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Tamils protest in Vavuniya over governor's removal of elected mayor
Hundreds took to the streets of Vavuniya on Monday, and around half the town's businesses pulled down their shutters, to condemn the removal of the city's elected mayor, S. Kandeepan, from office by the Northern Province's centrally appointed governor, in a decision protesters denounced as the work…
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Tamil Affairs

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Tamil Affairs
Pillayan remanded until 13 July, dismisses allegations as 'false'
Tamil Affairs
Sri Lankan Army captain held over alleged sexual harassment of female passenger in Jaffna
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Tamil Affairs
Chemmani lights up with 427 torches to remember the victims of mass graves
Tamil Affairs
British Tamil engineer takes F1 podium spotlight after Mercedes win

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Pillayan remanded until 13 July, dismisses allegations as 'false'
The former Sri Lankan state minister and paramilitary leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, has been remanded until 13 July after appearing before the Batticaloa Magistrate's Court on Tuesday in connection with five killings carried out in the Eastern Province in 2008. As he was escorted from court, Pillayan addressed journalists, insisting the charges were fabricated. "All the allegations levelled against me are false allegations. Fake allegations. Just like Anura's mouth, everything is a lie," he said, in a swipe at the Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, before adding, "This is something that makes you happy, isn't it?"
Sri Lankan Army captain held over alleged sexual harassment of female passenger in Jaffna
A Sri Lankan army captain has been arrested over the alleged sexual harassment of a young woman on a bus in Jaffna, the latest such case to draw attention to the conduct of the security forces in the heavily militarised North-East. The incident is alleged to have taken place on a bus travelling from Jaffna town towards Palaly along Palaly Road, where, according to reports, the suspect sexually harassed a female passenger during the journey. The woman alerted Jaffna Police by telephone, and officers intercepted the bus in the Ariyakulam area and arrested the suspect. Preliminary police investigations identified him as a captain attached to the army's 9th Infantry Division and serving at the occupying Palaly Army Camp. He remains in the custody of Jaffna Police as investigations continue.
Chemmani lights up with 427 torches to remember the victims of mass graves
A peaceful public mobilisation titled Urimaippantham, or Right of Bond, was held at Chemmani on Sunday, as Tamils gathered to remember the hundreds of victims whose remains have been recovered from the mass grave site. The event, organised by the Makkal Seyal movement, took place at around 4pm at the Anaiyaa Vilakku grounds in Chemmani.
British Tamil engineer takes F1 podium spotlight after Mercedes win
British Tamil engineer Arun Rajkumar became an unexpected face of Mercedes’ Austrian Grand Prix celebrations after stepping onto the Formula 1 podium and lifting the race-winning constructors’ trophy for the team. Rajkumar, who was born into an Eelam Tamil family, is a trackside power unit engineer for Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, the Brixworth-based division that designs, manufactures and tests Formula 1 power units for Mercedes and its customer teams. His podium appearance came after George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on Sunday, with Max Verstappen finishing second for Red Bull and Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli taking third.
Sri Lanka risks losing GSP+ as PTA persists, warns opposition
Sri Lanka risks losing access to the European Union’s GSP+ trade concession because of slow progress on reforming the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Joint Opposition Convener Prof. G. L. Peiris has warned.
Jaffna cricket stadium now scaled back for lack of funds
A controversial cricket stadium and "sports city" promised for Jaffna, launched with presidential fanfare less than a year ago, is being scaled back to a modest cricket ground after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) admitted it lacks the funds to deliver it. Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, the SLC honorary secretary, Prakash Schaffter, said the project was under review and its scope being reassessed against available funding, conceding that the board's own review had found the approved plan beyond its means. "I do not think we have the funds at this point in time to invest in an international cricket stadium in Jaffna or any other area," he said.
Colombo does not need the Kfir — it needs Israel
On 11 June, the Sri Lanka Air Force conducted the first test flight of an upgraded Kfir C12 fighter at its Katunayake base, presenting the flight as a military milestone. The aircraft is one of five being rebuilt — four C2 and C7 jets plus a TC2 trainer — to C12 standard under a US$50 million contract signed with Israel Aerospace Industries in 2021. The expenditure makes little sense as procurement. It makes a great deal of sense as the maintenance of a relationship.
Dissanayake vows to repeal PTA, again
Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake has once again pledged to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, claiming the law will be abolished before the end of the year, even as his government prepares new legislation on organised crime. Addressing parliament on Wednesday, Dissanayake said the draconian law, first introduced as a temporary measure in 1979, had remained in force for 46 years despite sustained calls for its repeal. “The PTA was brought as a temporary law in 1979, but has remained in force over the past 46 years. There have been strong calls from the public to repeal the PTA,” he said.
Sri Lanka’s president urges Buddhist revival
Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake used his Poson Full Moon Poya Day message to call for the revival of Buddhist values, as he moved to further position himself alongside the island's powerful Buddhist clergy.
Tamil Nadu moves to commercialise the Nagapattinam–Jaffna ferry terminal
Less than two years after a passenger ferry revived a sea crossing between Tamil Nadu and Tamil Eelam that the war had severed for four decades, the authorities in Tamil Nadu have moved to commercialise the terminal serving it, inviting bids for duty-free retail and foreign-exchange concessions at the Nagapattinam International Passenger Terminal.

The arithmetic of a grave

Scared of a song

Monks above the law

FEATURES
K Bhagyaraj: Tamil cinema’s ‘screenplay king’ who lent his voice to Eelam Tamil causes
As Burnham eyes Number 10, British Tamils face a largely untested record
Keir Starmer, British Tamils and the promises still unmet

Tamil News

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Pillayan remanded until 13 July, dismisses allegations as 'false'

Jul 01

The former Sri Lankan state minister and paramilitary leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, has been remanded until 13 July after appearing before the Batticaloa Magistrate's Court on Tuesday in connection with five killings carried out in the Eastern Province in 2008.

Sri Lankan Army captain held over alleged sexual harassment of female passenger in Jaffna

A Sri Lankan army captain has been arrested over the alleged sexual harassment of a young woman on a bus in Jaffna, the latest such case to draw attention to the conduct of the security forces in the heavily militarised North-East.

Chemmani lights up with 427 torches to remember the victims of mass graves

British Tamil engineer takes F1 podium spotlight after Mercedes win

British Tamil engineer Arun Rajkumar became an unexpected face of Mercedes’ Austrian Grand Prix celebrations after stepping onto the Formula 1 podium and lifting the race-winning constructors’ trophy for the team.

Sri Lanka risks losing GSP+ as PTA persists, warns opposition
Sri Lanka risks losing access to the European Union’s GSP+ trade concession because of slow progress on reforming the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Joint Opposition Convener Prof. G. L. Peiris has warned.
Jaffna cricket stadium now scaled back for lack of funds

Jaffna international cricket stadium

A controversial cricket stadium and "sports city" promised for Jaffna, launched with presidential fanfare less than a year ago, is being scaled back to a modest cricket ground after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) admitted it lacks the funds to deliver it.

Colombo does not need the Kfir — it needs Israel
On 11 June, the Sri Lanka Air Force conducted the first test flight of an upgraded Kfir C12 fighter at its Katunayake base, presenting the flight as a military milestone. The aircraft is one of five being rebuilt — four C2 and C7 jets plus a TC2 trainer — to C12 standard under a US$50 million contract signed with Israel Aerospace Industries in 2021. The expenditure makes little sense as procurement. It makes a great deal of sense as the maintenance of a relationship.
Con City - Thieves and scorpions
Harish Durairaj initiates his filmography with the crime-comedy ‘Con City’ starring Arjun Das, Anna Ben, Yogi Babu and Vadivukkarasi.
Dissanayake vows to repeal PTA, again

Anura Kumara Dissanayake and PTA

Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake has once again pledged to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, claiming the law will be abolished before the end of the year, even as his government prepares new legislation on organised crime.

Sri Lanka’s president urges Buddhist revival
Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake used his Poson Full Moon Poya Day message to call for the revival of Buddhist values, as he moved to further position himself alongside the island's powerful Buddhist clergy.
Tamil Nadu moves to commercialise the Nagapattinam–Jaffna ferry terminal
Less than two years after a passenger ferry revived a sea crossing between Tamil Nadu and Tamil Eelam that the war had severed for four decades, the authorities in Tamil Nadu have moved to commercialise the terminal serving it, inviting bids for duty-free retail and foreign-exchange concessions at the Nagapattinam International Passenger Terminal.
Tamil Fight Nights launches with landmark combat sports showcase
Tamil Fight Night, a new combat sports event created to bring together fighters from across the diaspora, held its inaugural show before a sold-out London crowd this month, drawing more than 1,000 spectators.
Transitional justice cannot exist without truth
Seventeen years after Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka continues to stand as one of the starkest examples of how states accused of genocide and mass atrocity survive not through exoneration, but through denial, delay, and international exhaustion.
US deepens military ties with Sri Lanka through helicopters, naval tech and drills

The United States has deepened its military relationship with Sri Lanka through a series of new defence initiatives, transferring ten TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters to the Sri Lanka Air Force, delivering an advanced satellite communications system to the navy and conducting a disaster prepared

K Bhagyaraj: Tamil cinema’s ‘screenplay king’ who lent his voice to Eelam Tamil causes
Veteran Tamil filmmaker, actor and screenwriter K Bhagyaraj, who passed away in Chennai aged 73, leaves behind a towering legacy in Tamil cinema, where he was celebrated as one of the industry’s finest storytellers.
Chavakachcheri shuts down as Colombo-appointed governor removes Tamil councillors
A town-wide hartal shut Chavakachcheri on Friday as traders and business owners downed shutters in protest at the removal of the Urban Council's deputy chairperson, G. Kishore, by the Northern Province's centrally appointed governor, in a move condemned as an assault on Tamil democratic representation.
Northern Province Governor dismisses elected officials in two councils

Governor

The Governor of the Northern Province, Nagalingam Vethanayahan, has removed two democratically elected local government representatives from office through Extraordinary Gazette notifications issued this week, invoking powers under Sri Lanka's local government legislation.

Sri Lanka set to deploy largest peacekeeping contingent to Haiti despite past abuses
Sri Lanka set to deploy largest peacekeeping contingent to Haiti despite concerns of abuse and exploitation by human rights organisations.
Kepapilavu residents commence hunger strike as Sri Lankan military films protesters

Residents of Kepapilavu in Mullaitivu District launched a hunger strike on Wednesday, demanding the release of 171 acres of ancestral land that remain under the occupation of the Sri Lankan military more than 17 years after the end of the armed conflict.

Rajapaksa son questioned over Rs. 19 million investment probe
Rohitha Rajapaksa, the son of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was questioned for nearly six hours by the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) on Thursday as part of an investigation into the source of funds allegedly used to invest Rs. 19 million in two private companies.

World News

Somali woman jailed for three years over social media criticism

Jun 29
Sadia Moalim Ali, a 27-year-old nursing graduate and rickshaw driver from Somalia, has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after being convicted of insulting government institutions over comments she made on social media.
Baloch activists accuse state-backed death squads of new killings
A fresh wave of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances has been documented across Balochistan this month, as Baloch rights groups recorded the recovery of several bodies of men who had earlier been forcibly taken, and appealed once more to international institutions that have largely ignored the province.
UN experts demand independent investigation into death of Indigenous leader in Nicaragua
UN human rights experts have demanded an independent investigation into the death in state custody of Indigenous Miskito leader Brooklyn Rivera, warning that his prolonged enforced disappearance and death may amount to crimes against humanity for which the Nicaraguan government bears legal responsibility.
UN experts demand investigation following Israel’s killing of Lebanese journalists
Three UN experts called for a full and independent investigation following Israel's killing of three Lebanese journalists.
Sudan hospital ‘drone strike’ kills 64, including children
At least 64 people, including 13 children, have been killed in an attack on a hospital in Sudan’s Darfur region, as violence continues to devastate the already collapsing healthcare system.
FIFA fines Israel for racism and discrimination but clears settlement clubs
On Thursday, FIFA sanctioned the Israel Football Association over breaches of racism and discrimination, but cleared Israeli clubs playing in settlements.
UK jury acquits woman of terrorism charge over Hamas comments
A woman who told a protest crowd that Hamas is “fighting for freedom” has been found not guilty of expressing support for a proscribed organisation, following a closely watched case in a British court.
Two Indian journalists detained for filming docked Iranian warship
Two Indian journalists were detained for filming a docked Iranian warship in Kochi, Kerala.
Spain withdraws ambassador from Israel amid Gaza genocide and Iran war tensions
Spain has withdrawn its ambassador to Israel in the latest escalation of a deepening diplomatic dispute between Madrid and Tel Aviv over Israel’s assault on Gaza and the recent United States and Israeli attacks on Iran.
UN peacekeepers refuse order to leave South Sudan opposition stronghold

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has said it will keep its peacekeeping force in the town of Akobo despite an order by the South Sudanese military to vacate the area ahead of a planned offensive.

Former Syrian colonel charged with crimes against humanity in landmark UK case
A former colonel in Syria’s Air Force Intelligence has appeared before a London court charged with crimes against humanity, in what prosecutors say is the first case of its kind brought under British law.
'India stands with Israel,' Modi says during state visit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a two-day state visit to Israel on Thursday, bolstering cooperation in multiple areas, including defence, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and agriculture.
'Journalists being killed in record numbers' - 129 press members killed in 2025
A record 129 press members were killed in 2025, according to the latest report by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Scotland’s ‘independence within reach’ says first minister
Scottish independence is “within reach”, First Minister John Swinney has said, as a new poll projects the Scottish National Party just one seat short of a majority ahead of this year’s Holyrood election.
UN investigators warn RSF assault on El Fasher bears ‘hallmarks of genocide’
A United Nations fact-finding mission has determined that atrocities carried out during the siege and takeover of the Sudanese city of El Fasher bear the “hallmarks of genocide”, condemning the conduct of paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters in Darfur during the ongoing conflict.
UK moves toward new law to ban Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
As international criticism mounts over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) involvement in Tehran's fatal suppression of anti-government protests, the UK government reportedly set to introduce legislation that would enable it to officially outlaw the organisation. The action comes after the European Union made the decision last month to put the IRGC to its official list of terrorist organisations, adding groups like Islamic State, Hamas, and al-Qaeda. 
Tibetan diaspora votes worldwide for government-in-exile
Tibetans around the world began a global election on Sunday to choose a parliament and political leadership for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
'Mother of all deals’ - India and EU forge landmark trade and security pact
India and the European Union have announced a sweeping free trade agreement that both sides have hailed as the “mother of all deals”, concluding nearly two decades of intermittent negotiations.
Syrian government and SDF forces agree on four-day ceasefire
The Syrian government has announced a four-day ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after the army continued to seize territory in the country’s northeast.
'Old world order is not coming back' - Carney calls for middle power unity at Davos
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that the global order that shaped international politics for decades “is not coming back”, urging “middle powers” to act collectively as great power rivalry intensifies.
OPINION
Colombo does not need the Kfir — it needs Israel
Transitional justice cannot exist without truth
Did Mullivaikkal End History?
CULTURE & COMMUNITY
Con City - Thieves and scorpions
Tamil Fight Nights launches with landmark combat sports showcase
In Pictures - Colonel Shankar memorial sports tournament 2026 held in Switzerland ""
INTERVIEW
'If we do not tell our own stories, others will' - Ana Pararajasingham on Uprooted
'This will waken things up' - Scottish MSP on Tamil genocide recognition
From Vadamaradchi to the Élysée - the Tamil baker who conquered Paris