Hollywood star Sean Penn joins Ukraine exodus to Poland on foot

Days after visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to film scenes for his documentary on Russia’s invasion, Hollywood actor-director Sean Penn found himself among thousands of refugees fleeing to Poland, joining the exodus on foot. Penn, 61, posted a photo to his Twitter feed on Monday showing the movie star wearing a backpack and toting a piece of luggage on wheels as he trudged along the shoulder of a road beside a line of cars stretching into the

Pattinson suits up for macabre new ‘Batman’

Robert Pattinson had never been interested in playing a superhero -- until Ben Affleck quit his role as Batman, leaving the famous cape unexpectedly up for grabs. Having spent the past decade mainly working on critically acclaimed arthouse movies, former “Twilight” actor Pattinson requested a meeting with the filmmakers entrusted by Warner Bros. to revitalize th

Gothamie Weerakoon

Lichens are described as a complex life form which is a symbiotic partnership between a fungus and an alga. Although they are miniature in appearance, lichens provide a means to convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to oxygen through photo

Catching up with the Grandie’s Fads

Hello! I need to make this announcement for the good of all man and womenkind. The short month flew by, and unromantically I spent most of it alone, in the prone position, hallucinating, struck with post vaccine reactions and a bad bout of s

HSBC Colombo fashion week

Colombo witnessed a smorgasbord of fashion during the HSBC CFW which concluded on Day 3. Indi Yapa Abeywaydene who celebrates her tenth anniversary showcasing at Colombo Fashion Week provided a fitting finale with a colle

The Ayurveda Pavilions

It was 15 years ago that I was at the Pavilions for thirty days. I was at the Pavilions the past fortnight following a consultation with Dr. Dinesh Edirisinghe, Consultant Ayurvedic Specialist at the Pavilions, who suggested that a two week stay at the Pavili

Lanka Sportreizen launches Colombo’s first full fledged watersports centre

Sri Lanka’s commercial capital and most populous city Colombo is noted for its plethora of dining and shopping offerings, significantly fewer cultural and religious places of interest, but not much else. Locals and tourists alike head to variou

FOOD STUDIO

Chocolatier and chef, Gerard Mendis, partners with Coca-Cola to seek out the best food to enjoy with a refreshing, cold Coke. Join

Oscars to pre-tape some awards in bid for ‘tighter’ show

The Oscars next month will pre-tape the announcements of eight winners in an attempt to make the televised ceremony “tighter and more electric,” organisers said Tuesday. The decision, made to “prioritise the television audience,” will

Kanye West says new album won’t be released on streaming platforms

Kanye West on Friday dropped the tracklist to his planned new album “Donda 2,” just after saying it would not be available to stream but instead exclusively on his own “Stem Player” device. The mercurial artiste said the device will allow listeners to play four different track elements - vocals, drum, bass and music - and costs $200. “Tech compani

A visionary and a pioneer in tourism

The late Herbert Cooray, was a visionary and a pioneer in tourism. As far back as the early seventies, he bought the Blue Oceanic Hotel in Negombo and renamed it. Later on when the government headed by the late President Jayewardene s

HSBC CFW 2022

In a pandemic which has caused the world to slow down its pace and re-think its priorities, Colombo Fashion Week has adopted a theme of Green Conscious and Earth Sensitive. At its very core the new season will place special emphasis

HSBC Fashion Fund for Emerging Designers

With HSBC Colombo Fashion Week 2022 (CFW) scheduled for the end of February 2022, the organization has announced the launch of the HSBC Fashion Fund for Emerging Designers, as part of its Emerging Designer programme. C

Rakhil Fernando

Today in Inside Story, we feature Rakhil Fernando, known to most people as the son of Ramani and Ranjith Fernando. Treading in his parents footsteps, Rakhil too is a trail blazer, someone who is continuously pushing the boundaries and looking for new challenges and experiences. The Managing Director of Daraz Sri Lanka, a wholly owned subsidiar

Over Serving

I am sure all of us have noticed how people’s eyes are bigger than their stomach and tend to serve far too much food on their plates, more than what they can consume. This is a familiar sight when entertaining at home. The same or worse is visible at the hotel buffets. People tend to serve food on to their plates as if there is no tomorrow. No one is objecting to the quantum of food that they serve themselves. It is the amount that they leave be

BAWA ON WHY ‘it is essential to be there’

An architectural style often called Sri Lanka’s stamp on world architecture, It is Essential to be There is a never-seen-before insight into Bawa’s unique practice and style.

‘The Voice’ star Piumi Senanayake blazes a trail through the local music industry

The newest sensation in music, Piumi Senanayake, recently launched several covers of vintage songs to add a touch of modernisation to the classic hits of old. Hailing from an artistic background and having a passion for music since school, Piumi has now risen to a star along with the strength absorbed from the uber-famous The Voice Sri Lanka competition as well. A fashion desig

Gypsies back on the ‘Gaalu Paara’

‘Gaalu Paara’, the newest song by Gypsies and the first song to be released after the demise of their leader Sunil Perera will hit the airwaves soon. ‘Gaalu Paara’, the last song voiced by Sunil in 2021, will hit the Lankan music arena i

The Legend of Jim Brown Buddhi releases full-length concept album

Storyteller and independent artiste Buddhi de Mal presents his international audience with a full-length concept album ‘The Legend of Jim Brown’ on 22 Feb 2022. Buddhi having established himself as a musician in Sri Lanka through his band Wagon Park embarked on a journey to capture the North American audience in 2016, after he enrolled at the Musicians Institu

How to be a TikTok music megastar

Tom Rosenthal is a 35-year-old singer-songwriter from London. He had already built a decent career over a decade, but when he joined TikTok in 2020 he said the impact was “seismic”.

‘Gebaka’ A creative showcase for those who appreciate art

Hues of reds and yellows dominate your imaginations as you enter the otherwise empty room at the Bakeriya Space located in Mahalwarawa, Pannipitiya. This is depicted as the connection you have with your mother, the reds and yellows indicatin

Sajeira & Sajeira

Upon returning to Sri Lanka, she worked as a Business Development Consultant at SLINTEC and as legal specialist for Acquisitions Assistance at Medigain, LLC., a BPO specializing in revenue cycle management based in the US & Sri Lanka. Ha

The Brash Braggatha

In her beautifully manicured garden, Trixie and I had tea last week for the first time this year. Visiting with Trixie is always a treat since she has the most fabulous stories to relate, most of which are factual. Trixie was just completing a call with an annoyed look on her face, when I walked in. Seeing her expression, I knew I was in for a delightful story.

Manju’s Bakerliciouz

In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home businesses are ch

Chandimal

Today on the Buzz, I feature a special edition of Danu ta Kiyanna which unravelled at the Cinnamon Grand with guest Chandimal Jayasinghe, the National Director for Mrs. World Sri Lanka to clear the air surrounding the controversial statements made by the reigning Mrs. Sri Lanka - Pushpika De Silva.

WNPS Monthly Lecture Action To Protect Wetlands For People And Nature

Colombo is a ‘City of Wetlands’. They play a vital role in reducing the impact of flooding, in absorbing pollutants from the air, and in improving water quality. They provide habitat for a wide diversity of life, and support plants and animals that are found nowhere else. Despite continuing loss and degradation, they still cover over 200 Km of the Metropolis, and its suburbs. They are vital for the healthy well-being of the city’s residents. Sign

TikTok video of harassing an elephant How human stupidity creates so-called ‘problem Elephants’

Chasing an elephant with heavy flashlights, recording it on video with party music on is not the best way to go on a safari. But, in a video t

Archaeology sites in Pottuvil Exploring lesser known attractions of the Kingdom of Ruhuna

The Kingdom of Ruhuna comprised the Southern and Eastern provinces and took on different roles in the history of Sri Lanka. Ruhuna is k

Tehani Mathew

Tehani Sharnez Alenka Mathew (née Fernando) received her education at Ladies College, Colombo 7 and went on to do her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Columbia University, New York, and her Master of Science in Applied Psycholog

Customer Service

Customer service is the support you offer your customers, both before and after they buy and use your products or services which helps them have an easy and enjoyable experience with you. Today’s customer service goes far beyond the tr