Despite persistent questioning on whether the British government would impose sanctions on Shavendra Silva, and other Sri Lankan officials accused of grievous human rights abuses, Minister for Asia at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development, Nigel Adams maintained silence.

On the 27 July, The Wire reported that the phone numbers of a number of Tamil Nationalists and Periyarist activists had been found among a leaked database of over 50,000 numbers listed as potential targets for surveillance by a client of the Israel-based NSO group. Speaking to The Caravan, May 17 movement's Thirumurugan Gandhi and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam's Kovai Ramakrishnan, who were targeted by the malware, spoke of how the Modi led union government had viewed their politics as a threat. 

As Sri Lanka continues to grapple with its third wave, with a total 4,258 covid-related deaths confirmed on Wednesday, the country’s tourism and airlines have launched its largest joint-industry promotion to stave off financial collapse.

New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Michael Appleton, met with Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Regional Cooperation, Tharaka Balasuriya, to discuss strengthening economic ties between the two countries and attracting investment in Sri Lanka’s economic zones and the Colombo Port City.

Eleven international rights organisations have jointly called on the Sri Lankan government to "immediately and unconditionally" release prominent Muslim human rights lawyer, Hejaaz Hizbullah, from his arbitrary 15-month detention under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) legislation. 

Following a damning US State Department report which warned investors of the risks they faced in Sri Lanka, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina B. Teplitz, raised concerns over the legislation covering Colombo’s Port City.

“I continue to be concerned about some aspects of that (Port City) legislation. Because there appears to be openings for either corrupt influences or potential of illicit financing, money laundering and things like that. US companies are going to be wary of that,” Teplitz stated.

Sri Lanka’s former finance minister, Mangala Samaraweera, warned of a likely fuel shortage in Sri Lanka as the economy continues to grapple with a crisis and fuel debt of 1.2 billion USD, was pushing the island towards becoming a "failed state".

“We are becoming a failed state isolated from the world," warned Samaraweera. "Before July 27, we must repay a billion dollars for a loan taken in 2011. In addition, around USD 1.3 billion in Sri Lankan Development Bonds will have to be paid in December this year.”

_{Photo credit (Twitter: @PragasGnanam) Read more here.}

Rithish Kirushnaneethan, a four-year-old Tamil boy, died in a house fire in Melbourne’s Southeast last Saturday.