UK’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan has met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and will travel to Jaffna during a three day visit to the island.

"Good to discuss opportunities to further develop UK-Sri Lanka opportunities with President [Ranil Wickremesinghe]. We have shared priorities on solving challenges of climate change, prosperity, human rights and reconciliation." Minister Trevelyan said on X.

Both former Sri Lankan presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa have praised Ranil Wickremasignhe’s recent fiery interview with Deutsche Welle, where the current president repeatedly denounced any prospect of an international investigation into rights abuses or the Easter Sunday bombings.

Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremsinghe has reiterated his opposition to any international inquiry into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, just weeks after a fiery interview in which he denounced any attempts at international involvement.

The Presidential Media Division issued a statement questioning an editorial published in the Gnanarthaya Pradeepaya newspaper which called for an international investigation into the bombings.

At least 12 members of the US Congress demanded the Biden administration ensure Sri Lanka is held to account for crimes committed against the Tamil people last month, with calls for the issue to be elevated to the International Court of Justice.

Tamil political parties have united to call for a hartal on October 20 across the North-East in support of Mullaitivu judge T Saravanarajah, who fled the island in the face of death threats last month. 

The parties have called for the total shutdown of the North-East and to demand an investigation into the threats made against Judge Saravanarajah.  

The death of 2nd Lt. Maalathy, the first female fighter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lose her life in the Tamil armed struggle, was commemorated by Tamil activists in Mullaitivu today. 

Tamil activists, including former Northern Provincial Councillor Thurairasa Ravikaran and Peter Ilanchezhiyan, lit a flame and laid flowers to mark 36 years since her death. 

Sri Lanka’s president Ranil Wickremesinghe lashed out during an interview with Deutsche Welle when asked for a response to serious concerns raised by the Channel 4 documentary on the Easter Sunday bombings and the need for an international investigation, earlier this month.

Read a transcript of the interview below.

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The eagerly anticipated ferry service between Kankesanthurai in Jaffna and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu has once again been postponed.

Today marks thirty-six years since the death of 2nd Lt. Maalathy, the first female fighter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lose her life in the Tamil armed struggle.

Across the world, the day is being commemorated as Tamil Women’s Day, an opportunity to honour women’s involvement in the fight for Tamil rights.

Sri Lanka’s aviation minister has threatened to withdraw an exclusive agreement with the state-owned Sri Lankan Airlines, after flight delays and cancellations impacted several parliamentarians in recent weeks.

Nimal Siripala de Silva said the government is considering withdrawing the exclusive rights of SriLankan Airlines to operate and manage long haul flights in and out of Colombo, relegating it only to short-haul flights within Asia and domestically.