Home

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…
""

Tamil Affairs

Tamil Affairs
Dissanayake vows to repeal PTA, again
Tamil Affairs
Sri Lanka’s president urges Buddhist revival
Tamil Affairs
Tamil Nadu moves to commercialise the Nagapattinam–Jaffna ferry terminal
Tamil Affairs
Tamil Fight Nights launches with landmark combat sports showcase

Latest Headlines

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.
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.
Somali woman jailed for three years over social media criticism
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.
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 preparedness exercise with Sri Lankan security agencies. The announcements, made during high-level visits by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs S. Paul Kapur and US Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kevin Schneider, mark the latest expansion of Washington’s military engagement with Colombo under the language of maritime security, disaster response and Indo-Pacific cooperation.
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
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. In Gazette notifications dated 19 June 2026, the Governor dismissed Vavuniya Municipal Council Mayor Sundaralingam Kandeeban and Chavakachcheri Urban Council Vice Chairman Gnanapragasam Kishor from both their executive positions and their memberships of their respective local authorities, with effect from 24 June.

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

Dissanayake vows to repeal PTA, again

Jun 29

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.
Three thousand years deep - Evidence uncovers Velanai's ancient seafarers
A newly published study has identified the earliest scientifically confirmed evidence of prehistoric human settlement on Velanai Island in the Jaffna Peninsula, dating back around 3,460 years and overturning an erroneous long-held Sri Lankan assumption that the region was largely uninhabited until much later.
Rights group flags 184 Sri Lankan prison deaths to visiting UN delegation
The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners has formally raised concerns with a visiting United Nations delegation over custodial deaths, prison overcrowding, alleged torture and deteriorating detention conditions in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan army moves to cement occupation of farm in Valikamam
The Sri Lankan military has erected a signboard designating a military-run agricultural farm on privately owned land inside the Valikamam North High Security Zone (HSZ), entrenching its presence even as landowners campaign for the return of their property.
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Hakeem rejects Katchatheevu handover calls in Tamil Nadu
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader and Member of Parliament Rauff Hakeem has said that the sovereignty of Katchatheevu is already settled under international law and bilateral agreements, warning that attempts to reopen the issue are not a practical solution to the long-running dispute between fishermen on both sides of the Palk Strait.
Vijay looks back on Eelam solidarity, but not forward
The Tamil Nadu chief minister, Vijay, made a brief reference to Eelam Tamils during a speech in the state legislative assembly on Tuesday, recalling his participation in a 2008 hunger strike in support of Tamils during the final stages of the armed conflict, in remarks that looked back to his own activism rather than to the realities facing Tamils in the North-East today.
Chemmani mass grave excavations halted again at 412 remains
Excavation work at the Chemmani mass grave, the largest uncovered on the island, has once again been temporarily halted, with officials planning to resume around 15 July.
Chemmani toll rises to 412, but the work of identifying the dead has not begun

US courts Colombo on trade and the Indian Ocean
The United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, S. Paul Kapur, met the Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat during a three-day visit to the island, in talks centred on trade, investment and security cooperation.

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
Transitional justice cannot exist without truth
Did Mullivaikkal End History?
The 'Emancipation Proclamation' and 'Vaddukoddai Resolution'
CULTURE & COMMUNITY
Tamil Fight Nights launches with landmark combat sports showcase
In Pictures - Colonel Shankar memorial sports tournament 2026 held in Switzerland ""
Mannar's ancient Thiruketheeswaram temple marks close of grand festival ""
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