The unemployment rate in Jaffna has climbed to 21 percent said the Jaffna District Secretary K. Mahesan on Monday, as he revealed thousands had registered as job seekers in the district.

Mahesan quoted the figures from a Central Bank of Sri Lanka report, which reveals the unemployment rate in the district has almost tripled in the last year alone.

A ruling from the Madras High Court has found that the principles of the controversial 2019 Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) applies to “Hindu Tamils of Sri Lanka”, in a ruling that may pave the way for Eelam Tamils to be granted Indian citizenship.

A former Indian special forces Major spoke of how his own father, a retired colonel, raised a salute to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as he returned from “the most challenging” deployment of his career with the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).

Speaking on The Ranveer Show, Maj. Abhay Sapru recalled his time with the IPKF when they it was deployed to the North-East and his experience with the LTTE.

A protest was held in Batticaloa on Saturday, denouncing the Sri Lankan government’s offer of Rs. 200,00 compensation for relatives of those who had been forcibly disappeared or abducted by state forces.

The protest, which marched through Batticaloa, was led by  Thambirasa Selvarani, President of the Amparai Distrcit Missing Persons' Association, and had representatives from all three districts in the Eastern Province.

An event was held in Nyborg by the Demark Tamil Women’s Organization to mark the Tamil Eelam Women’s uprising Day and the 35^th death anniversary of 2^nd Lt. Maalathy, the first female fighter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lose her life in the Tamil armed struggle.

The event has started with the raising of the Tamil Eelam flag and floral tributes were offered to martyrs of the liberation struggle, including Lt. Colonel Kumarappa, Lt. Ekachudar and Lt Colonel Pulendran.

A Tamil woman tearfully called on the Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiyagarajah to release her husband, who was detained by Sri Lankan authorities under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) more than 12 years ago.

“My children are living without a father for 12 years now,” she told reporters.

“They have reached the age of marrying,” she added, calling for the release of her husband so that he could at least attend their son’s wedding.

Newly built statues of Swami Vipulananda and Bharathiyar were unveiled in Jaffna earlier this month.

The inauguration ceremonies for the opening of the statues were attended by local figures including Mayor of Jaffna, Viswalingam Manivannan and Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna Professor S. Srisatkunarajah.

A commemoration event was held to commemorate the victims of 1987 massacre by the Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) in Jaffna.

Makkal Needhi Maiam party leader Kamal Haasan met with Tamil National Alliance MP Sivagnanam Shritharan, where the two discussed the Sri Lankan military occupation of the North-East and the prospect of autonomy for Eelam Tamils.

According to a press release from the actor-turned-politician’s party, the two discussed how Tamils in the North-East are still fighting for autonomy at their meeting in Tamil Nadu earlier today.

Shritharan also spoke of the Sri Lankan military’s ongoing occupation across the North-East.

The US Department of Defense has donated medical equipment to the Sri Lankan Health Ministry to support the urgent medical needs of the country.

US Ambassador Julie Chung participated today in the donation from the U.S. Department of Defense to the Ministry of Health at the Base Hospital in Panadura after meeting with the Minister of Health Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella.