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US President Trump imposes 44% tariff on Sri Lanka
US President Donald Trump has announced 'reciprocal' tariffs on countries worldwide, including a 44% tariff on all goods from Sri Lanka.  The tariffs were imposed in response to what Trump said were 'Tariffs charged to the US including currency manipulations and Trade Barriers'.

Tamil Affairs

Tamil Affairs
Sri Lankan cabinet appoints committee in response to UK war crimes sanctions
Tamil Affairs
Sri Lankan stock market plunges as Trump’s tariff panics investors
Tamil Affairs
Sri Lankan president scrambles to respond after Trump slaps 44% tariff on exports
Tamil Affairs
An open letter to Narendra Modi: Stand with Tamil Eelam

Latest Headlines

Sri Lankan cabinet appoints committee in response to UK war crimes sanctions
The Sri Lankan cabinet has appointed a special committee in response to the United Kingdom’s recent decision to impose targeted sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals accused of grave human rights violations. In a statement following a cabinet meeting earlier this week, the Sri Lankan government confirmed that the “attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn” on the UK’s sanctions and it had appointed a special committee to study the matter and recommend a course of action.
Sri Lankan stock market plunges as Trump’s tariff panics investors
Sri Lanka’s stock market suffered a sharp sell-off following the United States’ imposition of a 44% tariff on Sri Lankan exports, as panic gripped investors and major export-oriented firms saw double-digit losses. The All Share Price Index (ASPI) fell 2.19%, or 349.84 points, closing at 15,657.60. The S&P SL20 Index dropped 2.5% to 4,643.32, with over 123 million shares traded amid widespread selling pressure. “Investors are in a panic after the US tariff imposition,” said Ranjan Ranatunga, Assistant Vice President of Research at First Capital. “Most of the major sectors are affected.”
Sri Lankan president scrambles to respond after Trump slaps 44% tariff on exports
  Sri Lanka’s president has appointed a committee to “conduct an in-depth study” on the impact of newly announced tariffs by United States President Donald Trump, which sent global shockwaves on Wednesday. Hours after Trump’s announcement of sweeping ‘reciprocal tariffs’ on over 180 countries, including a 44% tariff on all Sri Lankan goods, Anura Kumara Dissanayake said a high level committee would be formed to examine any “potential issues that may arise”. The United States is Sri Lanka’s single largest export destination, particularly for apparel and rubber products, which are now set to face steep cost increases in the American market.
Myanmar junta declares temporary ceasefire following earthquake, days after armed groups halt hostilities
The junta’s ceasefire declaration came several days after armed resistance groups across the country had already unilaterally paused hostilities to allow for humanitarian operations. The military had initially refused to reciprocate.
An open letter to Narendra Modi: Stand with Tamil Eelam
As you prepare for your upcoming visit to Sri Lanka, I write to you not just as an Eelam Tamil, but as a member of a people with deep historical, cultural, and civilisational ties to the land you lead. 
Sri Lanka pledges aid to Myanmar as ‘two Buddhist states’
The Sri Lankan government has pledged USD 1 million in humanitarian assistance to Myanmar in the wake of a devastating earthquake, a move it says is driven by the “close ties between the two nations as two Buddhist states,” according to Cabinet spokesperson and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. The donation will include dry rations collected under the “guidance” of Sinhala Buddhist monks, after the Ambassador of Myanmar in Sri Lanka met with senior Buddhist clergy in Kandy. A medical team from Sri Lanka also remains on standby for deployment.
Sri Lanka Air Force contradicts Bimal Ratnayake’s premature crash claims
  A rift has emerged between the Sri Lanka Air Force and Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Ratnayake, after the minister made claims regarding the cause of a recent military aircraft crash, contradicting official Air Force statements. On 21 March 2025, a K-8 advanced jet trainer aircraft, manufactured in China and operated by the Sri Lanka Air Force’s No. 05 Fighter Squadron, crashed during a training exercise in Wariyapola, Kurunegala. Both pilots — a qualified instructor and another Air Force pilot — successfully ejected and were admitted to the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. No fatalities were reported.
Tamil families of the disappeared welcome UK sanctions, call for wider accountability
Tamil Families of the Disappeared have hailed the United Kingdom’s decision to impose sanctions on senior Sri Lankan military officials accused of war crimes, stating that the move affirms the long-standing demands of Tamil families for international justice and recognition of the genocide committed against Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan authorities launch multiple probes into Lyca Group’s media acquisitions
Three state agencies in Sri Lanka have launched investigations into the Tamil-owned UK-based Lyca Group over its acquisition of a network of 12 media companies on the island, with questions raised over the legality of the transactions and the processes by which licences were granted.
'Friends forever, never enemies' - China's foreign minister in Moscow
China and Russia have reaffirmed their deepening ties during a high-level visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. During a three-day visit to Russia, which began on 1 April, Wang Yi met with senior Russian officials and declared China and Russia are “friends forever, never enemies”. “Cooperation between China and Russia is never directed against third parties and does not succumb to impediments coming from outside,” he said. “We will not tread water when it comes to advancing bilateral relations, and we have a broad prospects open to us. Our friendship is not based on fleeting considerations, but is of a long-term nature.”

Sanctions are just the start 

Selective justice is not justice

No more evasion

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UK sanctions Sri Lankan war criminals

Tamil News

Sri Lankan cabinet appoints committee in response to UK war crimes sanctions

Apr 03

Sanctioned Sri Lankan war criminal slams Starmer for UK sanctions | Tamil Guardian

The Sri Lankan cabinet has appointed a special committee in response to the United Kingdom’s recent decision to impose targeted sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals accused of grave human rights violations.

Sri Lankan stock market plunges as Trump’s tariff panics investors

Sri Lanka’s stock market suffered a sharp sell-off following the United States’ imposition of a 44% tariff on Sri Lankan exports, as panic gripped investors and major export-oriented firms saw double-digit losses.

Sri Lankan president scrambles to respond after Trump slaps 44% tariff on exports

 

Sri Lanka’s president has appointed a committee to “conduct an in-depth study” on the impact of newly announced tariffs by United States President Donald Trump, which sent global shockwaves on Wednesday.

An open letter to Narendra Modi: Stand with Tamil Eelam
As you prepare for your upcoming visit to Sri Lanka, I write to you not just as an Eelam Tamil, but as a member of a people with deep historical, cultural, and civilisational ties to the land you lead. 
Sri Lanka pledges aid to Myanmar as ‘two Buddhist states’

Sri Lanka Air Force contradicts Bimal Ratnayake’s premature crash claims

 

A rift has emerged between the Sri Lanka Air Force and Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Ratnayake, after the minister made claims regarding the cause of a recent military aircraft crash, contradicting official Air Force statements.

Tamil families of the disappeared welcome UK sanctions, call for wider accountability
Tamil Families of the Disappeared have hailed the United Kingdom’s decision to impose sanctions on senior Sri Lankan military officials accused of war crimes, stating that the move affirms the long-standing demands of Tamil families for international justice and recognition of the genocide committed against Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan authorities launch multiple probes into Lyca Group’s media acquisitions
Three state agencies in Sri Lanka have launched investigations into the Tamil-owned UK-based Lyca Group over its acquisition of a network of 12 media companies on the island, with questions raised over the legality of the transactions and the processes by which licences were granted.
Paramilitaries reunite – Karuna and Pillaiyan form new alliance ‘for sake of Eastern Tamils’

Pro-Sri Lankan government paramilitary leaders Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, also known as Karuna Amman, and Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan laso known as Pillayan, have formally reunited after 21 years, signing a memorandum of understanding in Batticaloa on 22 March 2025 to work together under a new political alliance.

US-Sri Lanka military ties grow as Washington pledges another vessel
The Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, visited Colombo from 19 to 21 March 2025, reinforcing the growing military relationship between the United States and Sri Lanka. 
More organisations welcome UK sanctions on Sri Lankan war criminals

Tamil diaspora groups and international human rights organisations have welcomed the United Kingdom’s decision to impose targeted sanctions on four individuals implicated in grave human rights violations during Sri Lanka’s armed conflict.

In photographs - Eid al-Fitr in Tamil Eelam

Eid al-Fitr was marked in Tamil Eelam this week, as Muslims in the Tamil homeland joined those around the world to celebrate the festival.

See footage from across the North-East below.

Mannar

Trichy-Jaffna flight touches down after 47-year gap

A direct flight service between Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna in Sri Lanka officially commenced on 30 March 2025, marking the first such connection between the two cities in nearly five decades.

India and Sri Lanka to sign defence pact and electricity grid connectivity agreement 

India and Sri Lanka are set to sign their first-ever defence cooperation agreement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Colombo, with reports that a deal to link electricity grids with a cable connecting Mannar to Tamil Nadu will also be inked next week. 

Sri Lankan Navy arrests deepen India-Sri Lanka tensions over Tamil fishermen dispute
The arrest of eleven Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy last week has reignited tensions between New Delhi and Colombo over the decades-long maritime conflict in the Palk Strait, as India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar acknowledged the enduring diplomatic and historical challenges behind the crisis.
Sathiyalingam welcomes sanctions on Sri Lankan war criminals
Sathiyalingam condemned the Sri Lankan government’s continued refusal to investigate or acknowledge the existence of torture camps and other human rights violations committed in the North-East, as he welcomed the recent set of sanctions by Britain on Sri Lankan war criminals.
Sri Lanka risks US$1.23 billion loss if EU withdraws GSP+ trade benefits, warns new study

Sri Lanka could lose up to US$1.23 billion in export revenue if the European Union (EU) withdraws its preferential trade access under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), according to a new report by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). 

Sanctions are just the start 
The UK’s move must mark a new chapter, not the end, of international efforts.
Sri Lankan Supreme Court Justices recuse themselves from Karannagoda 'Navy 11' disappearance case
Two justices of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Dilip Nawaz and Priyantha Fernando, announced on 28 March that they would recuse themselves from hearing petitions related to the controversial case of former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and the enforced disappearance of eleven Tamil and Muslim youth between 2008 and 2009.
'Debt can be like certain girls' says Sri Lankan minister in sexist remark

Sri Lankan Minister

Sri Lanka’s minister of industry and entrepreneurship development, Sunil Handunneththi has faced criticism after he made a remark at a Regional Development Bank event, where he compared debt to “certain girls,” saying “when the time comes, they forget all that you’ve done for them”.

World News

Myanmar junta declares temporary ceasefire following earthquake, days after armed groups halt hostilities

Apr 02
The junta’s ceasefire declaration came several days after armed resistance groups across the country had already unilaterally paused hostilities to allow for humanitarian operations. The military had initially refused to reciprocate.
West Papua activists launch boycott Indonesia campaign
More than ninety West Papuan tribes, political organisations, religious and political groups have called for a boycott of products implicated in the Indonesian occupation, in the first major West Papuan boycott campaign ever announced.
'Friends forever, never enemies' - China's foreign minister in Moscow

China and Russia have reaffirmed their deepening ties during a high-level visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

First direct talks between Congo and M23 rebels to be held on April 9

M23 forces standing beside house
Sources from both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have stated that the two are aiming to hold direct talks for the first time on 9 April. 

The meeting in Doha would be the first direct negotiations since M23 rebels seized eastern Congo’s two largest cities.

Israel killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers one by one, says UN
Fifteen Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, including at least one United Nations employee, were killed by Israeli forces “one by one” and buried in a mass grave eight days ago in southern Gaza, the UN has said.
Republika Srpska adopt new constitution asserting the right to self determination
The federal entity of Republika Srpska has adopted a draft constitution which includes provisions for the formation of an army and asserts the entities right to self determination.
Huge protests erupt as Turkey jails President Erdogan's main rival

Nationwide protests erupted as the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had his biggest political rival arrested last Wednesday and jailed today on counts of corruption and links to terrorism.

M23 rebels capture Walikale in eastern DRC

M23 forces standing beside house

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured the strategic mining hub of Walikale in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

M23 rebels entered Walikale on Wednesday. Spokesperson for the Congolese army, Nestor Mavudisa, confirmed on Thursday that “the enemy” now controlled Walikale. 

At least 7 dead after boat carrying refugees capsizes off Cyprus’ coast

Boat carrying refugees

Authorities in Cyprus have reported that they have retrieved at least 7 bodies after a boat carrying refugees capsized 30 nautical miles southeast of Cape Greco. 

Two people were rescued on Monday, there is still an unspecified number of people believed to be missing. 

Balochistan train hijack ends in bloodshed as Pakistani forces storm separatist fighters

The train hijacked by the Baloch rebels. Photo courtesy: Swarajya Mag

Children among 32 killed following US airstrikes in Yemen
US fighter jets have carried out a series of air raids across Yemen, killing at least 32.
Israel informed US ahead of latest deadly attacks on Gaza

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu sit beside each other with Israel and US flags in background

White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Monday that the Israeli government had informed the Trump administration prior to launching massive air raids on the Gaza Strip overnight. 

Rwanda severs diplomatic ties with Belgium

PK

Rwanda says it has cut diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordered all of their country’s diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, drawing a swift response from Brussels.

Netanyahu lashes out at UN after experts find 'genocidal acts' in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lashed out against a United Nations report accusing Israel of committing "genocidal acts" against Palestinians, calling the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) an "antisemitic, rotten, terrorist-supporting and irrelevant body."

US explores Somaliland recognition in exchange for military base
The United States is reportedly considering partial recognition of Somaliland in exchange for permission to establish a naval base near Berbera port, according to a report by the Financial Times.
International endorsement for Syria-SDF deal
The recent agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian central government has received international backing, after it was agreed the alliance would integrate all military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.
Bosnian prosecutors order arrest of three top Bosnian Serb officials

Dodik speaking in front of multiple news microphones

On Wednesday, Bosnian state prosecutors ordered the arrest of Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik and two of his aides for what it has called an attack on the constitutional order. 

Duterte arrested and flown to The Hague as Marcos shifts stance on ICC
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested and flown to The Hague, where he will face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his brutal “war on drugs”. 
China says it is ready in "tariff war, trade war, or any other war" with US

US flag and Chinese Flag beside each other

China has warned that it is ready to “fight to the end” with the US in a “tariff war, trade war, or any other war” in response to President Donald Trump’s mounting trade tariffs. 

Israel launches air attacks near Syria’s Tartous
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since former President Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December.
OPINION
An open letter to Narendra Modi: Stand with Tamil Eelam
Duterte is at The Hague – Could the Rajapaksas be next?
Ranil Wickremesinghe is Sri Lanka
CULTURE & COMMUNITY
In photographs - Eid al-Fitr in Tamil Eelam
Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2 - Loses the plot
Ashnaa Unplugged - Interview with Ashnaa Sasikaran
INTERVIEW
British MPs praise Tamils and pledge justice at Pongal
Sanctions on Sri Lanka are Britain's 'responsibility' - Interview with Yasmin Sooka
ITAK's wake up call and Tamil aspirations - Interview with Shanakiyan Rasamanickam