The World Bank will lend more than twice as much to Sri Lanka over the next 12 months from July, reports Bloomberg.

Sri Lanka will receive $500 million during that period. Bloomberg reports that currently, Sri Lanka borrows $200 million annually under concessionary terms.

"Why should be that? Why should be that? If you are a Sri Lankan citizen you must be able to go and buy the properties from anywhere."

“Don’t get angry! Usually I get angry, so you don’t get angry. Ok don’t get angry. I am the secretary of defence, I have investigated this. You don’t take the words from these people, take the word from me.

"All this we have stopped... but you don't talk about that. You are supporting the terrorist cause!"

“I don’t know. You have to ask the President. I am not interested! I have not known any of these things. I have a lot of work to do… you can see I am not sleeping…"

“I don’t know … I don’t know! I don’t want to comment! I will stop the interview if you continue with this!”

The largest party in the Tamil National Alliance, the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, has called for the merging of the Northern and Eastern provinces into one administrative unit at its annual General Council meeting.

The meeting, held ahead of Sunday’s 14th annual convention, also resolved to call for an end to state-sponsored colonisation schemes, equal rights for the Tamil people and for progress in resettlement and development, in both the North and East.

"The abductor who came on a motor bike had later fled to Kilinochchi via Pooneryn, along with the boy,” he said.

British Tamils held a demonstration outside the residence of the British Prime Minister, to protest against the forthcoming visit by Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“It is not an illegal construction. We have accurate deeds and the building has been there for so many years,”

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, John Rankin, has criticised the large military presence in the Northeast of Sri Lanka.

In a video message, answering questions about last month’s report on human rights, Mr Rankin said Sri Lanka has serious human rights issues that need to be addressed.

The troika tasked with serving as rapporteurs for Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review, consists of Benin, India and Spain.

Sri Lanka’s review is due to start in November this year.

The UPR process examines the human rights situation of each member state of the UN every four years.

“These reports, which the United States Government has published for nearly four decades, make clear to governments around the world: We are watching and we are holding you accountable.  And they make clear to citizens and activists everywhere:  You are not alone.  We are standing with you.”

“The major human rights problems were unlawful killings by security forces and government-allied paramilitary groups, often in predominantly Tamil areas, which led many to regard them as politically motivated, and attacks on and harassment of civil society activists, persons viewed as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sympathizers, and journalists by persons allegedly tied to the government, which created an environment of fear and self-censorship.”

“Other serious human rights problems included disappearances, as well as a lack of accountability for thousands who disappeared in previous years.”

“Discrimination against persons with disabilities and against the ethnic Tamil minority continued, and a disproportionate number of victims of human rights violations were Tamils.”

“The government continued to refuse the request by the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for an expanded mission and an independent presence in the country.”