The leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and parliamentarian Sivagnanam Shritharan recently met the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tamil Nadu state president, Nainar Nagenthran in India during a three-day visit in which discussions centred on the political and livelihood challenges facing Tamils in the North-East of Sri Lanka.

According to a statement issued by MP Shritharan, the talks ranged across a number of contemporary issues confronting the Tamil people among them the demolition of ancestral Tamil Hindu temples and the construction of Buddhist viharas in their place, the skeletal remains being exhumed at the Chemmani mass grave, and efforts to secure justice for the alleged genocide committed against the Tamil people.

The statement said the two sides had also discussed a lasting settlement to the Tamil national question.

“There was an extensive exchange of views between both sides on a permanent political solution for the Eelam Tamils and the political aspirations of the Tamil people.”

The two had agreed to continue such meetings and consultations in future, the statement added, and Shritharan was hosted for lunch during the visit.

Also present was the veteran Tamil political figure K. S. Radhakrishnan, described in the statement as having more than fifty years of experience in Tamil political affairs, along with the BJP’s Tamil Nadu state secretary and several senior party representatives.

Nagenthran, a former Tamil Nadu state minister, has headed the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit since April 2025 and is leading the party’s bid to unseat the governing DMK in the state.

Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) yesterday (24) said that over 5,000 Sri Lankans, working in Israel, had been affected by action taken by the Israeli government against Global Remit Currency Services, a major remittances service provider.

The SLBFE said that the problem had arisen due to the Israeli government suspending the company on May 13, 2026. Altogether 11,400 foreigners working in Israel had been affected, SLBFE said, adding that of them 5,100 were Sri Lankans.

The SLBFE urged various interested parties not to propagate that the Sri Lankan workers had lost their money due to hacking.

Earlier, Opposition MP D.V. Chanaka raised concerns over a possible cyber-related issue affecting remittances sent by Sri Lankan workers in Israel.

Chanaka claimed that a significant number of Sri Lankan workers, in Israel, had been unable to access funds remitted during April and May, with the money allegedly remaining unavailable to recipients in Sri Lanka.

“There are many Sri Lankan workers in Israel who continue to work despite risks to their own safety. On average, one worker sends around US$3,000 per month,” he said.

Global Remit Currency Services, a company specialising in international money transfers, has filed an urgent request with the Central District Court for a temporary stay of proceedings and the appointment of administrators after accumulating debts of approximately NIS 35 million ($12.4M).

According to the company, it became insolvent almost overnight after being barred from operating following a police investigation into suspected money laundering offences.

The SLBFE said that altogether funds amounting to USD 6.9 mn had been held up due to the legal action faced by the Israeli company.

It said the money couldn’t be secured until the liquidation process in respect of the relevant company ended.

The US has declared Sri Lanka Navy as partner of their Indo-Pacific strategy. The declaration was made onboard SLNS Gajabahu, formerly of the US Coast Guard, at the Colombo harbour early this week.

A statement issued by the US Embassy, in Colombo, quoted US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Paul Kapur, as having said on 22 June: “Today we announced the delivery of US satellite communications technology to the Sri Lanka Navy, our Indo-Pacific partner. This secure, real-time connection —representing a transformational upgrade for the Sri Lanka Navy— will be available aboard their entire fleet of offshore patrol vessels and ensures no communication gap at sea. It will allow our Sri Lanka partners to respond quickly to emergencies, protect the cargo ships that fuel our economy, and disrupt illegal activity across the Indian Ocean before it reaches our shores.”

Since 2005, SLN has taken delivery of four ex-US Coast Guard vessels, with the latest transfer taking place recently.

Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), Deputy Minister of Defence and Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, hosted Assistant Secretary Kapur aboard the vessel, where they discussed maritime cooperation and the role of advanced US communications technology in safeguarding international shipping lanes, supporting regional disaster response, and countering illicit activity across the Indian Ocean. With Fleet Broadband, the Sri Lanka Naval fleet will be better equipped to work seamlessly with partner nations to promote peace and security at sea, whether in joint exercises or real-world missions.

The Embassy announced that delivery of comprehensive Fleet Broadband system — manufactured by Cobham and Inmarsat — valued at approximately $4 million (over LKR 1.2 billion) for installation across the Sri Lanka Navy’s fleet of offshore patrol vessels. Powered by advanced US satellite communications technology, Fleet Broadband enables secure ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications, ensuring reliable voice, data, and information sharing while operating far beyond coastal range. The system will enable the Sri Lanka Navy to maintain real-time connectivity with headquarters, aircraft, and other vessels across vast maritime areas, including remote regions of the Indian Ocean. This capability will strengthen maritime domain awareness, improve operational coordination, support emergency response, help interdict vessels engaged in illicit trafficking, track sanctioned vessels, and protect critical supply lines that underpin regional and global commerce.