British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the United Kingdom will formally recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless Israel takes urgent action to halt its military assault on Gaza and commits to a sustainable peace.

Former Sri Lankan President and credibly accused war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed the Supreme Court that he is willing to testify in the habeas corpus case relating to the 2011 enforced disappearance of human rights activists Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan - but has requested that proceedings be held in Colombo, citing “security concerns.”

Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah has made history as the first Tamil to enter the Australian Senate, following her official signing of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) Caucus book during the 48th Parliament.

Sri Lanka has announced visa fee waivers for travellers from 40 countries in a bid to revive its struggling tourism sector - among them Israel, despite international concern over war crimes being committed in Gaza.

As pressure mounts for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate into the Syrian military, representatives have rejected demands to disarm and surrender key regions in the northeast, calling it a “red line”. 

As the conflict between Sudan’s military factions rages on, the country faces a deepening humanitarian disaster, with famine conditions emerging and a new power struggle threatening further instability.

In a landmark ruling, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ordered the owners and affiliated companies of the X-Press Pearl cargo vessel to pay USD 1 billion in compensation for the environmental devastation and economic losses caused by the catastrophic maritime disaster that unfolded off the island’s western coast in 2021.

An incident of religious disruption was reported on 24 July at the historic Kanniya Hot Springs Shivan Temple in Trincomalee, where a Sinhala-Buddhist monk attempted to impose unauthorised restrictions during Aadi Amavasai observances.

A peaceful march demanding justice for mass graves uncovered across the North-East was held on Thursday, 24 July, by the Union of Mass Organisations in Mannar.

Two of Israel’s most prominent human rights organisations have issued landmark reports this week, accusing the Israeli government of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and calling on the international community to intervene.

Sri Lanka’s National Police Commission (NPC) has dismissed former State Intelligence Service (SIS) chief and Deputy Inspector General of Police Nilantha Jayawardena from service, following a disciplinary inquiry into his role in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 270 people.

Retired Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) of Police Priyantha Jayakody has been remanded until 6 August by the Mahara Magistrate’s Court, following his arrest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on allegations of filing a false complaint involving an underworld threat.

A commemoration was held in Karaitivu, Amparai this week to mark 42 years since the 1983 Black July pogrom, with local officials and residents paying tribute to the thousands of Tamils who were killed during the state-orchestrated violence.

Sri Lanka is preparing to launch a new licensing round for offshore oil exploration in the Mannar Basin, Energy Minister Kumar Jayakody announced in parliament on Thursday.