Tensions around illegal sand mining in the North-East persist following controversal confrontations in villages such as Thottaveli in Mannar this month.

Tamils in Mannar and Jaffna took to the streets on Friday to protest the issue and condemned local authorities' and police failure to stop the perpetrators.

<p>TNA MP, M.A. Sumanthiran, has taken to Twitter to deny reports by the Island and Thinakkural have reported ‘FakeNews’ which claimed a willingness from the TNA to work with the UNP in the upcoming general election.</p> <p>The&nbsp; Island reported that Sumanthiran had spoken to reporters on Sunday, after meeting with TNA officials in Kayts, and claimed that he would secure an additional 16 seats which could support the next government.</p> <p>They further reported that the TNA would aid the UNP in a devolution projection which would exceed the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution, that permitted the provincial councils.</p>

At least 33 migrant workers who left Sri Lanka to find employment in Kuwait have returned to the island after concerns about their working environments forced them to leave.

The Sri Lankan embassy in Kuwait had to co-ordinate with the Middle Eastern government to ensure the workers were kept in a safe house before they were able to leave the country. 

There are an estimated 100,000 migrant workers from Sri Lanka in Kuwait, predominately compromised of female domestic workers.

Sri Lanka attempted to rebuff reports that it has lost sovereignty over the Chinese-controlled Hambantota Port, with a senior official insisting that Colombo still maintains oversight.

Ravindra Jayawickrema, CEO of Hambantota International Port Services (HIPS), a subsidiary of port operator Hambantota International Ports Group (HIPG) reiterated that the port is controlled by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Act.

Jayawickrema told Xinhua that “all ships entering the port have to gain approval from the Harbormaster in Colombo". “The pilots who bring the ships in and out of the port are direct employees of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority,” he added.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, M A Sumanthiran, has criticised the government for marring the national reconciliation process following their decision to sing the national anthem only in Sinhala at the upcoming National Day celebrations in Colombo, Adaderana reports. 

Earlier this week, the Sri Lankan government confirmed that its national anthem will be sung in Sinhala only for next year's independence day celebrations in Colombo. 

 

Parliamentarian of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), M.A. Sumanthiran, called for the government to investigate allegations of white van abductions before making any arrests of personnel involved with disclosing allegations publicly, on Wednesday.

Eelam Tamil refugees living in India have expressed their disappointment at being excluded from India’s Citizenship Amendment Act after decades of displacement in Tamil Nadu - driving one man to request a mercy killing.

Twenty-eight-year-old T. Yanadhan, who was born in Tamil Nadu after his parents fled Sri Lanka, approached the District Collectorate in Salem to officially request a mercy killing from Indian authorities, stating that he was better off dead than living stateless, reports HuffPost India.

Kalmunai Magistrates Court has arrested 12 people earlier this week under suspicion that they were involved in the Easter Sunday Bombings which have claimed the lives of over 250 people. 

The magistrate's court maintained that their detention should be continued for a further two weeks until their case is heard on the 7th January.

<p>Officials from Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) recorded a statement from former Health Minister Rajitha Seneratne who was hospitalised earlier today, the Colombo Page <a href="http://www.colombopage.com/archive_19B/Dec27_1577387238CH.php">reported</a>.</p> <p>Seneratne was reported to have disappeared from his residence when CID&nbsp;officials went to arrest him in the early hours of Wednesday morning.</p>

Commemorative events were held today across the Tamil homeland to remember the 35,000 victims of the catastrophic tsunami on December 26, 2004.