Politics

Chinas ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong, is leaving the island after nearly six years, marking his departure with an effusive farewell hailing an "everlasting friendship" between the two countries, in a tenure that saw Beijing deepen its economic and strategic grip on the island even as the scale of Colombos debt to China, and Beijings role in shielding it from accountability, drew mounting scrutiny.

In a lengthy valedictory message, Qi cast the relationship in a succession of Sri Lankan metaphors, likening it to the Sacred Bodhi Tree, C

Sri Lanka has deployed military drones and troops from all three of its armed forces to hunt for mosquito breeding sites, as the worst outbreak of dengue fever in nearly a decade overwhelms hospitals across the island and lays bare the collapse of its public health system.

The mosquito-borne disease has killed 56 people and infected more than 77,000 since January, with more than a quarter of cases recorded in July alone. Infections have accelerated sharply, rising to 21,537 in June, more than double the May figure, towards a toll now approa

Tamil landowners in Thaiyiddy continued their protest this week, demanding the return of privately owned lands on which they say the illegally constructed Tissa Vihara has been established.

The demonstrators insisted that the land occupied by the Buddhist vihara, together with the surrounding private properties, must be restored to their rightful owners.

The protest has become a recurring act of resistance, with landowners gathering on every full moon day to press their longstanding demand for the release of their ancestral lands.

The lat

^{Photograph: Dirk Skiba}

More than four months after Sri Lanka Customs detained two of his books on national security grounds, Tamil novelist Theepachelvan Piratheepan says the experience has deepened his fear of state surveillance but strengthened his resolve to continue writing from the Tamil homeland.

The Kilinochchi-based writer, who teaches Advanced Level students, reflected on the continued detention of two of his books, the broader targeting of Tamil liter

Northern fishermen staged a black flag protest in the waters off Kurikadduwan on Wednesday, condemning repeated incursions by Indian trawlers from Tamil Nadu and demanding stronger action to protect their livelihoods.

The demonstration took place in the sea area between Nainativu and Kurikadduwan, where fishermen sailed in fiberglass boats while flying black flags as a symbol of protest.

The protesters said Indian trawler boats have repeatedly crossed the maritime boundary and engaged in destructive bottom trawling, causing severe damage to loca

The Catholic clergy led a peaceful demonstration in Jaffna on Thursday, demanding justice for victims of the Chemmani–Siththuppaththi mass grave and calling for an independent international investig

Captain Miller, the Tamil period action film led by Dhanush, has won a national film award in India, more than a year after its director disclosed that the story had originally been rooted in the LTTEs first Black Tiger attack.

At the 72nd National Film Awards, Captain Miller won the award for Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values, while Dhanush received a special mention in the Best Actor category for his performance in the title role. The film was directed by Arun Matheswaran and produced by Sathya Jyothi Films.

Sri Lanka is moving to send 10,000 workers to Israel over the course of 2026, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath, has announced, deepening Colombos labour ties with Israel.

Herath made the announcement while handing travel permits to 164 workers bound for Israels construction and infrastructure sector, who were selected from a waiting list of around 3,700 for construction jobs. So far this year 2,500 Sri Lankans have been deployed to Israel, with openings prepared for a further 6,500 and around 1,000 more expected in a new sector, working to

Sri Lankas government is pressing ahead with a constitutional amendment to raise the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges, despite unanimous opposition from the countrys bar association and warnings that the move threatens the independence of the judiciary.

The cabinet approved the proposal on Monday, government spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said, under which the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court judges would rise by two years to 67, that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65, and lower court