The Sri Lankan army announced it was undertaking a “gigantic project of national and timely importance” by sending in soldiers to farm fruit and vegetables across the island, as a food crisis hits.

The military, which admits to already running at least 16 farms, will now take on an even greater role in the agricultural sector, said the army.

The Sri Lankan government has announced a two-week shutdown, encouraging all public sector employees to work from home, as a fuel shortage amidst the island’s economic crisis has brought many forms of transport to a grinding halt.

A circular from the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry announced directive for all but the most essential workers.

The British government has distanced itself from a private security company that is currently under police investigation over war crimes in Sri Lanka, claiming that it was “not party to the agreement” that the firm held with the Sri Lankan government.

Dozens of Sri Lankan protestors gathered outside the Indian High Commission in Colombo on Thursday, as controversy erupted over a renewable energy project that was handed to the Adani Group last year.

“Stop Adani, Stop Adani!” chanted the protestors in Colombo, as they held placards denouncing the Indian multinational conglomerate. “Hands off Sri Lanka,” rang another slogan.

The Sri Lankan government claimed to have made “significant progress in some key areas” at the UN Human Rights Council this week, where foreign minister G L Peiris met with the president of the council and requested “space for the country to deal with the present socio-economic issues”.

“We certainly recognize, as a core belief, that human rights are indivisible, interconnected and interdependent,” claimed Peiris in his address to the Council.

Newly elected Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, met with the Nadesalingam family and welcomed them back into the Biloela community after several years in Australian detention.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, G.L Periris visited Singapore where discussions around investments and financing were held with officials.

During the visit last week, G.L Peiris met with the Minister for Foreign affairs of Singapore Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Finance Lawrence Wong, Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam and Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran. 

The head of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote to India, Japan, Australia and the US this week, calling on the states to “take a more proactive role in addressing Sri Lanka’s political and economic crisis”.

US Senator Bob Menendez congratulated US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on the completion of the Quad  Leaders’ Summit, adding that “there is much more the Quad can and should do in the Indian Ocean neighborhood, starting with Sri Lanka”.

The mother of a Tamil political prisoner who has been imprisoned for over 26 years has passed away this week, having never seen her son released from a Sri Lankan jail.

Vigneswaranathan Parthiban was arrested aged just 19 years old, over his alleged involvement in the 1996 Central Bank Bombing. He has spent more time in prison than outside it.

His mother Vakeeswari had campaigned tirelessly for her son to be released or pardoned. She passed away on Wednesday evening.

The ambassadors of both the US and China met in Colombo last week, where they reportedly “had a friendly discussion on broad topics of mutual interest”.

Both countries tweeted about the meeting, where US Ambassador Julie Chung and China’s Ambassador Qi Zhenhong spoke on Sri Lanka.

China said the meeting was a “friendly discussion on broad topics of mutual interest”.

“#China and the #UnitedStates could work together to help #SriLanka overcome current difficulties,” it added.