Responding to a question raised by the Chair of the International Development Committee, Sarah Champion, on the travel options afforded to migrants accompanied on Diego Garcia, British Minister of State, Jesse Norman, asserted that they were “not in detention and are free to leave at any time”.

Sri Lanka’s president claimed that protestors are taking children to demonstrations as “human shields”, comparing it to Sri Lanka’s military offensive in 2009 that killed tens of thousands of Tamil civilians.

Ranil Wickremesinghe’s comments came in the wake of Sri Lankan police violence against protestors in Colombo on Sunday, including incidents captured on camera of children caught in the melee.

The Sri Lankan government has been accused of doing “very little to assist” a group of Eelam Tamils who were captured by Russian forces in Ukraine and tortured for months, after a senior Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry official slammed the group as “illegal migrants”.

Research from the University of Peradeniya has revealed that close to half of Sri Lanka's population, 42% (9.6 million people), are living under the poverty line.

Speaking to reporters, Economic professor Wasantha Athukorala of Peradeniya University, explained that this is a dramatic increase of over three-hold across the past three years. In 2019, nearly 3 million people lived below the poverty line, but that number has increased to 9.6 million in October 2022, he explained.

Sri Lanka’s cabinet has reportedly approved a proposal to downgrade its economic status to "low income country" whilst the president's office claimed Sri Lanka will remain a middle-income country, as the government continues to tackle a deep economic crisis.

Sri Lanka’s cabinet spokesman initially said on Tuesday that the move to downgrade the island to "low income" on the World Bank list, would ensure that “access to funding would be easier”.

Tamils in Vavuniya complained that the Motor Traffic Department office in the city continues to be staffed by officials who speak Sinhala only, leaving many local residents frustrated.

With a lack of Tamil speaking staff, or policies in place, locals face severe difficulties with routine tasks such as renewing driving licenses and other services.

Despite repeated complaints, including from local politicians, Sinhala only services remain in place across the North-East.

The former Norwegian peace envoy to Sri Lanka Erik Solheim has taken up a new role in Sri Lanka, having been named “International Climate Adviser” to current president Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Solheim tweeted photographs of a meeting with Wickremesinghe, claiming “the President has a great vision for green economic revocery (sic) and for Sri Lankan climate leadership!”

He went on to add that he was “proud” to be appointed to the role.

Victims of the Pirambadi massacre, committed by Indian Peace Keeping Force troops (IPKF) on 11th and 12th of October 1987, were remembered in a ceremony in Jaffna earlier today.

Relatives of the massacres paid tributes by lighting lamps and placing flowers before a banner with their names, marking one of the first massacres of Eelam Tamils by Indian troops.

The IPKF arrived in 1987 and soon began committing many atrocities against Tamil civilians as they were deployed across the North-East.

A Tamil mother in Jaffna has reportedly handed her 15-year-old son to the Sri Lankan police, stating that he has become addicted to heroin.

The heart-breaking move, which was reported in the Tamil press, comes amidst a growing concern over illegal drug use and addiction across the North-East. With a lack of support for those suffering from drug addiction, families are left with almost nowhere to turn for help.

As many as 10-drug related deaths are reported to have occurred in Jaffna within the span of the last three months.

A commemoration event was held to mark thirty-five 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, at the site where she was killed.

She was killed at the age of 20, on the 10th of October 1987, during a confrontation with the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) in Jaffna.

Velan Swami offered floral tributes and lit lamps in Koppay this week.