Following weeks of contentious discussions and fracturing of the Tamil National Alliance, Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), PLOTE and TELO confirmed on Sunday they would be submitting nominations for the upcoming local government elections as the TNA. 

The coalition will be contesting under the house symbol of the ITAK. 

Earlier this week there were reports that TELO had decided to leave the TNA for the upcoming polls over disagreements about the allocation of seats. However, the issues were later resolved. 

A Tamil journalist was attacked in Mullaitivu on Friday night.

Three people on a motorcycle attempted to block the journalist, Subramaniam Baskaran while he was driving his motorcycle in the Pandiankulam area of Mankulam in Mullaitivu.

Although Mr Baskaran attempted to swerve the assailants and continue driving, he was chased by the motorcycle, which he noted did not have a registration plate.

Mr Baskaran sustained injuries to his head and arm as the attackers attempted to beat him with clubs.

After managing to flee, Mr Baskaran sought refuge in the three-wheeler park at Mankulam junction.

Tamils in Qatar held a commemoration event to mark Maaveerar Naal last month.

See photos from the event below.

Events were held in Malaysia to mark Maaveerar Naal last month, joining Tamils across the world to remember those who fought for the liberation of the Tamil nation.

See photos from the various events below.

Dozens of events were held across Tamil Nadu last month to mark Maaveerar Naal, with thousands attending memorial services across the state.

See a selection of pictures from events organised by politicians and local community groups in various locations below.

Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday assured the former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa of his security during the upcoming elections. 

Mr Wickremesinghe said 154 police personnel had been assigned to Mr Rajapaksa, including one ASP, one chief inspector and nine inspectors. 

The former president, Chandrika Kumaratunga has 61 police personnel assigned to her, he added. 
 

Sri Lanka's parliament on Friday approved tax exemptions for the Chinese led development of Hambantota port. 

“Today the parliament approved two motions... to grant certain tax incentives to those two companies operating the Hambantota port,” the country's Ports Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told Reuters.

The development is to take place as a joint venture between China Merchants Port Holdings and Sri Lanka Ports Authority, who have a 70 - 30 stake respectively. 

In a vote in parliament on Friday, 72 voted in favour of the concessions, with 7 voting against. 

Despite the Sri Lankan government's claims it had significantly improved press freedom, a report published by Groundviews on Friday revealed that 13 news websites had been blocked since 2015, when the present Sirisena and Ranil led unity government came to power. 

An RTI request to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) by Groundviews and its sisters sites revealed not only the list of websites but that the order to block the sites came from "as high up as the "Presidential Secretariat, for at least four of the websites". 

Groundviews further reported: 

The International Monetary Fund approved a disbursement of US $251.4 million to Sri Lanka following the completion of the third review of the 3 year Extended Fund Facility arrangement which was set up in June 2016. 

Approving the latest tranche of funds, the IMF warned that further fiscal consolidation was needed given Sri Lanka's high debt burden and weakly performing state owned enterprises. 

The present review was undertaken after an earlier review was postponed by the IMF pending further reforms by the Sri Lankan government. 

Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror reported on Friday that seven nominees for the Office of Missing Persons had been selected by the Constitutional Council. 

The list of nominees, which remains undisclosed, was reportedy submitted to the president for approval. 

According to the paper over 100 applications were received for the posts. 

See here for more.