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Sri Lanka prison death toll rises as officers succumb to injuries
Sri Lanka prison death toll rises as officers succumb to injuries by abilash
The death toll from the violent clashes at Negombo Prison has risen to 31 after two more prison officers succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at the National Hospital in Colombo.
Ada Derana reported that the two officers died on 13 July and in the early hours of 14 July. Sri Lankan police said the deceased officers were aged 25 and 39.
The latest deaths bring the number of prison officers killed in the clashes to 10, while 21 inmates also lost their lives. The violence took place at Negombo Prison on
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The road to 2028: How Sri Lankas recovery could unravel again
The road to 2028: How Sri Lankas recovery could unravel again by Thusiyan
File photograph.
For the better part of two years, Sri Lankas official story has been one of steady recovery: inflation tamed, reserves rebuilt, a debt restructuring all but complete, and an International Monetary Fund that keeps urging the government to "stay the course". Beneath that narrative, however, a cluster of pressures is now converging, some homegrown, some bearing down from a volatile world, that together make the recovery look a good deal more fragile than the reassurances suggest.
The
Paramilitary leader Pillayan to remain in remand over Batticaloa killings
Paramilitary leader Pillayan to remain in remand over Batticaloa killings by abilash
Former Sri Lankan state minister and paramilitary leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, will remain in remand custody until 24 July as the Criminal Investigation Department continues its investigation into a string of fatal shootings in Batticaloa in 2008.
The order was issued by Batticaloa Magistrate Annathurai Darshini after Pillayan was produced before court via video conference on 13 July.
Pillayan, who has been arrested unde
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A boy from war-torn Sri Lanka - Nishan Canagarajah receives his knighthood
A boy from war-torn Sri Lanka - Nishan Canagarajah receives his knighthood by Thusiyan
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 Leicesters vice-chancellor, from wartime Jaffna to the upper reaches of British public life.
Canagarajah, a British Tamil academic, was recognised in the 2026 Kings 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
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Denied even shade: Palaly families protest a fourth week under punishing sun
Denied even shade: Palaly families protest a fourth week under punishing sun by abilash
Residents of Valikamam North protested for a fourth consecutive week on Sunday, demanding the release of their land, which remains under the control of the Sri Lankan military.
The demonstration, held at Palaly Junction, saw protesters renew their call for the return of property they say they have been shut out of for the past 36 years, land the military continues to occupy and to work for its own agricultural and commercial ends while its owners live on, decade after decade, without their homes or fields.
When the demonstrato
Editorial - Prison rules
Editorial - Prison rules by Thusiyan
Last week saw the second deadliest episode of prison violence in Sri Lankas history. Over two days at Negombo Prison, at least 28 people were killed, among them seven prison officers, and more than a hundred were wounded. By the time the violence which began on Sunday evening subsided, hospital staff were describing bodies with gunshot wounds arriving by the dozen, the air force had drones and a helicopter circling overhead, and thousands of relatives stood outside the walls begging for information that never came. Only the massacre of Tamil political prisoners at Welikada in 1983 has claimed more lives
Twelve weeks on, Myliddy families protest a military that farms and trades on their land
Twelve weeks on, Myliddy families protest a military that farms and trades on their land by abilash
Residents of Valikamam North staged their twelfth consecutive weekly protest on Friday outside the Sri Lankan military commanders bungalow at Myliddy, demanding the release of the pr
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From Tamil school stages to the FIFA World Cup
From Tamil school stages to the FIFA World Cup by Thusiyan
For many Tamil performers, the journey begins on community stages during annual cultural shows, temple events, and Tamil school performances. This is where a love for dance is first discovered. For Toronto-based dancer Kajaanan Navaratnam, that 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.
Canada was one of the three host countries for this year’s FIFA World Cup, alongside the United States and Me
