The number of arrests in connection with gang violence in Jaffna that police have reported do not match up with court registrar records in the district, giving rise to further criticism by local civil society that security forces are using the ruse of heightened criminal activity to justify a heavy police and military presence in the run up to Maaveerar Naal.

Last week, the police spokesperson Ruwan Gunawardene said that 41 individuals had been arrested in relation with gang violence and sword attacks. Later, Jaffna District’s Assistant Deputy Inspector General of Police stated that 81 had been arrested so far in recent crackdowns on gang violence.

Tamil fishermen in Batticaloa protested on Tuesday demanding their rights and livelihood be protected from tourism and encroachment from non-native fishermen.

The leader of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi, Maavai Senathirajah on Wednesday called on Tamils across the world to commemorate Maaveerar Naal on November 27 as a sacred day, inviting Tamils in the North-East to honour those who sacrificed their lives to the Tamil nation at Thuyilum Illams. 

"Without mixing politics into it, people should together to commemorate Maaveerar Naal as a sacred day," he told a press conference in Jaffna. 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will double its sovereign assistance during 2018-2022 said the bank’s vice-president Wencai Zhang.

Speaking ahead of his official tour of Sri Lanka, Mr Zhang said,

“ADB proposes to double its sovereign assistance to $800 million -$1 billion per year during 2018-2022. Hence the ADB will continue to invest in programs and projects in sectors where we have strong operational experience while exploring new areas that will put the country further towards reaching an Upper Middle Income Country (UMIC) status.”

Outlining the ADB’s two main focus points in Sri Lanka, Mr Zhang said,

Over 11,000 Sri Lankan soldiers who were considered Absent Without Leave (AWOL) reported themselved to their regiments during a month long army amnesty. 

Under the amnesty soldiers will be given legal discharge from the army. See more here. 

Despite over 8 years passing since the end of the armed conflict, Sri Lanka continues to spend a significant amount of its budget on defence. 

Sri Lanka's party leaders are to meet tomorrow to discuss the postponement of the local government elections after the Court of Appeal order halted the implementation of the gazette notification on delimitation until next month.  

The meeting comes as politicians from all main parties, including the UNP, SLFP and JVP condemn the postponement of the polls as unnecessary. 

See more here.

The Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi on Thursday during his visit to New Delhi to attend the Fifth Global Conference on Cyber Space. 

"Neighbourhood first. PM @narendramodi received Sri Lankan PM @RW_UNP at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, both countries share strong and close relations based on mutual trust and respect," India's Ministry of External Affairs tweeted. 

Details of the discussions remain unknown. However, the ongoing issue of the arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan navy personnel are expected to feature. 

A 'white van style' abduction of a Tamil youth which sparked fears in Jaffna was an arrest made by plain-clothes officers, Sri Lankan police have said.

A Tamil youth waiting at Jaffna bus stand was bundled into a white van on Tuesday evening. The incident which took place at rush-hour following the end of the working day had sparked fears in Jaffna, exacerbated by reports of spates of arrests in the run-up to Maaveerar Naal.

As news of the abduction spread, Koppay police announced on Wednesday morning that the alleged abduction was a case of plain-clothes officers making an arrest.

The Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Eastern University in view of encouraging the exchange of students and scholars. 

The professor of Tamil at MSU, G Stephen will be appointed 'subject expert' for two new courses at Eastern University on visual anthropology and Sri Lankan Tamil dances, The Hindu reported. 

Twenty students and two members of staff from the Swami Vibulanandar Aesthetic Studies of Eastern University will travel to the World Tamil Literature Demography conference in Tamil Nadu next year, the paper added. 

Further resting homes of fallen LTTE cadres (Thuyilum Illam) were cleared this week ahead of Tamil National Remembrance Day (Maaveerar Naal) on November 27. 

Former LTTE members, families of the Maaveerar and local residents fathered to clear the Sampur Aalankulam Thuyilum in Trincomalee as well as the Maavadimunmaari Thuyilum Illam in Batticaloa.