A joint military exercise between Sri Lankan and India in Trincomalee concluded this week, as the Sri Lankan government continues to build military relations despite human rights concerns.

Sri Lanka’s president will ask the United Nations not pursue accountability for war crimes committed by Sri Lankan troops and will instead call on the Human Rights Council to “remove these charges”.

Speaking to reporters in Colombo last week, Maithripala Sirisena said that he "will also make a written request to the Human Rights Council to settle the allegations against our troops".

The latest figures from Sri Lanka’s census department reveal that unemployment has almost doubled over the past two years across the Jaffna district, as Tamils across the North-East continue to struggle with their livelihoods.

Unemployment in Jaffna in 2015 was 5.7 percent, but has steadily risen to 7 percent in 2016 and now to 10.7 percent.

Meanwhile, unemployment in Mullaitivu has also risen from 3.7 percent in 2016 to 4.8 percent in 2017.

Fishermen in Mullaitivu today held a demonstration demanding action against ongoing illegal fishing in the area. 

Condemning the widespread practice of accepting bribes in exchange for allowing illegal fishing, the fishermen demanded that any corrupt officials face justice. 

Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division has summoned the leader of the Hindu fundamentalist organisation, Siva Senai to their office in Colombo on September 18. 

The TID have said the inquiry relates to the Siva Senai leader, Maravanpulavu Sachithananthan's foreign trips. 

The summons was delivered to his home on Saturday. 

Eight Tamil political prisoners at Anuradhapura prison continued their hunger strike for the fourth day today. 

M Sulaksan, E Thiruvarul, S Jeyachandran, R Rupan, S Thillairaj, E Jegan, S Sivaseelan and T Nirmalan are demanding they be released following a quick rehabilitation. 

A number of Tamil political prisoners remain in prison for years without charge under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). 

Tamils across the North-East have called for them to be released. 

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, M A Sumanthiran met with the 8 men yesterday. 

Sri Lanka's Special Task Force (STF) arrested a fishermen on Saturday in  Thalaiyadi, Maruthenkeni, Jaffna.

STF officers broke into the fisherman's house and allege a bag was found containing explosives. 

The fisherman says the explosive material was being used by him to make dynamite for fishing purposes.

The second day of Thileepan's fast unto death was marked in Jaffna and Batticaloa on Sunday.

The Sri Lankan navy attacked Tamil Nadu fishermen on Sunday, PTI reports.

Fishermen from Rameswaram were threatened by armed Sri Lankan navy personnel near Katchatheevu and around 100 boats had their catch and fishing equipment damaged.

A representative of the fishermen alleged that hundreds of thousands of rupees worth of equipment had been damaged.

Seven Tamil youths were arrested in Vavuniya for a confrontation with police during a bus search.

The youths were arrested after police stopped a bus they were travelling on in Cheddikulam.

Other passengers travelling on the bus said that the youths became confrontational as they felt the police were harassing them by questioning them excessively.

Cheddikulam police said the youths were intoxicated and arrested for obstructing the officers from carrying out their duty.