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Editorial - Prison rules
Last week saw the second deadliest episode of prison violence in Sri Lanka's history. Only the massacre of Tamil political prisoners at Welikada in 1983 has claimed more lives inside a Sri Lankan jail. It is a record the state should be haunted to approach.

Tamil Affairs

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Tamil Affairs
Footage shows military selling produce from occupied Tamil land, contradicting parliament claim
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Tamil Affairs
Denied even shade: Palaly families protest a fourth week under punishing sun
Tamil Affairs
The road to 2028: How Sri Lanka's recovery could unravel again
Tamil Affairs
'A boy from war-torn Sri Lanka' - Nishan Canagarajah receives his knighthood

Latest Headlines

Footage shows military selling produce from occupied Tamil land, contradicting parliament claim
Footage obtained by the Tamil Guardian appears to show Sri Lankan soldiers selling large quantities of vegetables grown on occupied Tamil land to a Keells collection centre in Jaffna, directly contradicting the deputy defence minister's assurance to parliament, just days earlier, that the military farms this land only to feed itself.
Denied even shade: Palaly families protest a fourth week under punishing sun
Displaced Tamil landowners of Valikamam North protested at Palaly Junction for a fourth week running, demanding the return of land held by the military for 36 years, as police barred the mostly elderly demonstrators from even erecting a shelter against Jaffna's punishing mid-July sun, days after the government confirmed the land would never be given back.
The road to 2028: How Sri Lanka's recovery could unravel again
With the printing presses turning again, its two great foreign-currency lifelines fraying and a fuel bill set to soar as the United States blockades the Strait of Hormuz, Sri Lanka's fragile recovery is being tested from every side, and a debt reckoning in 2028 threatens to tip the island back towards the abyss of 2022.
'A boy from war-torn Sri Lanka' - Nishan Canagarajah receives his knighthood
British Tamil Professor Sir Nishan Canagarajah has been knighted by King Charles at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, formally conferring an honour that caps a remarkable journey for the University of Leicester's vice-chancellor, from wartime Jaffna to the upper reaches of British public life. Canagarajah, a British Tamil academic, was recognised in the 2026 King's New Year Honours for his contribution to higher education and, in particular, his championing of inclusion. During the ceremony, the King followed tradition in touching the shoulders of the kneeling professor with a sword before conferring the knighthood. Canagarajah travelled to Berkshire with his wife, Thabi.
Paramilitary leader Pillayan to remain in remand over Batticaloa killings
Former Sri Lankan state minister and paramilitary leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, has been further remanded until 24 July as the Criminal Investigation Department continues its probe into five killings in Batticaloa in 2008.
Sri Lanka prison death toll rises as officers succumb to injuries
The death toll from the deadly clashes at Negombo Prison has risen to 31 after two more prison officers died while receiving treatment at the National Hospital in Colombo.
Tamil residents intervene to block Sri Lankan military land grab in Maruthankerni
A fresh attempt to acquire Tamil land in Vadamaradchi East for reported Sri Lankan military use was suspended on Thursday after the landowner, local residents and activists intervened to block the survey.
Palaly land will not be returned, says deputy minister, as 1,661 more acres are seized
Sri Lanka's deputy defence minister has told parliament that land held within the Palaly High Security Zone deemed vital to national security will not be returned to its Tamil owners, and that a further 1,661 acres are to be permanently acquired for the military, with still more sought to expand the airport, even as displaced families across the North-East enter their third month of weekly protests demanding their land back.
From Tamil school stages to the FIFA World Cup
For Toronto-based dancer Kajaanan Navaratnam, an early connection to Tamil culture became the foundation for an international performance career, eventually leading him to one of the biggest sporting events in the world: the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Canada.
Twelve weeks on, Myliddy families protest a military that farms and trades on their land
Residents of Valikamam North staged their twelfth consecutive weekly protest on Friday outside the Sri Lankan military commander's bungalow at Myliddy, demanding the release of the privately owned ancestral land that remains occupied under the High Security Zone (HSZ). The demonstration was organised by landowners from the Grama Sevaka divisions 256, 248, 251 and 255, who were forcibly displaced from their homes in June 1990 when the area was designated a High Security Zone during the armed conflict.

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The road to 2028: How Sri Lanka's recovery could unravel again
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Tamil News

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Footage shows military selling produce from occupied Tamil land, contradicting parliament claim

Jul 14
Footage obtained by the Tamil Guardian appears to show Sri Lankan soldiers selling large quantities of vegetables grown on occupied Tamil land to a Keells collection centre in Jaffna, directly contradicting the deputy defence minister's assurance to parliament, just days earlier, that the military farms this land only to feed itself.
Denied even shade: Palaly families protest a fourth week under punishing sun
Displaced Tamil landowners of Valikamam North protested at Palaly Junction for a fourth week running, demanding the return of land held by the military for 36 years, as police barred the mostly elderly demonstrators from even erecting a shelter against Jaffna's punishing mid-July sun, days after the government confirmed the land would never be given back.
The road to 2028: How Sri Lanka's recovery could unravel again
With the printing presses turning again, its two great foreign-currency lifelines fraying and a fuel bill set to soar as the United States blockades the Strait of Hormuz, Sri Lanka's fragile recovery is being tested from every side, and a debt reckoning in 2028 threatens to tip the island back towards the abyss of 2022.
'A boy from war-torn Sri Lanka' - Nishan Canagarajah receives his knighthood

British Tamil Professor Sir Nishan Canagarajah has been knighted by King Charles at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, formally conferring an honour that caps a remarkable journey for the University of Leicester's vice-chancellor, from wartime Jaffna to the upper reaches of British public life.

Paramilitary leader Pillayan to remain in remand over Batticaloa killings
Former Sri Lankan state minister and paramilitary leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, has been further remanded until 24 July as the Criminal Investigation Department continues its probe into five killings in Batticaloa in 2008.
Sri Lanka prison death toll rises as officers succumb to injuries
The death toll from the deadly clashes at Negombo Prison has risen to 31 after two more prison officers died while receiving treatment at the National Hospital in Colombo.
Tamil residents intervene to block Sri Lankan military land grab in Maruthankerni
A fresh attempt to acquire Tamil land in Vadamaradchi East for reported Sri Lankan military use was suspended on Thursday after the landowner, local residents and activists intervened to block the survey.
Palaly land will not be returned, says deputy minister, as 1,661 more acres are seized
Sri Lanka's deputy defence minister has told parliament that land held within the Palaly High Security Zone deemed vital to national security will not be returned to its Tamil owners, and that a further 1,661 acres are to be permanently acquired for the military, with still more sought to expand the airport, even as displaced families across the North-East enter their third month of weekly protests demanding their land back.
From Tamil school stages to the FIFA World Cup
For Toronto-based dancer Kajaanan Navaratnam, an early connection to Tamil culture became the foundation for an international performance career, eventually leading him to one of the biggest sporting events in the world: the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Canada.
Twelve weeks on, Myliddy families protest a military that farms and trades on their land

Navaly marks 31 years since Sri Lanka bombed a church full of refugees
Relatives and clergy have gathered at St Peter's Church in Navaly to mark 31 years since the Sri Lankan Air Force dropped 13 bombs on the church and a neighbouring Hindu temple where hundreds of Tamil civilians, urged by the military itself to shelter in places of worship, had taken refuge, killing 147, an atrocity for which no Sri Lankan government has ever accepted responsibility.
As nearly 300 monks face abuse claims, a prelate cries defamation
As Sri Lanka's Buddhist clergy faces an unprecedented reckoning over child sexual abuse, with nearly 300 monks accused in three years and one of its most senior figures under arrest, the Chief Prelate of the Asgiriya Chapter has called on Buddhists to close ranks, casting the mounting allegations as a defamatory campaign against the faith.
Indian detainee among inmates killed in Negombo prison bloodshed

Prison officers responding to the deadly unrest at Negombo Prison were attacked by inmates who allegedly dropped large stones onto their heads, according to Sri Lankan prison authorities, as investigations continue into one of the country's deadliest prison incidents in recent years/

Amnesty International says Sri Lanka must answer for deaths after prison transfers
Amnesty International has called for an urgent and independent investigation into the deaths of two prisoners transferred from Negombo Prison, warning that allegations of torture and ill-treatment against other inmates are “deeply alarming”.
Families of the disappeared renew call for international justice as more than 400 die waiting
Tamil families of the forcibly disappeared across the North-East have announced an international conference on 30 August, renewing their rejection of Sri Lanka's domestic accountability mechanisms and their decade-long demand for international justice, as more than 400 mothers and fathers have now died without ever learning the fate of their loved ones.
Sri Lankan military agrees to reopen road to Palaly temple after 35 years
The Sri Lankan military has agreed to reopen the permanent road to the Rajarajeshwari Amman Temple in Palaly, blocked for years by an army vehicle-repair depot, and to allow daily worship until 10pm, a concession within one of Jaffna's most militarised zones that nonetheless leaves thousands of displaced families still barred from their land.
Ravikaran demands justice for prison killings, Chemmani and Keppapulavu land
Vanni District MP Thurairasa Ravikaran has called for justice over the Negombo Prison violence, an investigation into former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga over alleged Chemmani cover-up claims, and the release of military-occupied land in Keppapulavu.
Protest in Vavuniya over encroachment on a vital irrigation tank
Farmers and residents in Vavuniya have protested against the alleged encroachment of the catchment of the Kovilkulam tank, warning that development on the land threatens the reservoir's water supply and the farming livelihoods of a community reliant on the dry zone's centuries-old network of village tanks.
Sri Lanka moves Negombo prisoners to North-East after 26 killed in riot
Sri Lankan authorities have transferred more than 100 inmates from Negombo Prison to facilities in Jaffna and Batticaloa after deadly clashes killed at least 26 people
Rewiring Britain
Andy Burnham is set to be Britain's next Prime Minister. In a speech this week, delivered not from Westminster but from Manchester, he pledged to "rewire" the country, promising the biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times. His optimism and sense of purpose are clearly welcome after years of drift. But if the rewiring is to mean anything, it cannot stop at Britain's shores.

World News

Tibetan activist dies after self-immolation outside UN headquarters

Jul 10
A Tibetan independence activist has died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, in a act of protest that Tibetan exile groups described as an appeal for Tibetan independence and unity.
Hamas offers to hand Gaza authority to technocratic committee
Hamas has announced the dissolution of its governing body in Gaza and said it is ready to hand civilian authority to a Palestinian technocratic committee, in a move aimed at reviving a stalled US-backed ceasefire plan as Israel continues to control large parts of the devastated territory.
German police arrest Rwanda genocide suspect accused of ordering killings
German prosecutors have arrested a German-Rwandan national on suspicion of complicity in genocide and 25 counts of murder during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda.
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.
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.
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 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).
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