Singer Yohani Diloka de Silva embroiled herself in further controversy this week after footage of her singing for Sri Lanka’s war crimes accused president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and shaking hands with the US-sanctioned army chief Shavendra Silva were shared online.

The singer, who faced criticism over her repeated public praise of her father - Sri Lankan army Major General Prasanna De Silva who is yet another a military commander credibly accused of overseeing war crimes – recently returned from India, where she met with Tamil Nadu based recording artists. Her visit stirred controversy with Tamil Nadu film composer Harris Jayaraj hastily deleting a photograph with Sri Lankan singer.

A blood donation camp was organised ahead of Children’s Day by graduates of 2015 of Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalayam in memory of students who lost their lives during the armed struggle. The blood donation took place at the Kilinochchi Regional Health Services Department for the eighth consecutive year on Sunday.

Photo of army-seized agricultural land in Jaffna

Tamil journalist, Pragas Gnanapragasam was remembered in Jaffna yesterday after passing away from coronavirus last month. 

The memorial was held at his home in Kodikamam and was attended by colleagues, clergy and politicians who lit lamps to pay tribute to the journalist. 

Fishermen in over 100 boats sailed from Mullaitivu to Point Pedro, calling on Sri Lankan authorities to implement a law banning trawlers. 

Trawling, which is a major threat to marine life, was banned in 2017 through the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, however the legislation has not been fully implemented. 

The United Kingdom’s (UK) Permanent Representative to the UN Barbara Woodward expressed her country’s condemnation of “any act of intimidation or reprisal, whether online or offline, against individuals and groups who cooperate, seek to cooperate, or have cooperated with the UN.” 

^{Photo credit: dailymirror.lk}

Wickramasinghe receiving his new rank insignia from Army Commander Shavendra Silva

Major Chandana Wickramasinghe, an accused war criminal, was amongst the 567 officers and 10,386 other ranks promoted on Sri Lanka’s ‘Army Day’ last week. 

^{Naravane with Shavendra Silva}

A Sri Lankan court has once more extended the remand of 10 Tamil men and women arrested under the widely condemned Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), for a memorial ceremony they held on May 18 to commemorate the thousands of Tamils killed by Sri Lankan security forces.

Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be travelling to the United Kingdom for the first time since taking office to attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26 in Glasgow next month, with protests expected to greet his arrival.

Foreign affairs minister G L Peiris told the Daily Mirror that Rajapaksa would be attending COP26 “at the invitation of the British Prime Minister”.

This would be Rajapaksa’s first high profile public visit to the United Kingdom, with British Tamils across the country already planning demonstrations and protests.

Amidst a state of economic crisis, Sri Lanka has joined countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Kenya in refusing to sign the US-backed global minimum tax.

British Tamils from across the country have paid tribute to Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West and member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, who was stabbed to death whilst meeting with his constituents at a church in Leigh-on-Sea. 

In response to his tragic death, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed the country's sorrowing stating  "our hearts are full of shock and sadness" at the loss of "one of the kindest" people in politics. He further added that Amess had an "outstanding record of passing laws to help the most vulnerable".