Colombage Melani Manel Perera

The former president - already convicted of failing to prevent the attacks that caused 273 deaths - now says he is willing to reveal in a closed court hearing the secrets he has kept on the affair still without justice. Fr. Rohan Silva: 'If the government had courage it should arrest him immediately'.

Yesterday a hundred women received free medical treatment and counselling provided by the Dabindu Collective and the Seeduwa Health District, including, among others, breast check-ups, pap smears, and blood tests. As a result of the country’s economic woes and the need to work, many Sri Lankans have not been able to seek medical care or undergo check-ups.

Human Rights Watch raises the alarm on the executive's regulations and bills that undermine political freedoms. The latest one concerns non-governmental organisations, whose application can lead to abuses and arbitrariness. The credibility and effectiveness of the International Monetary Fund programme is at risk.

Appointed by Pope Francis on 6 December, Mgr Wimal Siri Jayasuriya was ordained last Saturday. Card Malcolm Ranjith and the country’s Catholic bishops were present at the arrival and consecration of the new prelate. Anglican and Buddhist clerics also attended the service. For the faithful, he is "a total gift from God to our diocese".

The owner of the Lorenzo Putha-4 Francis Milroy Perera is concerned about their fate. The pirates attacked on 27 January, but the Seychelles Coast Guard thwarted their action. The Sri Lankan government has failed so far to repatriate them. The skipper's mother appealed to AsiaNews.

On the occasion of the annual event dedicated to children at the Tewatta basilica, the Archbishop of Colombo reminded children of the invitation addressed to them by Pope Francis: "In today's world, do not be afraid of holiness".

Seven years after the beginning of the struggle to get the truth from the government about the fate of 200,000 people forcibly disappeared during the war in the north and east of Sri Lanka, a procession brought family members and activists to the streets. "Rajapaksa will answer before an international court for these people who disappeared".

President Ranil Wickremesinghe's 'Urumaya (legacy) of the president' programme grants Sri Lankan farmers the right to their land: 'But this deed is not granted for agriculture, but only for commercial cultivation for export,' explains Chinthaka Rajapaksa of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reforms

In January, Sri Lanka reported highest arrivals since 2019 after it scrapped visas for Chinese, Russians, Japanese, and Indian visitors. The sector is crucial to for the country to recover from its current economic crisis, with the government seeking to attract 2.3 million tourists in 2024.

Official events were held amid tight security without the public. President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin attended the main ceremony. The president praised the country for surviving bankruptcy ahead of a “new renaissance”. Rights and youth groups protested amid clashes with the security forces. Card Ranjith slammed the crackdown against freedom.

The former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was questioned for 10 hours and remanded into custody in connection with fake papers involving a batch of vials that failed quality tests. The scam cost US$ 415,000 to a country whose health care is on the verge of collapse.

Appeal to the government launched by the National Peace Council, which asks to consult the opposition and civil society before approval. "The entire democratic process" is at risk. According to critics, "the support of the international community" seems to be a priority by producing laws rather than guaranteeing justice and representativeness for ethnic and religious minorities.