Sulochana Peiris

A trailer on my latest documentary, #Pettah which is the busiest and most vibrant market in Sri Lanka. I chose to tell the story of mostly Indian-origin minority communities who run businesses in Pettah, making huge, invaluable contributions to the country’s economy. But we have been “othering” them too long, post-independence. Incredibly lucky to have worked with a talented bunch of production and post-production team. (rotate phone anti-clockwise for full-screen viewing)

Iran’s joint military command (Khatam Al Anbiya) has also officially DENIED involvement in any attacks against the UAE. The statement says the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have not carried out any missile or drone operations against the UAE in recent days, and if any action had been taken, they would have announced it decisively and clearly.

Israel abducted civilians in international waters, you might want to mention that their “detention” is ILLEGAL.

The Israeli military is making all the remaining traces of Palestinian presence in Gaza disappear, including the ruins of the homes it bombed. Settler colonial erasure.

Among the reason for the split between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is the UAE's 's arming of the genocidal Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. trib.al/vGoBYqV

“I was beaten by four people, repeatedly punched, kicked, spat on and accused of being a terrorist.” British Gaza flotilla activists Alice Chapman and Zak Khan said they required hospital care after being abducted and abused by Israeli occupation forces who attacked and intercepted their aid ships in international waters near Crete. Khan testified that he was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet, violently assaulted, and told by doctors he came close to a broken jaw. He also said he developed a chest infection due to the conditions aboard the detention vessel. Chapman said she was punched by an Israeli soldier, while both described detainees being forced to sleep either inside shipping containers or outdoors, exposed to extreme cold at night and intense heat during the day, while being denied water and having stun grenades used to disrupt their sleep. Khan further reported that some detainees were placed in solitary confinement, while others were taken away and beaten. He described one activist being “beaten very badly” inside a container after shouting “free Palestine,” with others only able to hear the assault. They said dozens of detainees required medical treatment upon release, as Israeli occupation forces seized multiple vessels from the flotilla attempting to break the blockade on Gaza, with organizers condemning the attack as unlawful and an act of piracy.

Spain’s national TV giving 40 minutes of coverage to the flotilla members kidnapped in Israel. This is exactly the kind of sustained attention European media should give whenever their citizens face human rights violations abroad.

Israel’s defenders: It’s not a genocide Israeli soldiers: Death to Arabs

#TamilNadu: "Spectacle and banality have prevailed against old-style political tendentiousness and rhetoric," writes V. Geetha in this sharp analysis of the changing mood of the Tamil voter thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/… via @the_hindu

"Explosive Media is a Narrative media, not a propaganda" A new article about us. rabblereview.com/from-lego-meme…

Dubai is facing an existential crisis with the US and Israeli war on Iran forcing tourism numbers to fall sharply, with widespread hotel closures and job losses decimating the global tourism hotspots' hospitality sector middleeasteye.pulse.ly/kjutctihvr

An Israeli court has extended the detention of two foreign activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla until Sunday, a rights group representing the men says, as authorities continue to question them. 🔴 LIVE updates: aje.news/glz7p2

UPDATE: Israel's Ashkelon magistrates court just extended Thiago Avila and Saif Abukeshek's detention by SIX more days. That means the eight-hour interrogations, beatings, solitary confinement and death threats - torture, essentially - will continue until Sunday. No formal charges have been filed against either activist, and lawyers have not been allowed to see the 'secret evidence' against them that Israel claims to hold.

BREAKING: Israel extends detention of two Gaza flotilla activists to weekend 🔴 LIVE updates: aje.news/q9irgt?update=…

Good morning from Gaza🌱

Call it what it is: Israel is committing genocide in southern Lebanon.

China is now Sri Lanka's #1 trading partner. 🇨🇳 🤝🇱🇰 According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka's 2025 Annual Review, China-Sri Lanka trade hit $5.5B. Through projects like the Port of Colombo and ventures into EVs and clean energy, China and Sri Lanka are partnering to drive a story of recovery. #BRI #ChinaSriLanka #TradeData #GlobalSouth

Breaking: Clear signs of abuse and mistreatment were visible on the faces of Gaza blockade-breaking activists Saif Abu Keshk and Thiago Avila upon their arrival at court.

BREAKING: Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi travels to Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. 🔴 More on aljazeera.com

I have referred Sky News and GMB to Ofcom over disgraceful and baseless smears that have been made about me. There is nothing antisemitic about supporting the people of Palestine. I will continue to speak out against racism, apartheid and genocide. novaramedia.com/2026/05/05/jer…

A major city in Colombia cooled itself by 2°C simply by planting millions of trees and shrubs—demonstrating that nature provides one of the most effective cooling solutions available. Medellín has turned its urban environment into a cooler, more livable space through its innovative Green Corridors project, launched in 2016. The initiative planted nearly 880,000 trees and 2.5 million smaller plants along busy roads and waterways, replacing heat-trapping concrete with lush vegetation. This created an extensive network of interconnected green zones that function like natural cooling systems, reducing the city's average temperature by more than 2°C. Beyond cooling, the project delivers wide-ranging benefits: it purifies the air, boosts urban biodiversity by welcoming back wildlife, and fosters a healthier atmosphere through shade and evapotranspiration—the natural process by which plants release water vapor. Honored with the 2019 Ashden Award for Cooling by Nature, Medellín's approach has become an inspiring model for cities worldwide seeking sustainable ways to adapt to rising temperatures and combat climate change.