Tamil fishermen in Poonakari carried out their third consecutive day of protest on Monday, as they continued to demonstrate against the construction of a sea cucumber farm which they say will adversely impact on local livelihoods.

The fishermen state that their livelihoods, and that of the many women-headed households in the area, would suffer from the impact of the new farm, crippling their ability to fish and catch crabs and shrimp.

In front of the Sri Lankan government’s fisheries and aquatic resources department’s office in Mullaitivu, Tamil fishermen have set up a camp to protest their illegal activities and demand a solution for the hardship they face.

“We will fight until they get a solution,” a representative of the Mullaitivu District Fishermen's Federation told Tamil Guardian’s journalists.

The Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay visited the Eastern province this week, where he met with locals and expressed willingness to increase Indian involvement in the region.

Bagal participated in a puja at the Koneswaram Temple in Tricomalee and reportedly “prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of the people of [Sri Lanka] and [India]”.

Tamil families of the disappeared marked Children's Day in Vavuniya on the 2050th day of their roadside protest as their campaign to know the whereabouts of their forcibly disappeared relatives continues.

“Children's Day is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness about the rights, education, and welfare of children.  But we are still searching for our children who were abducted by the Sri Lankan army.  Only the US and the European Union can provide justice and accountability for the Tamil genocide and war crimes," said one protester.

China donated 4.3 million Sri Lankan rupees to the University of Jaffna this week, as it continues to build engagement with the island’s Tamils.

Prof. S. Srisatkunarajah, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna, received the grant from Qi Zhenhong, the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, at the Chinese Embassy in Colombo.

Srisatkunarajah reportedly told the Chinese ambassador of the “historic links between Tamil and Chinese [people]”.

Departing Canadian ambassador, David Mackinnon, and French ambassador, Eric Lavertu, held separate meetings with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka is seeking the support of its allies at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for a vote on the upcoming UN resolution as the session comes to a close this week. 

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, who has been in Geneva to defend the island's human rights record, reportedly said the resolution is "unfair". 

Mahatma Gandhi's birthday was marked by the Consulate General of India in Jaffna with a cycle rally through the town.

The rally, part of ‘Gandhi Jayanti’ celebrations, started at the Gandhi statue in Jaffna Town and went to Jaffna College.

It began with the participation of the Indian officials Jaffna and religious leaders.

Today marks the birthday of Balachandran Prabhakaran, the third child of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was executed by the Sri Lankan military during the final days of the Mullivaikkal massacre.

Balachandran, who was born on the 1^st of October 1996, would be 26 years old today.

Aged just 12 years old, he was one of thousands of children killed by the Sri Lankan military. Leaked trophy photographs taken by Sri Lankan soldiers, show the child in their custody sitting with a snack in his hand, sitting on a bench surrounded by sandbags, in what looks like a fortified army position.

‘PS1’ is a screen adaptation of the Kalki Krishnamurthy epic serialised from 1950 to 1954, following the rise of the golden age of the Chozha dynasty in the 10th century AD – touted as the greatest empire in Indian history. We witness the events unfold following a prophecy told once a comet appears in the sky. The Chozha rulers are warned of the spilling of Chozha blood, which sets off a plot of treachery, treason and double crossing. The film travels with Vallavaraiyan Vanthiyathevan, portrayed excellently by Karthi, a trusted friend of the heir to the throne, Vikram’s Aditha Karikalan, who assumes the role of a messenger. Vanthiyathevan is the glue holding together the multiple concurrent stories in ‘PS1’, and the casting decision for the part was crucial for the success of the film. Karthi breezes through this role, playing the part as if it had been written with him in mind.