Shops and stores across Nedunkerny were closed all day on Friday, as a mark of protest over Sri Lanka’s arrests of eight Tamils who took part in Shivarathri observances at the Vedukkunaari Adi Shiva temple in Vavuniya last week. 

Trading and daily economic activities were brought to a standstill, with shopkeepers and residents vowing to continue their protest, until all those detained are released and charges dropped.

Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has summoned yet another Tamil journalist form Mullaitivu to their headquarters in Colombo for questioning, as Eelam Tamil press workers continue to face intimidation for their work.

Thiruchelvam Divakaran, a freelance journalist and media officer at the Government Information Department, was summoned to the TID office at the Butani Capital Towers in Colombo for questioning, hundreds of miles away from his home in Mullativu.

Protesters are rallying through Vavuniya today as they demand the release of the eight Tamil men who were unlawfully arrested at a Shivarathri pooja at Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple last week.

Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) Member of Parliament Selvarajah Kajendren who visited the detainees in the Vedukkunaari temple arrest inquired why the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission (HRCSL) did not launch an investigation, despite a formal complaint being lodged.

A mass protest was held earlier today in Nedunkerny, Vavuniya, to demand the release of the eight devotees who were arrested on Shivarathri at the Vedukkunaari Athi Sivan temple last week. 

Responding to a US intelligence report, which maintains that China may seek to establish a military presence on Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka's Defence Minister, Premitha Bandara Tennakoon dismissed the claims and told reporters that they have been no discussion "with any foreign government including China for a possible establishment of a military base here in Sri Lanka”.

The Sri Lankan navy has been accused of being complict in the murder of a man in Jaffna, after they were seen in dramatic CCTV footage refusing to help the man and his wife as they were being chased and beating the couple as they were abducted by unidentified assailants.

Five out of the eight Tamils who were arrested last week at Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple have launched a hunger strike to demand their immediate release.  

Marking 2,200 days of protest the Association for the relatives of the enforced disappearances, representing 8 districts across the North East, called on UN member states to recognise the Tamil genocide and bring Sri Lanka before the International Criminal Court.

Indigo Airlines, a budget airline from India is tipped to operate direct flights between Chennai and Jaffna later this year.