As Sri Lankans struggle to get by amidst an economic crisis, some people have turned to running scams in order to make money. Mobile scams, specifically, are on the rise, in particular targeting groups that are more vulnerable to disinformation. Raja* was a recent victim of one such scam, and said that the scammers posed as representatives from established telecom ...
On 21 November, Iresha* (33) and roughly a hundred other public school teachers from around the country wore smart casual clothing to school in protest of the state forcing female teachers to wear sarees to work. The anti-saree movement was the result of school teachers being exempted from a recent circular that allowed all public sector workers to come to ...
Every morning, 26-year-old Dinesh Ruban sets off with the fishermen in his village to set crab traps in the vast Vakarai lagoon on Sri Lanka’s east coast. Ruban, a father of two young children, is just one of over 400 ‘dhoni’ boat fishermen in his area. Acute poverty and the lack of career prospects in the region meant Ruban was ...
With Sri Lanka’s ongoing uncertainty, many young professionals aren’t sure whether they should invest in further education – is it a waste of money and resources? Or is it worth the investment? Before you decide, here’s everything you need to know about the education sector today with Zahara Ansary, Country Manager at CIMA Sri Lanka.
Coral reefs are one of Sri Lanka’s most precious marine ecosystems, but their numbers here have dramatically reduced due to human activity and climate change. In episode three of Strong Foundations, Sadé Greenwood travels to the seaside town of Rumassala on Sri Lanka’s south-west coastline to find out how the Tokyo Cement Group, together with the Blue Resources Trust, Ocean ...
It feels like you should be alone inside Abdul–Halik Azeez’s second solo exhibition, Day Dreamer You Are. But it is opening night, and 27,000 Instagram followers guarantees a crowd.
Sri Lanka’s political landscape of the 20th century was dominated for the most part by a handful of prestigious families. These included the Bandaranaikes and the Wijewardenes, whose members were among the most powerful and influential in the country (and perhaps still are, to this day).
Sri Lanka commenced public distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines in late January. The first consignment that was donated from India arrived on 28 January, and the first phase of the rollout went to those working on the frontlines of pandemic control: healthcare workers and officers of the military and police.
You may recall a recent uproar on social media, shortly after Independence Day, when the google.lk domain appeared to have been defaced, redirecting users to a site that detailed ongoing social issues.
On the fourth of July of this year, amidst the celebrations of the US Independence day, a large steel sculpture, composed of two concentric cylinders—one silver and the other gold—was unveiled on at the Santa Monica Boulevard in the city of Los Angeles. Named the Freedom Sculpture, it was gifted by the Farhang foundation—a non-political, non-religious, non-profit organisation that promotes ...
Initiated by the British in 1894, the St. John’s Fish market in Pettah was the primary hub for fresh seafood. Set smack dab in one of the busiest areas in the city, the market was incredibly popular, with trucks full of fresh fish rolling in as early as 2am. Needless to say, this created a lot of traffic in an ...
In Sinhalese, the ‘coming of age’ of a girl is known as kotahaluweema. While the term may be unfamiliar to some, the rituals it entails are all too familiar to a majority of Sri Lankan women. What Are The Origins Of Sri Lankan Puberty Rituals? Our puberty rituals are ancient, and as such, their historic origins are hard to establish. ...
For centuries, the Trincomalee harbour has been significant to the political and socio-economic spheres of Sri Lanka. Because of its favourable geographic position, it is one of the most famous natural harbours in the world. The Portuguese, the Dutch and the British—as well as the ancient Sri Lankans—, recognised its value, as a harbour which could be used for significant ...
Five Questions is a short series where we interview interesting personalities and shine the spotlight on some of Sri Lanka’s more intriguing professions. Every evening at sundown, the Sri Lankan flag is lowered at the Galle Face Hotel to the music of a bagpipe. The ceremony, set against the splendid view of the Indian Ocean, the setting sun, and the ...
Last September, a young man was brutally murdered in Dambulla. He was found dead near the city’s central bus stand, with the weapons used for the act found in the vicinity. Mainstream media headlines screamed—not against the act itself, but about his identity. From transgender, to transvestite and cross-dresser, the headlines focused more on his gender, with the rest of ...
