Thenisai Chellappa, the revered “Pasarai Pāṇar” whose music became synonymous with Eelam Tamil national sentiment and struggle, has died aged 85.

The 49th death anniversary of S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, widely revered as “Thanthai Selva”, was commemorated on Sunday in Jaffna, alongside a series of political awareness initiatives linked to the forthcoming 50th anniversary of the Vaddukoddai Resolution.

Plans by the Sri Lankan Air Force to install a radar system within Thirukoneswaram Temple have intensified concerns over ongoing military encroachment and the erosion of a historically significant Hindu religious site.

A complaint by Tamil MP Archuna Ramanathan following a confrontation in which he brandished a firearm has led to the remand of a breastfeeding mother.

A court in Negombo has remanded 22 Buddhist monks arrested in connection with a major narcotics seizure at Bandaranaike International Airport, in what authorities have described as the largest drug bust in the airport’s history.

A USD 2.5 million diversion from Sri Lanka’s Treasury, initially blamed on a cyber breach, has exposed deeper systemic failures in financial oversight, transparency and accountability, prompting calls for an independent investigation.

Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 84.69% in the 2026 State Assembly elections held on April 23, marking the highest polling percentage in the state’s electoral history, according to data released by the Election Commission of India.

A total of 57.3 million voters were eligible to cast their ballots across the state’s 234 constituencies. This included 28.3 million male voters, 29.3 million female voters, and 7,728 third-gender voters. Polling took place at 75,064 booths across 33,133 locations, with more than 106,000 Electronic Voting Machines deployed.

Major General Nawarathna has assumed command of the Sri Lankan army in Jaffna, reinforcing ongoing militarisation and continued military dominance over the Tamil homeland more than a decade after the war’s end.

Mahinda Rajapaksa signalled a renewed bid by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna to regain power.