It has been a week of mixed messaging from Washington on Sri Lanka. In Geneva on Wednesday, the United States as a leading member of the Core Group, successfully led a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on accountability for war crimes and called for an end to impunity on the island. But in Colombo the very next day, the US gifted the military responsible for those very war crimes a brand new aircraft, whilst pledging to build closer ties. These seemingly hypocritical actions are not new.

TJ Gnanavel’s previous feature film, Surya starrer ‘Jai Bhim’ was received with widespread acclaim, causing a movement to submit the film as India’s official selection for the Academy Award for Best International Feature. The film did not work for me, however, and the entire movement felt like an extreme overreaction for a mediocre film - an issue which plagues the Tamil film industry, where the ‘message’ of a film often trumps the quality of it.

In a significant political development ahead of Sri Lanka's parliamentary on November 14, several senior members of the Rajapaksa family have reportedly decided not to contest the upcoming polls.

Former Presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, along with former MPs Basil and Chamal Rajapaksa, will not participate in the parliamentary elections.

The 37th commemoration of the death of 2nd Lt. Maalathy, the first female fighter to die in the ranks of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was held across the North-East this week.

2nd Lt. Maalathy, died at the age of 20 on October 10, 1987, during a battle with the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) in Jaffna. As the first female combatant of the LTTE to die in battle, her death marked a pivotal moment in the Tamil armed struggle, embedding her legacy deeply within the Tamil community.

Sri Lanka's newly elected government has announced plans to reconsider a wind power project in Mannar previously approved for India's Adani Group.

This was revealed during a Supreme Court hearing on Monday, following a Cabinet meeting on October 7. The review comes as part of a broader reassessment of decisions made by the previous administration.

At a ceremony held at the Sri Lanka Air Force Base in Katunayake, U.S. Navy Admiral Steve Koehler, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, officially handed over a Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), as he celebrated increasing military cooperation between the two countries

The legal battle involving Mullaitivu Media Association President and Mullaitivu District Journalist Shanmugam Thavaseelan continues in Sri Lankan courts, with the next hearing scheduled for January next year. During the most recent court case, the navy officer who was summoned to appear and testify failed to show up. 

British MP Uma Kumaran has called on the UK government to prioritise the “safety and dignity” of Tamil asylum seekers who are stranded on Diego Garcia. 

The Stratford and Bow MP’s statement follows an agreement by the UK government to offer 56 Tamil asylum seekers a temporary move to Romania, before potentially being moved to the UK. 

The Tamil Youth Conference 2024, organized by the International Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO), was held in Ennepetal, Germany, over the past weekend, bringing together over 200 Tamil youth from across Europe.

Attendees from countries such as Germany, Norway, France, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom gathered to address key issues impacting both the Tamil diaspora and the Tamil homeland.

Today marks thirty-seven 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.

Across the world, the day is being commemorated as Tamil Women’s Day, an opportunity to honour women’s involvement in the fight for Tamil rights.