<p>An altercation occurred between Tamil Nadu fishermen and the Sri Lankan navy on Sunday morning as a navy officer attempting to board and search a boat was pushed overboard by the fishermen, Dinamani reports.</p> <p>The Sri Lankan navy attempted to apprehend the fishermen in the sea between Kachaitheevu and Neduntheevu. An officer who boarded and attempted to search one of the boats was pushed overboard by the fishermen.</p> <p>Navy personnel fired shots in the air as Tamil Nadu fishermen sailed away, causing the whole group of over 3000 fishermen in over 540 boats to cut their nets and sail back to Rameswaram.</p>

British Tamil students held the 'Breaking The Silence' series last month, raising awareness on the stuggles of maintaining Tamil culture and traditions amid ethnic and cultural oppression by the Sri Lankan state. 

Across Maaveerar Week (Great Heroe's Week) in November, the Tamil Students Initiative (TSI) held a series of events at universities across London, which included an art exhibition on displacement, talks on the ongoing military oppression in the North-East and discussions on identity within the diaspora, as well as a book club. 

<p>Sri Lanka's government is looking to restart talks on funding that was stalled during the two months of political turmoil following the president's sacking of the prime minister and attempted dissolution of parliament.&nbsp;</p> <p>"We will commence re-negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Millennium Challenge Corporation of USA and the Japan International Corporation Agency for the stalled funds in January 2019 now that the Constitutional crisis has been democratically overcome," State Minister of Finance, Eran Wickremeratne said on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sri Lanka's Election Commissioner has said the provincial council polls must be held before April 31, 2019.&nbsp;</p> <p>"It would be a violation of human rights if the polls are not held within the said time frame," Mahinda Deshapriya told Sunday Times.&nbsp;</p> <p>Deshapriya noted that 60 days is sufficient to organise the election, and Rs 4000 million would be required.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two Tamil youths were arrested on Friday by police in Palai, Jaffna.&nbsp;</p> <p>According to the police the youths were found in possession of swords and were involved in gang fights.&nbsp;</p> <p>Officers raided a house during the early hours of Friday, following a tip off. Some youths managed to escape the police arrest.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sri Lankan security personnel clashed with Chinese workers at the Chatham Street construction site in Colombo yesterday, the <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Clash-at-a-construction-site-in-Colom…">Daily Mirror</a> reports.&nbsp;</p> <p>Three security personnel were said to be involved in the clash with two Chinese workers following an argument on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police officers at every station in the Jaffna district have had their leave cancelled until further notice.</p> <p>The announcement was made to all officers-in-charge by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for the Northern Province on Thursday.</p> <p>The DIG reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of growing crime in the district, including gang violence and robberies, and said that leave would not be granted until the problems had been appropriately dealt with.</p>

The wife of a detained former LTTE cadre has said that she was threatened and forced by Sri Lankan police to drop her hunger strike protest calling for her husband’s release.

Rajakumarar Selvarany had begun a hunger strike protest in Batticaloa’s Gandhi Park with her four children, calling for the release of her husband Kathirgamathamby Rajakumarar alias Ajanthan, a former LTTE cadre who was arrested purportedly in connection with the murders of two Sri Lankan police officers in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa.

Five youths in Jaffna and one man in Kilinochchi were arrested this week over the alleged possession of drugs. 

Sri Lanka's Special Task Force (STF) reported that 153.8kg of cannabis and Rs 10 lakhs were confiscated from the man arrested in the Pannankandi area of Kilinochchi.  

<p>Eight Tamil Nadu fishermen, arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on December 17, were released on Thursday with a severe caution.&nbsp;</p> <p>The hearing took place at Kayts court, with Justice A Judson presiding.&nbsp;</p> <p>The lawyer for the fishermen argued that they were forced to cross the border due to rough seas.&nbsp;</p> <p>The latest incident is part of a long history of animosity towards Indian fishermen from the Sri Lankan navy, which has occasionally led to violent attacks and the arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen.</p>