Provincial Council elections are unlikely to be held before 2027, according to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva, who claimed funds set aside for the polls were used instead to deal with the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.

Silva made the remarks during a visit to Jaffna for the opening of the National People's Power's (NPP) new district office, where he was questioned by journalists on whether the government intended to conduct Provincial Council elections before the end of this year.

Amnesty International has called for the release of detained Tamil rapper Sangeethan Ganeshkumar and renewed demands for the repeal of Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), warning that the legislation continues to facilitate arbitrary detention and human rights abuses.

In a statement issued this week, the international rights organisation expressed concern over the continued use of the PTA despite repeated commitments by successive Sri Lankan governments to replace the law.

Mannar Urban Council Chairman Daniel Vasanthan has strongly condemned the arrest of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), stating that the detention reflects a situation where "Tamils do not even have the freedom to sing".

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Mannar Urban Council on Friday, Vasanthan criticised the decision to arrest the young artist and called on the government to secure his immediate release.