The leader of Tamil Nadu’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Seeman claimed that celebrated film director Vetrimaaran will work with him to create a movie about the life of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

National Award-winning film-maker Vetrimaaran called on the Tamil film industry to remain political and “connected”, as he slammed attempts to distort the secular nature of Tamil Nadu.

Speaking at the 60th birthday celebrations of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, the celebrated film director said “constantly our identities are being taken away from us”.

Sri Lankan soldiers have been accused of providing protection for fishermen who have been involved in illegal activities in Mullaitivu, after police fired tear gas at demonstrators this week.

Tamil National Alliance MP MA Sumanthiran said that he and fellow party member Shanakiyan Rasamanickam had been followed by a Sri Lankan intelligence officer as they left for a meeting in Colombo, labelling the move “a threat to our lives”.

Sri Lanka’s president was forced to backtrack this week, after his claim that Japan had agreed to co-chair a meeting with negotiators over Colombo’s international debt was denied by government officials in Tokyo.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister told Economy Next that he expected that a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on accountability for mass atrocities would be passed, despite lobbying member states to water down the text of the document.

Reacting to the latest UN resolution on Sri Lanka, UK Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, and the UN, Lord Tariq Ahmad said it was "integral to establish truth and achieve lasting justice and reconciliation."

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister slammed an upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council resolution that is due to be voted on today and blamed the Tamil diaspora for “heavy lobbying” for such moves at the global body.

The UN Human Rights Council has adopted resolution 51/L1 on Sri Lanka, which will “extend and reinforce the capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve” evidence that may be used in future war crimes trials.

The resolution was passed with 20 votes in favour, 7 against and 20 abstentions.

As the United Nations Human Rights Council votes on yet another resolution on Sri Lanka, students at the University of Jaffna said the move “completely ignored” calls demanding international accountability for “atrocity crimes committed against the Tamil people".

A remembrance ceremony was held in Jaffna yesterday to commemorate 35 years since 12 LTTE cadres committed suicide, after being arrested by the Indian Peace Keeping Force and were in the process of being taken to Colombo for interrogation.

The Sri Lankan president’s office claimed the European Commission has assured its support to Colombo to “overcome” the ongoing economic crisis, and that it will make a decision on the GSP+  trade concession “very soon”, amidst calls for the benefit to be removed from Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force launched tear gas at Tamil fishermen, leaving at least one person hospitalised in Mullaitivu.