The untimely demise of T Suthendraraja alias Santhan (55), one of the seven freed convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case  has shocked many in the Tamil homeland who were anticipating his return. 

The Colombo High Court has acquitted Tamil politician M.K Shivajilingam who was facing charges for his role in organizing an event in Nallur to mark the 33rd commemoration of Lt. Col Thileepan's hunger strike. 

The case against Shivajilingam was filed under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act which was used to argue that any commemoration or glorification of fallen LTTE cadres violates the constitution of Sri Lanka. 

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s (JVP) National Organizer Bimal Rathnayake said the United National Party (UNP) and current Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe were responsible for the 1983 Black July pogroms that killed thousands of Tamils and claimed ‘that false information’ regarding his party’s involvement was preventing Tamils from joining the JVP. 

Only days after gifting the Sri Lankan Navy, the fourth Coast Guard Cutter, the US is seen making a concentrated effort to enhance its defence corporation by funding a capacity-building project to increase port security, despite concerns of rampant militarisation. 

Sri Lanka’s struggling state-owned national carrier announced the launch of a new partnership with Yuvan Shankar Raja, the Indian composer and musician, for his concert in Colombo that took place on Saturday.

“SriLankan Airlines is thrilled to announce our partnership with the legendary South Indian music maestro, Yuvan Shankar Raja!” read a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The French Government has initiated a joint cooperation with the Kotalawala Defence University (KDU) to set up a maritime security school in the heavily militarised region of Trincomalee, in the Tamil homeland, as part of a broader strategy for maritime security in the Indian Ocean region.

Several SriLankan Airlines flights at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake were delayed while three flights were grounded this week – one due to a reported sighting of a rat onboard – leaving serious questions over the national carrier’s long term future and a government minister issuing a stark ultimatum.

The airline is yet to disclose the reasons for the latest cancellations, however, the national carrier has been hit with a spate of technical issues in recent weeks 

Jeevan Thondaman, the Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development speaking at a media briefing in Colombo told reporters that the challenges encountered by the upcountry Tamil community should extend beyond mere daily wages. He underscored the importance of enhancing their quality of life by addressing various facets such as housing, land, education, health, and infrastructure.

The ongoing protests by Tamil Nadu fishermen in Rameshwaram, calling on the Central government to intervene and secure the release of their fisherfolk from Sri Lankan custody, has entered into its second week of protest.

A senior US official confirmed that Washington will be looking to send yet another vessel to the Sri Lankan navy – its fourth so cutter so far – despite the military’s history of human rights abuses, as ties with Colombo grow even closer.