Sri Lanka has reportedly reached an agreement with the Official Credit Committee, formed of 17 countries including the US and UK, on debt restructuring as it continues to grapple with an economic crisis.

The agreement established the "main parameters of debt treatment" and aligns with the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangements between Sri Lanka and the IMF - a badly needed bailout loan for Colombo.

The deconstructed mechanical procedure of visiting a museum/gallery is similar to that of going to a Hindu temple: one enters, spends a little time at each piece/God, perhaps spends a little more time with those that interest you/you have a personal connection with. Looking through Tamil Sydney based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran’s latest exhibition, ‘Idols of Mud and Water,’ this is what initially came to mind. 

The day after Maaveerar Naal was commemorated across the Tamil North-East, stories on the remembrance events and the Sri Lankan police crackdown on them dominated the Tamil press on the island.

Eelanadu led with the headline “Thousands of Tamils gather in defiance of bans to pay tribute in scenes of great emotional outpouring on heroes' day”.

In a wide-ranging interview by First Post, Sri Lanka’s president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, claimed that Tamils have accepted his "offer" on the subject of Tamil autonomy and rejected India’s statement at the UN Human Rights Council that "progress has been inadequate".

Thousands of Tamils gathered in Nallur on Monday to commemorate Maaveerar Naal and pay tribute to those who died for the liberation of Tamil Eelam.

See photographs and video from the event in Nallur below.

Sri Lankan police officers disrupted and blocked Tamils trying to mark Maaveerar Naal in Alankulam, Trincomalee yesterday.

Students and family members gathered to remember the Ayyankkulam massacre in Mullaitivu, where 6 students and 2 healthcare workers were killed by the Sri Lankan army.  

Hundreds of Tamils in Oxford, England, joined Tamils in the homeland and across the diaspora in marking Maaveerar Naal. 

A similar event was also held at the ExCel convention centre in London yesterday. 

A young Tamil man has been arrested in Jaffna today for wearing a t-shirt with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's face on the front.

The 27 year old from Iyanar Kovil in Kodikamam had worn the t-shirt to a Maaveerar Naal remembrance event in Kodikamam yesterday evening. 

Maaveerar Naal commemorations were held at several locations across the Mullaitivu district, including the traditional Thuyilum Illams, as well as those that were later introduced to serve as resting places for those who fell in battle in the final stages of the armed conflict.

Visuvamadu

Thousands gather across Mannar at LTTE cemeteries to mark Maaveerar Naal. Remembrance events were also held at the Lady of Victory Church in Pesalai.

Commemorations took place despite a Sri Lankan crackdown this week, which intensified this morning.

Despite state attempts at denying permission to conduct any Maaveerar Naal remembrance events, students expressed their unwavering commitment by gathering in solidarity. During the days leading up to Maaveerar Naal, Officers in Charge at Jaffna police station had filed a petition at Jaffna Magistrate's Court, seeking a ban on Maaveerar Naal commemorations in the peninsula. The petition had specifically sought a ban on commemorations taking place at the University of Jaffna.

Many united to pay tribute to the fallen LTTE cadres at the Mavadi Munmari Thuyilum Illam on Maaveerar Naal. See photographs from the event below.

Hundreds of Tamils gathered in Switzerland on Maaveerar Naal to remember those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom for Tamils. 

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