It’s already yesterday’s news that the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) chaired by JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti last week concluded that Former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran was “directly responsible” for the controversial transaction of treasury bonds that took place in February 2015. The transaction allowed a primary dealer with ties to Mahendran’s son-in-law to turn huge profits that ...
Hundreds of families lined up outside the Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat (DS) yesterday (February 22), precious documents in hand, hoping to find answers about their lands occupied by the military. Perhaps the most stunningly organised use of the Right To Information Act yet, the entity responsible for this is a little-known youth organisation called Association for Friendship and Love (AFRIEL), which ...
Strikes and protests by ‘manpower’ workers in the state sector are not unheard of in Colombo. However, recent trade union action connected to Sri Lanka’s leading telecommunications provider and the alleged abduction of a union leader have largely flown under the radar, despite grave implications. Since Boxing Day last year, over 800 ‘manpower’ workers employed by SLT Human Capital Solutions ...
HIV/AIDS remains one of the world’s most significant public health challenges, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Sri Lanka, there has been an upward trend in the numbers of reported HIV/AIDS cases. This ought to serve as a reminder for the country to take more action, beginning with tackling cultural attitudes and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, which continue to ...
While the nearly three decade war, instigated by racial unrest, may have come to an end, the country’s post-war era hasn’t painted a picture of peaceful coexistence, either. In 2014, the Aluthgama- Dharga Town incident drew attention to hardline Buddhist extremists, specifically the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), after the group was connected to attacks on the area’s Muslim community. Although ...
In a rising culture of choosing your own medicine, what can taking the wrong antibiotics do to your body? To learn more about this rising phenomenon, read our latest article.
Kakkutta (The Crab), a short film written and directed by Ishani Jayamaha, aims to be Sri Lanka’s first ever successful foray into crowdfunded filmmaking. To say that such initiatives are a rarity in this part of the world would be an understatement. Last year, veteran filmmaker Asoka Handagama attempted to raise $50,000 for his newest film via an online crowdfunding ...
Gone are the days when the only type of internships available in Sri Lanka were attached to a bank, a garment company or a multinational corporation. The shift away from this trend began a few years ago with the coming of a new wave of development, a mixture of “old meets new.” The growing hospitality industry, a revival of the ...
Do you enjoy live music in a laid-back environment? Are you a fan of charitable causes that give back to society? If you answered yes to one or both of the above, you might want to free up your time slots for the night of November 21. The Foundation of Goodness alongside The Rotaract Clubs of Colombo, Colombo Regent and ...
Sinha-Le: A symbol that means different things to different people. To some, it’s a badge of ethno-religious pride in the face of sinister anti-national forces; to others, an oppressive reminder of their place in society, that could potentially spark the flames of another bloody conflict. Still others dismissively call it a meme, a harmless bumper sticker that doesn’t really mean ...
Commuters across the island were greatly inconvenienced last Friday (December 2) when the All Island Private Bus Owners Federations (AIPOBF), the Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) and other bus and three-wheeler associations launched an all island strike. The strike was carried out in protest against a recent decision to increase the fine for seven traffic violations up to Rs. ...
A number of factors, primarily climate and topographical conditions, have contributed to Sri Lanka being recognised as one of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots. What this means is that – despite its relatively small land area of 65,610 km² – Sri Lanka has a significantly high diversity of animals, birds, insects, and plants. Apart from being an overall great place to experience ...
This week witnessed protests over destroyed homes, a new low for the stock market, and the landing of Google Loon’s first trial balloon in Sri Lanka. In international news, deadly bombings hit Turkey, while the US Presidential race took an unexpected turn when Pope Francis had his own opinions to offer. Read on to find out more. Protests Over Destruction ...
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe announced earlier this month that the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) between India and Sri Lanka will be signed by the end of this year. Following discussions held with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, a confident Wickremesinghe said that a mutual decision had been taken to finalise the process over the next two months. ...
Starting last week, the Magampura Port in Hambantota was the scene of a nine-day long protest which also witnessed the Navy Commander allegedly assault a television journalist. Despite being the incident that really went viral on social media, the assault is only one part of a complicated affair involving the jobs of hundreds of Magampura Port employees. Where It All ...
