A Right to Information (RTI) request has revealed that the Sri Lankan government spent around Rs 95 million for Independence Day celebrations amidst the worst economic crisis the island has faced in decades.

Spending on the celebration this year was the highest in the last 5 years, with an increase of more than Rs. 15 million since the previous Independence celebration in 2021.

On May 2nd, 2006, 16 years ago, five armed paramilitary cadres stormed the Uthayan, a Tamil daily newspaper published in Jaffna and opened fire, murdering and injuring Tamil employees. 

Sri Lankan state minister and paramilitary leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan was confronted by angry Tamil villagers in Vakarai as his supporters were chased away by women wielding slippers on Friday.

Locals had opposed an aquaculture project that the newly appointed state minister, known by his nomme de guerre Pillayan, had arrived to inaugurate.

The leader of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party in Tamil Nadu visited Jaffna earlier today, where he met with politicians from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and visited the historic Nallur temple.

K Annamalai tweeted about his visit to the “historic & timeless” city, posting photographs at various stops in the region.

“Humbled to have visited Nallur Kandasamy Temple to take the blessings of Lord Muruga for the prosperity of all Tamils,” he added.

In a fiery press conference, T Rajendar has slammed the ruling Rajapaksa regime and called for an end to their reign as he announced the release of a new song and expressed solidarity with the island’s Eelam Tamils.

“We have to chase this money minded animal out of the country,” Rejandar told reporters.

Another Tamil mother who has been protesting for more than 1,898 days passed away last night, without ever finding out the whereabouts of her forcibly disappeared son, son-in-law and grandson.

At least 115 Tamils have now passed away since protests began more than 5 years ago. None of them have received answers on where their loved ones are or received justice for their disappearances.

May Day rallies were held across the Tamil homeland yesterday, with calls for the abolition of Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), demilitarisation of the North-East, the release of Tamil political prisoners and an international justice and accountability mechanism.

The Sri Lankan government has announced a massive 40% increase on the prices of a range of essential antibiotics, painkillers and other medicines, as the economic crisis on the island continues.

Sri Lankan MP Nalaka Godahewa told the BBC that the dramatic increase in drug costs is the consequence of most medicines being imported by the private sector, as well as the devaluing of the rupee.

Sri Lanka gripped in the middle of its worst economic crisis has announced it would sell long-term visas to attract desperately needed foreign currency, as the country runs out of dollars to pay for food, medicine and fuel.

Foreigners who deposit a minimum of USD $ 100,000 locally will be granted permission to live and work in Sri Lanka for 10 years under the Golden Visa Programme, the Sri Lankan government said last week according to the AFP news agency. 

Tamil families of the disappeared continued their protests across the North-East, demanding justice and accountability for their forcibly disappeared relatives.

Families gathered in Vavuniya, Mannar and Kilinochchi towns, joined by local activists and politicians.