The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has published a gazette notification, mandating that hotel services accept payments from tourists only in foreign exchange as the islands economic crisis worsens. 

The gazette notification notes that hotel services registered with and licensed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority are required to,  

Accept payments for services rendered to persons resident outside Sri Lanka only in foreign exchange.

The newly appointed Vice Chancellor at the University of Colombo launched a scathing attack on undergraduates at the university this week.

Professor H.D. Karunaratne was speaking at an event aimed at sending students from Sri Lanka to Tokyo University, with Sri Lanka’s education minister, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Japan’s ambassador to the country were all present at the event.

In their year-end report, Human Rights Watch detailed how the Rajapaksa regime has placed fundamental rights under “serious jeopardy” with “escalated surveillance and intimidation targeting victims’ families and human rights defenders”.

A Tamil family who were removed by Australian authorities from their home in Biloela almost four years ago have won an important court case which will allow them to apply for new bridging visas this week, though their battle against deportation to Sri Lanka continues.

The Murugappan family won their case in the Federal Circuit Court, following a ruling that found Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s decision to prevent three members of the family from applying for bridging visas was procedurally unfair.

Events were held in Batticaloa today to remember Tamil journalist Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan 16 years on from his murder, as calls were renewed demanding justice for his murder.

At the Batticaloa Press Club, lamps were lit before a garlanded portrait of the slain journalist, whilst at Gandhi Park later in the day a march was held by the Eastern Journalists' Union.

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has unveiled a plaque commemorating the twinning with Jaffna in celebrations held to mark Tamil heritage month in London. 

 In an address to parliament, C.V. Wigneswaran, stressed that Sri Lanka current economic woes are driven by the government’s failure to meet the demands of the Tamil nation.

Chastising the attempt by Sri Lanka’s President to sweep over the underlying issues for Tamils, Wigneswaran states:

Responding to the Indian government’s decision to exclude Tamil Nadu’s submission for its 75^th annual Republic Day parade, Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin maintained that this was “unacceptable”.

“Exclusion of the tableau of Tamil Nadu will deeply hurt the sentiments and patriotic feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu. That the committee chooses to ignore and reject all of these seven designs shown to it as per the modifications suggested by its members is unacceptable” Stalin wrote in an open letter that urged India’s Prime Minister to intervene.

As an economic crisis sends food and gas prices soaring in Sri Lanka, candles have become the latest commodity to be hit as shortages have begun to be reported in the southern capital of Colombo.

"Candles not available due to gas shortage" read a sign at St. Anthony's church in Colombo, the latest product to reportedly come in to short supply as the costs of basic goods continues to climb and shortages continue to grow.

According to Nikkei Asia, other goods in short supply include powdered milk.

The British government may continue to train Sri Lankan police, even after Police Scotland announced it would not extend its contract after March 2022 due to ongoing human rights concerns on the island.