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.

The US Embassy in Colombo announced the visit of Admiral Steve Koehler, a 4-star U.S. Navy Admiral and Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, who is in the country today to "affirm the strong partnership between the US and Sri Lanka" adding that this visit is the highest-level US military visit to Sri Lanka since 2021. 

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reiterated the need for international action in Sri Lanka to ensure justice for rights violations, after the extension of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on Sri Lanka, which focuses on collecting evidence that could be used in future war crimes trials.

HRW underscored the importance of the resolution in addressing both past atrocities and ongoing violations in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister and Cabinet Spokesperson Vijitha Herath recently addressed reporters in Colombo, clarifying that his government has yet to make any decisions regarding Indian projects on the island, including the controversial Adani wind power project in Mannar.

A team of Sri Lankan police officers from Colombo was deployed to Mullivaikkal this week to excavate a section of the sports ground in the eastern part of the area, where they claim weapons used by the LTTE are still buried.

The police stated that their mission was conducted under a directive from the Colombo courts.

A schoolgirl died this week, after falling to death from the Lotus Tower in Colombo in what appears to be a suicide.

Image from Daily News lk

A schoolgirl died this week, after falling to death from the Lotus Tower in Colombo in what appears to be a suicide.

The increasing encroachment of farming lands in Pulmoddai by the Sri Lankan state has led to the arrest of two farmers, Nakeeb and Sadiq, by the Kuchchaveli Police. The farmers were detained on charges of farming in what has been deemed an archaeological area, a claim they strongly contest.

The UK government has agreed to offer Tamil asylum seekers who have been stranded on Diego Garcia a temporary move to Romania, just days after it agreed to transfer sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) to Mauritius.

After six months of stay in Romania, the Tamil asylum seekers could potentially be transferred over to the UK, a request that they have made for years.

Tamil asylum seekers have been protesting for 87 days in Melbourne, Australia, as they continue to demand permanent visa protection. 

Protests began outside the Department of Home Affairs in Melbourne on July 15 2024 as thousands of asylum seekers are living on temporary visas which are required to be renewed regularly.