Ahead of the upcoming presidential election, more than 200 of Sri Lanka’s parliamentarians have been armed with two repeater shotguns each, issued by the Defence Ministry.

This decision follows supposed concerns for personal safety raised by the parliamentarians themselves after the 2022 Aragalaya protests, during which several MPs' homes in the Sinhala south were set on fire. According to reports, ten MPs have yet to receive their firearms, which they had requested months ago.

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) will formally announce its decision on whom to support in the upcoming election on the 14th or 15th of this month, senior leader Mavai Senathiraja told reporters, adding that the party will issue an official statement confirming its stance.

The government of Sri Lanka has once again rejected Human Rights Council Resolution 51/1 at the United Nations Human Rights Council, claiming the report exceeds its mandate on human rights and that the Council should focus on more pressing humanitarian crises that require urgent attention.

Tributes were paid to the revolutionary Tamil poet Subaramani Bharathi in Vavuniya today on the 103rd anniversary of his death.  The event involved floral tributes laid on the iconic Bharathi statue in Nallur, the poet's songs sung by Tamil students and coconut saplings distributed in the poet's honour.

Born in Thoothukudi in British India in 1882, Bharathi is popularly known as Mahakavi or great poet for his pioneering influence on the Tamil literary landscape.

India has granted 65 million USD for the development of Kankesanthurai (KKS) port, Sri Lanka's Minister of Aviation and Shipping, Nimal Siripala de Silva. reportedly told a rally in Jaffna. 

The project includes the construction of a new breakwater, dredging the port to a depth of 30 meters to accommodate deep-draft vessels, and a full renovation of existing port facilities.

Sri Lankan Member of Parliament Mujibur Rahman from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has alleged that over 80 government ministers and parliamentarians are planning to flee the country on September 21, the date of the upcoming presidential election, over fears of a massive defeat.

Sri Lanka police have launched an investigation into a wedding pre-shoot, after a couple had taken photos inside the Sri Dalada Maligawa, angering the island’s Sinhala Buddhists. 

^{A photograph from the offending pre-wedding shoot.}

Days after plunging the Ilankai Arasu Tamil Katchi (ITAK) into crisis following an announcement by the central committee of the party of their support Sajith Premadasa, leader-elect S Shritharan addressed a rally stating that the Kilinochchi branch of the party has decided to unanimously decided to support common Tamil candidate  Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran.

Sri Lankan police have arrested a Tamil school principal in Mullaitivu for photographing his ballot after voting for the Tamil common candidate.

The principal was one of thousands of postal voters who cast their ballots ahead of the upcoming Presidential election on September 21st. A total of 712,319 voters were eligible to use postal voting to cast their vote in the 2024 presidential election.

Officers from Sri Lanka's Army were seen taking photographs and intimidating Eelam Tamils who were in the process of plastering a new plaque at the memorial dedicated to the Saththurukondan massacre, which states that the military was responsible for the killings. This year marks the 34th commemoration of the massacre of 186 civilians in the areas of Sathurukondan, Panichchaiyadi, Kokkuvil, and Pillaiyaradi.