Madonne Ashwin’s debut 2021 National Award winning film ‘Mandela’ was received warmly by critics and audiences alike. The Yogi Babu starring satire deftly explored themes of identity and politics without compromising artistic sensibility. For his follow-up feature, Ashwin teams up with Sivakarthikeyan for the satisfying meta-masala film ‘Maaveeran.’ This is a return to form for Sivakarthikeyan, whose recent two films 2022’s ‘Don’ and ‘Prince’ failed to live up to the quality of 2021’s ‘Doctor.’

A Pongal event planned at the Kurunthurmalai site in Mullaitivu turned into a tense and chaotic situation as Tamil devotees faced harsh opposition from a crowd of Sinhala Buddhist monks, with the aid of officials of the Sri Lankan government and Sri Lankan Police.

The Pongal celebration, whilst approved by Mullaitivu's Magistrate Court on 13th July, faced opposition from Sinhala extremists demanding that Tamil devotees stop their worship and not erect idols to their gods.

Officers from Sri Lanka's forest department broke into and destroyed the homes of former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres before assaulting them in the Kailveli area of Puthukudiyirippu, Mullaitivu today. 

45 families of the LTTE were settled in Kaiveli in 2000 under a housing scheme but after the armed conflict when they tried to resettle in the area in 2012, the forest department erected stone boundaries to prevent this. 

State Minister of Defense Premitha Bandara Tennakoon speaking at a conference said that attention should be focussed on students from the North-East to join the 'National Cadets Corps'. 

During a press conference held at the Presidential Media Center last week, titled 'Collective Path to a stable country, the Defence minister noted that stricter laws should be implemented to curb illegal human and drug trafficking. L

The Poralihal Welfare Association, an organisation dedicated to the welfare of former cadres, officially opened its office in a ceremony held on Saturday.

The establishment of this office aims to provide essential services and support for former cadres, ensuring their well-being. Former LTTE cadres are often subjected to intimidation and surveillance by the state's security forces. 

The St. Peter's Church solemnly marked the 28th anniversary of the Navaly church massacre on July 9th to remember the victims that were killed by the Sri Lanka'a Air Force.

Retired admiral and former Minister of Public Security, MP Sarath Weerasekara, lashed out at Mullaitivu Magistrate Court following the court's ruling that the construction of a Buddhist vihara, without the approval of local residents, must cease.

"Do not forget that Sri Lanka is a Sinhala- Buddhist nation" warned Weerasekara. Despite the court's order, the police, military, and Department of Archaeology have all been involved in the construction of the Buddhist monument".

On this day 28 years ago, the Sri Lankan air force dropped 13 bombs on St Peter’s Church in Navaly. More than 140 sheltering Tamils, who were encouraged by the military to seek refuge at the church, were killed on the spot.  At least 13 children were amongst the dead, with many more succumbing to injuries later as the local hospital was swamped with the wounded.

Tamil families of the disappeared in Mannar  held a protest today, voicing their deep-seated distrust in the Office of the Missing Persons (OMP) and the government's processes surrounding the enforced disappearances of their relatives.

13 dead bodies were uncovered in a mass grave in Mullaitivu during excavation efforts on the 6th of July. The remains were found in an area falling under the jurisdiction of the Kokkilai Police division.

The bodies were both female and male. They were initially discovered on 29th June by construction workers from the National Water Supply and Drainage Board prompting excavation efforts.