The British government continues to deem Sri Lanka a “human rights priority country” said Catherine West, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Indo-Pacific, as she was questioned on the need to impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on Sri Lankan officials accused of war crimes.

More than 2,500 plantation workers in Nuwara Eliya held a demonstration last Thursday, calling on Sri Lanka's presidential candidates to establish rural development societies, improve hill country schools, upgrade government estate hospitals and resolve ongoing labour issues.

As part of the ongoing militarisation of the Tamil homeland, the Sri Lankan Army conducted a “beauty culture workshop” in Kilinochchi last week, in what they claimed was to “introduce the best practices in beauty culture for young ladies,” according to the Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna

Due to increased demand, the passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai (KKS) in Tamil Eelam will now operate four times a week starting from September 21, 2024.

The Sri Lankan government has lodged a protest with the UK Home Office after British Tamils demonstrated against the Sri Lankan cricket team in London this week, demanding a sporting boycott over the genocide of Tamils.

Sri Lanka is pressing ahead to send nearly 2,252 agricultural workers to Israel, to make up for vacancies that were previously occupied by Palestinians, after Israel enforced sweeping revocation of Palestinian worker permits in several sectors.

The decision comes after more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a war against Gaza in October 2023. 

Sri Lanka has seen a spike in election-related violence as presidential polls draw closer, according to data released by Election monitors People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), the Sri Lankan Elections Commission and Sri Lankan media outlets.

Tamils have been camped outside Australia's Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke's office in Sydney for 38 consecutive days demanding the government to grant permanent protection to asylum seekers. 

Ahead of the upcoming presidential election, more than 200 of Sri Lanka’s parliamentarians have been armed with two repeater shotguns each, issued by the Defence Ministry.

This decision follows supposed concerns for personal safety raised by the parliamentarians themselves after the 2022 Aragalaya protests, during which several MPs' homes in the Sinhala south were set on fire. According to reports, ten MPs have yet to receive their firearms, which they had requested months ago.

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) will formally announce its decision on whom to support in the upcoming election on the 14th or 15th of this month, senior leader Mavai Senathiraja told reporters, adding that the party will issue an official statement confirming its stance.