Military Training for Youth, Explained

As news broke out about Public Security Minister (Rtd) Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara’s proposal for military training for Sri Lankan youth....

He didn’t listen to me” - S. B. Dissanayake comments on Ranjan’s verdict…

“I will not withdraw my comments, I will not apologize,” actor-turned politician Ranjan Ramanayake said as he was handcuffed and escorted away from court.

Decisions to be made in Sri Lanka’s hunt for the COVID-19 Vaccine

Around the world, governments are gearing up to roll out nationwide immunization campaigns. Others are scrambling to procure more doses of the vaccine for their citizens.

Sri Lankan migrant workers still in limbo

Sri Lanka’s migrant workers are a significant part of our economy, with their remittances accounting for the second largest share of the country’s foreign exchange earnings....

Matale Police charges counsellor in child abuse case

A social worker and counsellor who came across an abused child and promptly handed her over to the police in August 2020....

What 2020 meant for us

We asked our readers, what the year 2020 meant for them

Let me help!

As dozens of Covid-19 remedies continue to circulate on social media, a traditional medicine physician has come forward with allegations that indigenous medicine is now ridiculed thanks to the actions of a few quacks.

Mandatory Cremation: Bodies in freezers till Govt’s final decision

Fifty-year-old mother of three, Fathima Shakeela died on December 14 while undergoing treatment at the Homagama Base Hospital.

Ashes denote that fire was…

Massive plumes of grey smoke wafted from a fire which broke out at the Hulftsdorp Supreme Court complex in Colombo on Tuesday evening (December 15). The smoke which engulfed the country’s Apex Court caused public alarm with Police top brass as well as the Attorney General himself visiting the site immediately.

Virtual promises for recent graduates

The journey to becoming a graduate is certainly not easy in a country like Sri Lanka. If you pass the GCE Advanced Level exam with a high Z-score......

NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT FUNNY BOY

Deepa Mehta’s ‘Funny Boy’, a Canadian drama film shot in Sri Lanka, is to be released on Netflix today. Based on acclaimed writer Shyam Selvadurai’s book of the same title, the coming-of-age film follows a young Tamil boy who explores his sexuality.

Seeking a Miracle Covid-19 Cure

Massive crowds thronged Hettimulla, Kegalle last morning, upon receiving the news that a ‘cure’ for Covid-19 would be distributed free of charge.

Questions over billions of rupees in funding for Batticaloa Campus

Following last week’s announcement by Education Minister G.L. Peiris in Parliament on the Government’s decision to acquire the controversial Batticaloa Campus, the Auditor General had informed and issued certain directives to the Attorney General’s Department regarding the campus.

What happened at Mahara: Conspiracy OR sudden unrest ?

A violent protest erupted in one of the country’s largest high security prisons on Sunday, as gunfire rang out and some parts of the prison set ablaze.

Pad politics is back

In November 2019, in the run up to the Presidential election, Sri Lanka debated the need for menstrual equity, in a bid to pursue the female vote. Exactly one year later, sanitary products and women’s rights are back in spotlight, only this time, the matter was taken up in Parliament during the Budget debate.

‘Impossible is just a state of mind’ - Dr. Dinesh Palipana

Sri Lankan born Dr. Dinesh Palipana was recently named as Queensland’s Australian for the year 2021. The state’s first quadriplegic medical graduate and medical intern, Dr. Palipana was honoured at a special ceremony held in Brisbane.

Ramal, the boy who found an opportunity in adversity

Ramal Christopher Sahabandu is a child with Cerebral Palsy, in other words, Ramal is a child with limitations and special needs.

Air pollution linked to 15% of Covid-19 deaths

According to the World Health Organisation air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. To put things in perspective....

A hefty cost to return home

Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, thousands of Sri Lankan migrant workers are left with no job, no money and no way out.

How Covid-19 is further marginalising the vulnerable

Although the COVID-19 pandemic was initially described by many as a “great equaliser”, the societal and individual impacts it has on vulnerable sections of the society are not equal. If anything, it has thrust our society’s inequalities into sharp focus.

Lanka Premier League Explained

More than two years since stating its intent to conduct a franchise-based T20 tournament, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are now close to seeing the Lanka Premier League (LPL) becoming a reality.

Doctors warn of unusual COVID-19 deaths

Further negligence could lead to detrimental situations including the rise of unusual and untimely deaths

Is Covid-19 a disaster?

In Sri Lanka, where the death toll has been relatively low, does Covid-19 qualify as a disaster? We ask the expert

Unchecked fire in Vavuniya forest plains

State forest land in Mamaduwa, Vavuniya has been set ablaze for the third time, environmentalists allege. The State land estimated to be over 100 acres has been set on fire for the third time within weeks, which has led to the destruction of several hectares of forest plains. Following several inquiries, Vavuniya Police and area Forest Department officials who visited the area observed that fire had been set by a few locals on October 16 and 17.

The rising need for data privacy

Since the discovery of several employees infected with the coronavirus at Brandix Apparel Limited, a list of personal data....

Covid-19 & motor vehicle imports

In Sri Lanka, the pandemic caused an unusual interest in vehicles and vehicle imports. What is the big deal about

H&M labels dumped in Nature Reserve

A group of volunteers during a clean-up of the Wetahirakanda Nature Reserve has stumbled upon a patch of buried fabric labels bearing the name of a leading global apparel brand, H&M.

Last rites far from home

The body of the Sri Lankan migrant worker Bandu who died of coronavirus in Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- far from home -- was kept inside the ambulance in front of the crematorium. A few of his work friends came by for a last goodbye.

Turtles to pay the price of oil spill?

Sri Lanka’s beautiful seas are home to an assortment off exotic marine life. With the recent oil spill off the seas of Ampara, caused by a raging....

Doctors blame newborn for gash on her face

A baby born on September 21 at the Wathupitiwala Base Hospital in Gampaha has suffered a gash on her face, which her parents claim, is a result of medical negligence.