Thailand’s government has announced plans to hold urgent talks with Sri Lankan authorities to repatriate two Thai elephants that were gifted decades ago, following growing outrage over reports of their mistreatment and poor living conditions.

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara, told Parliament that over 700 acres of land in the North and East have been “returned to the public”, as the government continues to station tens of thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers in the region.

The Sri Lankan cabinet has approved a programme titled ‘Sri Lankan Day’, which it claims will promote “unity and understanding”, and declared that its organisation and implementation will be overseen by the Ministry of Buddhasasana.

A Sinhala Buddhist monk and head of the hardline Ravana Balaya organisation, Iththa Kande Saddhatissa, has launched a public attack on the National People’s Power (NPP) government over the appointment of Muneer Mulaffer as the new Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, describing the move as an attempt to “hurt the Sinhala-Buddhist people.”

During a parliamentary session, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) parliamentarian for the Vanni District, Dr P. Sathiyalingam, questioned the Sri Lankan government over the continued military occupation of civilian lands in Vavuniya - including the site of an LTTE cemetery.

The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has pledged to take legal action against the Sri Lankan military for the construction of an unauthorised military hospital on privately owned land in Vasavilan, Jaffna — an area still occupied under the guise of a so-called High-Security Zone.

Sri Lanka has extradited six persons who were arrested in Nepal in connection with the high-profile murder of underworld leader Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, widely known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa, who was shot dead inside a Colombo courthouse earlier this year.

Excavations at the Colombo Port mass grave, where over one hundred human skeletons have been unearthed, have officially concluded, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court was informed this week.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya concluded her first official visit to India last week, holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and delivering an address at the NDTV World Summit 2025 in New Delhi.

Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal has issued an interim injunction restraining Sundaralingam Kandipan from functioning as Mayor of the Vavuniya Urban Council and Parameswaran Karthipan from acting as Deputy Mayor, following allegations that both men were unlawfully appointed.

Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has summoned a senior Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) member for questioning over an old social media post, in yet another incident of authorities interrogating Tamil political activists.

A Sri Lankan opposition politician was shot dead inside his office in Weligama on Wednesday morning, marking the first assassination of a high-profile politician since Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government came to power last year.

The 25th anniversary of the murder of Tamil journalist Nimalarajan Mylvaganam was marked in Jaffna and Batticaloa this week, as his colleagues gathered to remember his life and demand justice for his killing. At both the Jaffna and Batticaloa Press clubs, Tamil journalists, activists and civil society colleagues fathered to light candles and garland a portrait of Nimalarajan, who was killed at his home in Jaffna 25 years ago.

Commemorative events were held in Jaffna on Tuesday to mark the 38th anniversary of one of the most horrific massacres committed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) during its occupation of the Tamil homeland — the killing of 68 civilians, including doctors, nurses, and patients, in October 1987.