Today marks thirty-three years since the death of 2nd Lt. Maalathy, the first female fighter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lose her life in the Tamil armed struggle.

During a meeting between senior Chinese diplomats and the Rajapaksa administration in Colombo on Friday, the Chinese diplomats pledged to strengthen economic ties with Sri Lanka and to defend the country at “international fora including United Nations Human Rights Council”, reports the Sri Lankan President’s Media Division.

Speaking at a memorial for Lt. Col Thileepan, who died in 1987 during an 11-day hunger strike to demand that India fulfil its promises to the Tamil people, former President of the Irish Republican party Sinn Fein, Des Dalton, maintained support for the Tamil community and their struggle for “national sovereignty, independence and autonomy”.

Tamil politicians from the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have called for the upholding of the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord, in the wake of renewed discussion between India and Sri Lanka around the 13^th Amendment and devolution of power to Tamil regions of the island.

The head of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said the Tamil people will hold India to account over pledges made in Accord, as he addressed Sri Lanka’s parliament this week.

Excavations were carried out today on the land of an individual who claimed to have weapons believed to have been buried by the LTTE in the Vadduvaakal area under the Mullaitivu Police Division in the Mullaitivu District.

Permission was obtained from the Mullaitivu District Court, following which the Special Task Force (STF), police, army and investigators conducted the excavation. 

However, the excavation ended in failure as no materials were found in the area.

Sri Lankan shares have had their worst day in 16 years, as a new outbreak of coronavirus infections in the Island weighed on the markets and triggered a trading halt for thirty minutes.

The benchmark CSE All Share Index ended down 7.65% at 5,587.18. The worst intraday percentage lost since 6 April 2004.

Trading on the Colombo Stock Exchange was halted earlier on the 5 October for thirty minutes after the S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index fell over 7.5% from its previous close.

Popular Kollywood actor Vijay Sethupathi is facing growing criticism online after announcing that he was “honoured” to play the leading role in a film on the life of controversial Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan.

“Honoured to be a part of this landmark project,” posted the actor on social media channels as he announced that the reported sport biopic on the cricketer would be coming soon. "Vijay Sethupathi is Muthiah Muralidaran," read the poster.

The United Kingdom said it is “concerned about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka” as a minister spoke on threats faced by human rights defenders on the island earlier today.

Responding to a question on Britain’s engagement with Sri Lanka, Minister of State at the Foreign Office Nigel Adams said the UK is “concerned about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including instances of harassment, intimidation and surveillance of civil society groups and human rights defenders”.

Responding to a statement by US ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina B. Teplitz, which expressed concern over Sri Lanka’s trading relationship with China, China’s Embassy in Sri Lanka has hit back against claiming it was a “despicable attempt to manipulate others” diplomatic relations.

The Chinese embassy further attacked the US claiming that it was guilty of applying a double standard. They went on to offer “helpful advice”

“-Don’t slander other countries’ work in fighting pandemic while topping the world in COVID-19 cases.

<p>Australia has continued the detention of a Sri Lankan catholic refugee for over 11 years despite acknowledging a need to protect him.</p> <p>The refugee, given the pseudonym Alex by the Guardian to protect his anonymity, has been detained for over eleven years by Australian immigration authorities. Alex, a Sinhala catholic, was previously kidnapped and tortured because of his association with an opposition political party whilst his business associate was abducted by Sri Lanka’s security forces, before later being found dead.</p>