A curfew has been imposed across parts of Colombo as the military is called to squash anti-government protests. 

Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst economic crisis in decades with routine power outages and shortages of essential items impacting the whole island.

Today the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) announced that it would impose a 13-hour power outage across many parts of the island, as diesel fuel ran out, severely impacting power generation across many plants. However, a list released by the Public Utilities Commission detailed 191 areas across the country where power cuts would not be implemented, the President's House being one of them. 

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister discussed Sri Lanka’s economic crisis with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi today, where he proposed sending food and medicines to Tamils in the North-East of Sri Lanka as an economic crisis rages on the island.

The 124^th birthday of SJV Chelvanayagam, fondly remembered as Thanthai Chelva, was commemorated in Mannar today, as Tamils gathered to pay tribute to the man known as the father of Tamil nationalism.

Responding to increasing complaints about power cuts across Sri Lanka and dismal internet speeds, the minister for sports, and son of Prime Minister Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapaksa claimed on Twitter “I understand the frustration”.

As Sri Lanka’s economic woes continue to worsen and protests erupt across the country, Sri Lanka’s public security minister, Sarath Weerasekera took to Twitter to propose a bill criminalising the defacement of the Sri Lankan lion national flag.

Western sanctions have forced Sri Lanka’s national airlines to suspend flights to Russia due to difficulties in international financial transactions and western insurers refusing to cover for flights to Russia.

^{Photo Credit - Piqsels}

As Sri Lanka struggles with its worst economic crisis, life-saving medications have joined the long list of essential items the island is quickly running out of.

The President's House will be exempt from power outages lasting 13 hours, as the rest of Sri Lanka grapples with an economic crisis. 

President of the Families of the Disappeared (FOD), Yogarasa Kanakaranjini slammed those greeting Sri Lanka's President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, claiming that those who welcomed Rajapaksa with garlands were betraying Tamils.

Rights groups have called on the Australian Government to impose sanctions against retired Sri Lankan General Jagath Jayasuriya for his command role in atrocities in Sri Lanka after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) failed to investigate the former Army Commander after he was allowed to enter Australia in 2019. 

Sri Lankan decided once more not to back a UN General Assembly resolution demanding civilian protection and humanitarian access in Ukraine last week, in yet another vote at the global body.

As Sri Lanka’s president claimed to welcome the global Tamil diaspora to invest in the cash-stricken country, many across the world remain wary - particularly as corruption, human rights abuses and repression of the Tamil people continues on the island.

"This is all just a farce," said Theepan*, a Tamil rights activist based in Switzerland. “After forcing us out of our homeland, torturing, raping and killing us, now the Sri Lankan state needs our help."

Sri Lanka has requested a USD $250 million currency swap with the Bangladesh Bank. 

The announcement came from Bangladesh Foreign Minister  A. K. Abdul Momen. The minister said that the island nation has requested another US$ 250 million currency swap. The Foreign minister is currently in Sri Lanka to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which got underway in Colombo today.

A currency swap is effectively a loan that Bangladesh will give to Sri Lanka in US dollars, with an agreement that the debt will be repaid with interest in Sri Lankan rupees. 

The Sri Lanka Federation of health workers (SLFHP) has warned of more island-wide action if the ministry of health continues to ignore their demands.

Trade unions in the state health sector have repeatedly engaged in strikes over the last few months in response to several unresolved issues including salaries and promotions.