Illegal sand miners have fled from sites in Vadamarachchi, Jaffna, after three days of unauthorised sand mining operations, due to deep concern and protests from local residents. 

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary, Ravinatha Aryasinha, has warned the Swiss Embassy employee who was abducted, that her status as a Sri Lankan citizen means she is liable to face legal action if found in breach of law.  

A Sri Lankan government minister has slammed “Western countries” and “British imperialists”, commenting on a Swiss embassy employee being abducted in Colombo and the UK Conservative Party’s manifesto pledges on Sri Lanka.

The head of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress has said the lack of Muslim ministers in Sri Lanka’s latest cabinet is “just fine”, as he argued that the new government headed by an accused war criminal would treat all on the island fairly.

“They won with a majority,” Rishad Bathiudeen told reporters in Colombo. 

Amnesty International released a graphic novel highlighting the discrimination faced by LGBTI people in Sri Lanka. 

The novel, ‘Spectrum: Four Stories of Discrimination Faced by LGBTI People’, follows four characters to illustrate the ‘discrimination and violence in their daily lives, from workplace bullying to police harassment.’ 

A retired Sri Lankan soldier who was protesting outside the Swiss embassy has now claimed that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had falsified evidence about the navy abduction ring which killed 11 youths.

An organisation of Buddhist monks have written to the United National Party (UNP), calling on it to ensure that members who have “insulted” monks to not be given any parliamentary nominations in upcoming elections.

The Tri Nikayika Tharuna Bikkhu Sangamaya - an organisation of young Buddhist monks that represent the island’s three Buddhist chapters - handed a petition to the party this week, with demands made to the UNP leadership.

The Sri Lankan and Indian militaries began an exercise in Pune this week, as military ties between the two governments continued to grow.

The exercise ‘Mitra Shakthi - VII, comes despite concerns of human rights abuses committed by Sri Lankan troops, under new president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The Sri Lankan government has called the prosecution of a Sri Lankan brigadier “politically motivated” and maintained he has diplomatic immunity, despite a British court ruling on Friday which found him guilty of violating the Public Order Act.

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan has reiterated his support for Sri Lanka’s new president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who stands accused of heading a military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamil civilians.

“I support President Rajapaksa because he is the right person to lead our country,” Muralitharan told the Hindustan Times, shrugging off the reports of human rights violations.

A Sri Lankan brigadier who motioned death threats to Tamil protestors in London last year has been found guilty by a British court of violating the Public Order Act, after a protracted legal battle.

Westminster Magistrate’s Court upheld a previous ruling that Sri Lanka’s Brigadier Priyanka Fernando “is  not  protected  by  diplomatic  immunity”, despite pleas made by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry.