May 2026

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentences of four men convicted in the 2015 abduction, gang rape, and murder of Sivaloganathan Vithiya, an 18-year-old student from Jaffna. In a ruling delivered by a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, the court dismissed appeals filed by the chief accused, Mahalingam Sasikumar — widely known as “Swiss Kumar” — and three others seeking to overturn their convictions. The court also set asi

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — In one of his more theatrical and illogical speeches in Parliament, Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna suggested that Sri Lanka should not only hand over Katchatheevu, but also give away Jaffna itself to Tamil Nadu — a remark that observers said seemed to have little connection between tongue and brain, if any. “Not only Katchatheevu — give Jaffna to Tamil Nadu too. The people of Tamil Nadu will look after us,” Mr. Archchuna declared during a speech that quickly drew at

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Supporters of Tamil film star Vijay gathered across parts of Jaffna on Monday night to celebrate the strong electoral showing of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. Groups of mostly young fans assembled in Jaffna town, Kakkaitheevu, Gurunagar, and other areas, waving TVK flags, lighting firecrackers, and staging spontaneous street celebrations as election results confirmed the party’s major gains in the southern Indian

MANNAR, Sri Lanka — A woman has been arrested in Mannar after allegedly killing her husband during a domestic dispute, dismembering his body, and concealing the remains in a toilet pit at their rented home, police said. The incident occurred in the Moor Street area of Mannar, where the couple had reportedly been living in a rented house for the past two months. According to preliminary investigations, a heated argument broke out between the husband and wife on Saturday night, during which the