Tamil journalist, Murugupillai Kokulathasan, has been released on bail today by Valaichenai Magistrate court, after being held in detention for over 470 days under the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

As the United Nations Human Rights Council continued to discuss Sri Lanka today, several member states including the United States and Britain expressed “concerns regarding the continued lack of progress on accountability” for mass atrocities on the island.

Whilst many states expressed concern at the situation in Sri Lanka, Colombo did however have some familiar defenders at the global body – including Russia and Belarus. Both states are currently under international scrutiny and widespread sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

British MP, Virendra Sharma, has joined a number of prominent British MPs who and Tamil activists who have called on the UK Foreign Secretary to impose Magnitsky style sanctions on Sri Lankan army commander, Shavendra Silva.

Sri Lanka is facing drug shortages due to unfavourable internal price controls and a worsening forex crisis making it harder for vendors to purchase drugs, leading to acute shortages of 5 per cent of medicines registered with the National Medicines Regulatory authority which includes paracetamol and drugs for diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. 

The Sri Lanka Chamber of Pharmaceuticals industry (SLCPI) has noted that banks are reluctant to open letters of credit to import drugs. 

Recently sacked Sri Lankan ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila reportedly declared war on the government and warned to expose who was the ‘main cause’ of the island’s crisis. 

On Thursday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sacked Weerawansa from his role as Industries Minister and Gammanpila from his position as Energy Minister as the island grapples with it's worsening economic crisis. 

The British government said it will continue to support engagement between the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Sri Lanka on accountability and human rights, when questioned on the UK's plans to pursue an international investigation into rights abuses.

Sri Lanka's power regulator had sought USD $150 million from the Sri Lankan central bank, in order to import fuel for the next two months but no response has been received forcing power cuts of over 7 hours. 

The public utility Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had also instructed the central bank to provide the necessary foreign exchange but it had not happened. 

Farmers in Mannar have been unable to harvest their crops this week due to Sri Lanka’s ongoing fuel shortage. 

Sri Lanka’s fuel crisis has left farmers in the Nanattan and Musali areas without fuel that is desperately needed for their tractors and harvesters for the crops that are ready to be harvested. 

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) marked the 14th anniversary of the assassination of Tamil MP K Sivanesan in Vadamarachchi and Batticaloa today. 

A former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) intelligence chief, Thangavelu Nimalan has been sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly possessing 2 kilograms of high explosives. 

Colombo High Court delivered the sentence on Friday after a case was filed against Nimalan in 2011.  

A number of other cases have also been filed against Nimalan, including an alleged claymore attack on a Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) truck on May 28, 2007 in Ratmalana.

These allegations remain under investigation.