A Tamil parliamentarian from the National People’s Power (NPP) has publicly refused to resign amidst growing criticism over the party’s handling of the Trincomalee Buddha statue controversy.

The extremist Sinhala-Buddhist group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has entered the growing controversy in Trincomalee, as its General Secretary, Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, travelled to the district yesterday to condemn the Coast Conservation Department and police over the removal of an illegally placed Buddha statue on coastal land.

Sri Lanka’s Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department (CC&CRM) and police force have issued detailed clarifications on the controversial installation of a Buddha statue in Trincomalee, stating that the incident was rooted in persistent violations of coastal regulations rather than a religious dispute.

Preparations for the 2025 Maaveerar Naal commemorations at the Kodalikallu Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam in Mullaitivu began yesterday, as volunteers gathered to ready the site ahead of next week’s remembrance events.

Selvaraj returns with his sophomore feature ‘Kaantha,’ a period piece filled with film noir elements.

Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake has insisted that the controversy over the unauthorised Buddha statue at Trincomalee is “already resolved,” even as the statue remains at the site and the government faces mounting criticism for capitulating to Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist pressure.

The Pachilaipalli Pradeshiya Sabha has announced that all liquor outlets within its jurisdiction will be closed on 27 November, after unanimously resolving to mark Maaveerar Naal - or Great Heroes Day - as a sacred day of remembrance.

The continuous protest against the controversial Mannar wind power project came to an end after 105 days of demonstrations, with organisers stating they would pause their campaign in anticipation of promised government action.

Batticaloa District parliamentarian Gnanamuthu Srineshan of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) warned that the construction of a new Buddhist place of worship in the Tamil village of Nediyagal Malai in Vadamunai risks accelerating state-backed demographic change and further militarisation.