US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with Sagala Ratnayake, Sri Lanka’s national security advisor, on US “support to Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty” earlier this month, as ties between the two governments continue to grow.

Chief Delegate of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka, Marie Antonia von Schönburg said that Sri Lanka’s lack of transparency and consistency “are significant hurdles in attracting and retaining foreign investments in Sri Lanka.”

Speaking to the media, Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith claimed he was tricked by ousted former President, and accused war criminal, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, into extending support for his candidacy in 2019 under the promise that he would investigate the Easter Sunday Bombings, which claimed the lives of over 250 individuals.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is set to arrive in Sri Lanka on a one-day official visit to inaugurate an Iranian-funded Uma Oya multipurpose development project with 120MW hydropower generation capacity.

On 5 April, the UK has updated its travel advisory for Sri Lanka to no longer include mention of shortages of food, fuel and medicine.

Five Eelam Tamil children stranded on the remote island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean since October 2021 have won a case in the British Supreme Court to be protected from harm in the same way as British children.

Sri Lanka police arrested a 31-year-old man this week, accusing him of “distorting” a Sinhala song on TikTok.

The individual, a 31-year-old man from Wariyapola, posted a TikTok video singing along to a version of the song usually played as part of New Year festivities, with his own lyrics.

After weeks of conflicting statements and rumours of infighting among members of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena told reporters that any discussion or decision over the party’s nominee will only be undertaken by former president and accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Sri Lankan army has announced a general amnesty for one month for all deserters in an attempt to formally discharge the officers from duty and recover any weaponry provided, after reports that Sri Lankan soldiers had fled the island to serve for Russia in its war in Ukraine.

Storekeepers of clothing outlets and vendors selling firecrackers across the North-East said there was a noticeable decline in sales this year as Tamils celebrated the New Year, amidst the high cost of living and ongoing economic turmoil.