

There was a tense situation in Potpathi, Kokkuvil yesterday after two Tamil youths, A Deniswaran and Sujivan, were injured by Sri Lankan police motorbikes. 

Residents condemned the police, accusing them of driving straight in front of the youths who were also on motorbikes at the time, causing the youths to veer off and crash into the police motorbikes.

Police officers were seen to be kicking the injured youths, before residents intervened and carried the two youths to Jaffna Teaching Hospital. 

The health of the incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president Kalaignar M Karunanidhi has deteriorated, the executive director of the hospital said in a statement today. 

The 94-year old five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu was admitted into the Kauvery hospital branch in Chennai’s Alwarpet after contracting a UTI and high fever on July 28. 

Switzerland's Federal Councillor for the Department of Justice and Police, Simonetta Sommaruga arrived in Sri Lanka this week on a four day visit. 

"She is keen to see for herself Switzerland’s activities in various areas such as reconciliation, dealing with the past and strengthening of the rule of law in the country," the FDJP said in a statement. 

Ms Sommaruga is to meet with the Sri Lankan president, prime minister and the leader of the TNA, R Sampanthan. 

The Sri Lankan navy announced it had arrested a group of asylum seekers, who had attempted to flee the island this week.