In a move that has raised concerns over government scrutiny of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has signed an agreement to expand the exchange of information on investigations and prosecutions involving money laundering, terrorist financing, and related activities connected to NGOs.

Hundreds of fishermen from Tamil Nadu staged a roadblock on the Pamban bridge in Rameshwaram, demanding the immediate release of 23 local fishermen detained by the Sri Lankan Navy. This protest, amidst growing tensions, was coupled with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s written request to the Indian central government to intervene and curb the recurring arrests of Tamil fishermen.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the annual BRICS summit last month in the southwestern city of Kazan – a three-day gathering with leaders from 36 countries, as well as the UN Secretary General in attendance.

The leader of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), a Tamil nationalist party in India, has called for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka in light of the ongoing Palk Strait disputes and brutality against Tamil fishermen. Speaking to reporters on Monday, the NTK leader, Senthamizhan Seeman, urged the Indian Government to impose economic sanctions against Sri Lanka. Seeman specifically referred to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's statement that Indian fishermen crossing the border illegally would 'face firm action'.

The Russian Embassy in Colombo has addressed recent media reports suggesting that Sri Lanka’s application for BRICS membership had been rejected, clarifying that no final decision has been made. According to an official statement from the embassy, Sri Lanka’s application to join the BRICS coalition—which comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—is still under consideration.

Tamil residents of Keppapulavu presented a petition to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, demanding the release of lands currently under military occupation.

The petition was handed over during the Prime Minister’s visit to an election campaign rally held by the National People’s Power (NPP) at Puthukkudiyirippu. The Sri Lankan military continues to occupy swathes of land belonging to Tamils in the North-East. 

Eelam Tamil residents, alongside civil society organizations, gathered in Olaithoduvai, Mannar last week to oppose government-led soil sampling for a controversial mining project.

The Association for the Families of the Disappeared issued a reminder to Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake, urging him to take concrete actions rather than making election-time promises this week.

In a media briefing held in Vavuniya, the group emphasized the urgency of releasing Tamil political prisoners and returning Tamil-owned lands, demands which say cannot wait for electoral cycles.

Plainclothes Sri Lankan police officers arrived at the family home of exiled Tamil journalist Punniyamoorthy Sasikaran and subjected his elderly father to intense interrogation, recording his statement for more than an hour, as the harassment of Tamil media workers continued.

This unsettling visit is connected to an ongoing court case involving allegations against journalists who were reporting on a protest led by farmers against former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe last year.

Sri Lanka’s president Anura Kumara Dissanayake allegedly transported bus loads of Sinhalese supporters to Jaffna yesterday, as he spoke of “uniting all Sri Lankans under one flag” to crowds at a rally in the North-East.

^{A photograph of Sinhala supporters in a bus from outside of Jaffna, as Sri Lanka's president came to the Tamil North-East this weekend.}