^{Naravane with Shavendra Silva}

The head of the Indian army continued his tour of Sri Lanka this week, donating training equipment to the military, witnessing a large scale joint training exercise and meeting with several senior officials accused of war crimes.

A Sri Lankan court has once more extended the remand of 10 Tamil men and women arrested under the widely condemned Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), for a memorial ceremony they held on May 18 to commemorate the thousands of Tamils killed by Sri Lankan security forces.

The group of men and women were arrested in May after they held a small scale ceremony at a beach in Batticaloa, wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines.

Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be travelling to the United Kingdom for the first time since taking office to attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26 in Glasgow next month, with protests expected to greet his arrival.

Foreign affairs minister G L Peiris told the Daily Mirror that Rajapaksa would be attending COP26 “at the invitation of the British Prime Minister”.

This would be Rajapaksa’s first high profile public visit to the United Kingdom, with British Tamils across the country already planning demonstrations and protests.

Amidst a state of economic crisis, Sri Lanka has joined countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Kenya in refusing to sign the US-backed global minimum tax.

The agreement which has the approval of financial leaders from the G20's major economies would see multinational enterprises subject to a minimum 15% tax rate from 2023. The measure would ensure that tech giants such as Facebook and Amazon paid tax in countries where their goods or services were sold, even if they didn't have a physical presence there. 

British Tamils from across the country have paid tribute to Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West and member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, who was stabbed to death whilst meeting with his constituents at a church in Leigh-on-Sea. 

In response to his tragic death, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed the country's sorrowing stating  "our hearts are full of shock and sadness" at the loss of "one of the kindest" people in politics. He further added that Amess had an "outstanding record of passing laws to help the most vulnerable".

A Sinhala mob reportedly attacked Tamil families in Watapothu in Sabaragamuwa last night, leaving at least four Tamils injured. 

A garage owned by a Tamil youth was the reported target of the mob of Sinhala youth, after an alleged argument had occurred between the owner and the group earlier during the day.

Sri Lankan authorities have reportedly dropped all charges against former navy commander Wasantha Karannagoda, a man who was wanted over the abduction and possible murder of 11 youth, in a case that drew worldwide scrutiny.

^{File Photo.}

Three fishermen from Point Pedro, Jaffna were injured in a clash with Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu after an alleged cutting of fishing nets.

As tensions either side of the Palk Strait continue to escalate between fishermen in Tamil Nadu and the North-East, Tamil fishermen in Jaffna have written to the Indian Consulate, calling on authorities to ensure the situation is resolved.

The Federation of Jaffna District Fishermen’s Cooperative Society Unions said in their letter earlier this week that they were “very worried that despite discussing this problem for more than 10 years now, there has been no forward movement or a solution until now”.

Thurairasa Ravikaran, a former member of the Northern Provincial Council, expressed his frustration over the perceived inaction of the Sri Lankan Fisheries Ministry and the Sri Lankan navy regarding the reported incidents of incursions into Mullaitivu waters by Tamil Nadu fishermen. 

“Are they asleep?” Ravikaran asked, referring to the fisheries ministry and other authorities.