Colombage Melani Manel Perera

Transparency International expressed “serious concern” over Kapila Chandrasena’s death. The investigation into the aircraft procurement is ongoing “without obstruction or delay”. The airline’s former CEO died on 8 May in Kollupitiya, after a new arrest warrant was issued against him. The 61-year-old was accused of receiving millions of dollars in bribes. Police view his death as suspicious.

A coalition of civil society groups and organisations is calling on Anura Kumara Dissanayake to release at least 10 detainees unconditionally. Some have been in prison for over 30 years without trial. The controversial anti-terrorism law is under scrutiny.

Father Aloysius Pieris died in Sri Lanka at the age of 92. He was the first non-Buddhist to earn a doctorate from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. A scholar of Eastern religions, he founded the Tulana Research Centre in 1974, also very active in social work. He was the first Asian member of the editorial board of the magazine Concilium.

Following the sinking of an Iranian frigate off Galle, Sri Lankan authorities are closely monitoring the presence of a second Iranian ship in the country’s exclusive economic zone. The vessel, which some sources believe to be a logistics vessel, has reportedly requested assistance due to technical problems amid rising tensions in the Indian Ocean.

Mandatory background checks will be introduced for employees working with girls and boys in government institutions. Criminal background records and periodic checks, including for existing staff, will be used. The goal is to boost prevention and institutional accountability.

Ten mobile libraries have been delivered to the Western Province, part of a countrywide project supported by the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat. With an endowment of 9,300 books, the vehicles will serve municipal councils and rural areas. Officials and writers highlight the initiative's value for a better informed society.

Intercepted in international waters and searched on suspicion of drug trafficking. Two boats returned on 1 February with 12 fishermen, four of whom were injured. Family members are calling for a formal investigation, while Colombo's fisheries minister condemns the action.

The play Yakawewata Nandikadal was born out of workshops promoted by the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) with communities affected by the war. Based on real-life stories, it is performed by non-professional actors and presented in Tamil and Sinhalese. It addresses pain, loss, and mutual distrust, calling for genuine cohesion and peaceful coexistence in Sri Lanka.

Civil society groups and activists are echoing a call from various segments of Sri Lankan society to renegotiate the agreement with the International Monetary Fund in light of the damage caused by climate change. The focus is on the Extended Fund Facility programme whose austerity measures are a further obstacle to economic revival. The demand is to put people first in restructuring the economy. Meanwhile, the number of people killed and affected by the cyclone continues to rise.

The losses are estimated at between US$ 6 and US$ 7 billion. In 2004, they ranged from US$ 1.5 to US$ 2 billion. The recovery plan is waiting for detailed assessments. Twenty-two out of 25 administrative districts and 416 factories were affected. Three billion rupees have been allocated in subsidies; raising the public spending limit is being considered to meet needs.

In a message to the faithful, the Archbishop of Colombo talks about a “very painful situation”, calling for holidays without excessive celebrations, extravagance, and waste. A Catholic NGO is leading the way in providing aid – food, drinking water, medical supplies, and cash – to various parishes.

The 35th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was celebrated in Sri Lanka on World Children's Day with immersive films and an exhibition at the Lotus Tower. More than 200 works created by children from across the country were on display. For the authorities, urgent action is needed so that “no one is left behind”.