Seven Tamil People’s Party representatives who met in Jaffna at a private hotel said they would announce the name of the Tamil Common candidate by next Thursday.

The representatives who gathered in the afternoon deliberated for four long hours but failed to reach a consensus during this meeting. Some members who were present and spoke to the press following the meeting said that former TNA parliamentarian Chandrakanthan Chandraneru’s name has been shortlisted and may likely be chosen. 

The Indian government summoned Sri Lanka’s representative and lodged a “strong protest,” after one Tamil Nadu fisherman was killed and another remains missing, following a confrontation with the Sri Lankan navy last week.

^{File photograph. Eelam Tamil fishermen protesting in 2021.}

In the last two months alone, Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 84 foreigners who were allegedly operating online scamming compounds in the south if the island – including in hotels along the tourist-filled coasts.

The latest announcement comes as the island seems to be the latest base of activity for online fraud, similar to those in Myanmar and Cambodia.

Ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential election, US Ambassador, Julie Chung, met with accused war criminal and candidate for the presidency, Sarath Fonseka.

On X, Chung claimed that they discussed the "political and economic environment" ahead of the election. Fonseka expressed his gratitude for her visit and noted that he looked forwards t further working with the US.

Following a collective agreement amongst Tamil political parties, leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan(TMTK) CV Wigneswaran has accused Tamil lawmaker MA Sumanthiran of being the sole opponent of fielding a common Tamil canidate at the upcoming presidential election, which will be held on 21st   September. 

Australia's Attorney General department was pressed during a public hearting this week on its failure to impose sanctions on Sri Lankan war criminal Jagath Jayasuriya, who entered the country in 2019 after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) failed to investigate his war crimes. 

The US military will join hands with the Sri Lankan Air Force and conduct a military exercise next week, despite ongoing human rights abuses and a history of atrocities.

The Montana National Guard, US Pacific Air Forces, Sri Lanka Air Force and members of the Maldives National Defense Force, are scheduled to conduct a joint military exercise which according to the US mission in Colombo is to be better prepared and respond to "natural and man-made disasters".

India's biggest budget airline IndiGo has announced that it would begin daily direct flights between Chennai and Jaffna next month, as it praised the Northern city’s “vibrant Tamil heritage”.

The move will significantly increase connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Tamil Eelam, with a flight time of just 75 minutes between the two cities. Jaffna will be the second destination in Sri Lanka after Colombo for IndiGo, the airline said in a statement.