The Indian High Commission to Sri Lanka, celebrated Republic Day in Jaffna on Friday marking 69 years of independence. 

A 32 year old man from Point Pedro was arrested this week in Rameswaram after he allegedly arrived by boat without valid travel documents, PTI reported. 

The man, C A Malan, was detained by the Indian coast guard after reaching Dhanushkodi in a fibre glass boat. 

Mr Malan was handed over to the Indian marine police for further investigation. 

The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday urged the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to take action against a new law introduced by Sri Lanka which allows for the prolonged detention of Indian fishermen if they were found guilty of fishing in the island's waters. 

The new law has led to “widespread resentment and panic among the fishermen of Tamil Nadu, especially among those fishing in the Palk Bay,” Mr Edappadi wrote in a letter to Mr Modi, The Hindu reports. 

Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday he had not decided about whether he would contest the next presidential election. 

"I have not decided whether to contest the next presidential elections or not," Mr Sirisena told journalists this morning

"Yet, I will continue to do politics as long as I am alive. I am a political animal. It is in my genes. I will do politics with or without positions," he was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

A TNA local government candidate was arrested for possessing fake ballot papers by Kilinochchi police on Thursday.

The candidate standing to represent Paranthan at the Karaichchi divisional council (prathesiya sabai) was arrested on charges of possessing fake ballot papers as well as running a party office from a business premise.

The candidate was released after questioning by the police but the ballot papers in her possession were seized.

The President of Indonesia met with the leader of the Tamil National Alliance on Wednesday.

A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) candidate for the upcoming local government elections filed a complaint with the Election Commission today alleging he was threatened by EPDP supporters. 

Mr M Uthayasiri told the Commision he was stopped by 10 supporters of the paramilitary group whilst he was riding his motorbike in Jaffna, before he was forced into a building and threatened. 

He was rescued by police officers who were called to the scene. 

Mr Uthayasiri was critical of the police however, highlighting their failure to arrest those who abducted him. 
 

Eight Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by Sri Lankan navy personnel on Wednesday for allegedly poaching in the island's waters. 

The men were brought to the navy base in Kankesanthurai before being handed over to the assistant fisheries director of Jaffna. 

Their fishing trawlers were taken to the navy base in Karainagar. 

Residents in Kayts protesting on Thursday against the ongoing occupation of private land by the Sri Lankan navy were threatened by the navy's intelligence officers warning them to stop the protest. 

An ITAK local government candidate was arrested on Wednesday for slandering the Northern Province’s women’s affairs minister on Facebook.

Arutkumar John Jabrigo who is running for the Manippay divisional council (prathesiya sabai) with ITAK was arrested by Manippay police for publishing libellous posts about the women’s minister, Ananthy Sasitharan.