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Jaffna and Palaly protests mark 36 years since Valikamam North displacement

Displaced residents of the Valikamam North region of Jaffna held protests on Monday, in front of the Jaffna District Secretariat and near Palaly Junction, marking 36 years since their forced displacement and demanding the right to return and resettle in their lands.
Sri Lanka threatens legal action over Hindu worship at Kurunthur Malai

Sri Lanka's acting head of archaeology has claimed that no evidence exists of a Hindu temple ever having stood at Kurunthur Malai in Mullaitivu, and refused permission for the Tamil shrine at the site to be rebuilt, in the latest move in a years-long state-backed effort to seize the hilltop for Sinhala Buddhism.

'If we do not tell our own stories, others will' - Ana Pararajasingham on Uprooted
When Ana Pararajasingham set out to gather the stories of thirty-four Eelam Tamils scattered across the world, it was out of a worry that the history behind their displacement was already fading, even within the diaspora itself. His book, Uprooted: Stories from the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora, presents those lives not as isolated accounts of personal success but as the record of a people driven from their homeland who went on to rebuild elsewhere. He spoke to the Tamil Guardian about the process behind the book.
Seventeen UK Tamil student bodies demand PTA repeal

A coalition of seventeen Tamil youth and university student organisations across the United Kingdom has demanded the full repeal of Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and an end to the prosecution of Eelam Tamil artist Sangeethsan Ganeskumar, days after the rapper known as Hiphop Sangee was released on bail but left facing continuing charges over a song.

Gotabaya moves to prevent arrest under PTA as Easter Sunday investigation widens
Former Sri Lankan president and accused war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa has filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal seeking an order preventing his arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in connection with investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
Pillayan named as suspect in five 2008 Eastern Province killings
Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department has named TMVP leader and former state minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, as a suspect in a series of 2008 killings in the Eastern Province.
Central Bank grilled over alleged Rs. 13.2 billion NDB fraud
Sri Lanka’s Committee on Public Finance sharply questioned senior Central Bank officials, including Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe, over regulatory and supervisory failures that allegedly allowed a Rs. 13.2 billion internal fraud at National Development Bank PLC to remain undetected for years.
DNA test ordered for senior Buddhist monk accused in child sexual abuse case
Court orders DNA test on former Atamasthanadhipathi Pallegama Hemarathana Thera in serious child sexual abuse case
In Pictures - Colonel Shankar memorial sports tournament 2026 held in Switzerland
A memorial sports tournament commemorating Colonel Shankar, the Special Commander of the Tamil Eelam Air Force (Sky Tigers) who was killed in an attack carried out by Sri Lankan deep penetration forces in Ottusuddan, Mullaitivu, on 26 September 2001, was held in Switzerland on 7 June 2026.
UN torture prevention body returns to Sri Lanka amid continued concerns
The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture is conducting its first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019 to assess detention conditions, review reforms and examine whether authorities have acted on past recommendations.
Eelam Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu camp demand basic amenities
Residents of the Kulathulvaipatti Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camp in Ettyapuram have petitioned authorities for improved housing, water, electricity and infrastructure, highlighting the continued hardships faced by Eelam Tamil refugees living in Tamil Nadu decades after fleeing Sri Lanka.
London demonstration calls for repeal of PTA after Tamil rapper's detention
A protest was held outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London on Thursday, organised by Freedom Hunters for Tamils (FHFT), demanding justice for Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar and an end to the use of Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against Tamils.
Sri Lanka revives infamous Israeli-made Kfir warplanes

The Sri Lanka Air Force has carried out the first test flight of its upgraded Israeli-made Kfir C12 fighter aircraft at SLAF Base Katunayake, renewing scrutiny of a warplane closely associated with Sri Lanka’s bombing campaigns across the Tamil homeland.

ITAK MP takes Hiphop Sangee case to Brussels, warns of GSP+ implications
ITAK raises concerns over Sri Lanka’s continued use of the PTA and Hiphop Sangee’s arrest during talks with EU officials in Brussels
Jaffna council issues statutory notice against military hospital on private land
The Chairman of the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha, S. Sugirthan, has issued an urgent notice to the Jaffna District Military Commander demanding the immediate suspension of construction work on a Sri Lankan military hospital being built on privately owned civilian land in Vasavilan, Jaffna.
Vavuniya protest demands repeal of PTA and unconditional release of Tamil rapper
Representatives of the Association of Families of the Forcibly Disappeared led a protest in Vavuniya on Friday over the arrest of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), demanding his unconditional release and calling for urgent international intervention, including from United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Flowers, lamps and prayers mark 40 years since Verugal massacre
The 40th anniversary of the Verugal massacre was commemorated at the Poongar Thaan Thoontreeswarar Temple in Eechchilampattu, Trincomalee District, on Friday, with relatives, civil society activists and residents gathering to remember the 21 people killed while transporting food supplies to displaced Tamil families in 1986.
Remembering 1956 – Sri Lanka’s first Anti-Tamil pogrom
This week marks 70 years since Sri Lanka’s first anti-Tamil pogroms, when government backed Sinhala mobs murdered more than 150 Tamils across the island – the first of many massacres that were to take place in the decades to come.
Sri Lankan CID targets opposition figures over statements on Sallay case
Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on Monday that it has launched an investigation into allegations of contempt of court involving six individuals, including former Sri Lankan ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila, as well as parliamentarian Dilith Jayaweera.

World News

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.
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.
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.

'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.
'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.
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.
UN court begins hearing on Myanmar Rohingya genocide case
This week, the charge that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya went before the International Court of Justice for three weeks of testimony.