When a fairly amateur phishing attack targeted the Treasury’s new PDMO, they didn’t notice the glaring red flags. Even after India warned them, they sent another million dollars to a fraudulent bank account.
“We were appointed to do the JVP cadres’ bidding, not to do what the village needs,” says a former Praja Shakthi chair. The opposition argues that the poverty eradication programme is “capturing the state” and leading to “one party rule”. The NPP says Praja Shakthi law is “still under discussion”.
Source: Cities in Motion LabColombo's road speeds are some of the slowest in the region. But road speeds are only part of the story: rail accounted for 2.7% of trips across Colombo, less than half of Chennai. Source: JICA, Chennai Metro Development Authority
This evening, Project Roots goes rummaging through the diaspora's roots and routes at Hatch, Uncover sadly doesn’t strip at the JDA Perera Gallery, and the slightly inscrutable Denary Odyssey 3 at the Wendt. Shakespeare's lovers lose their way beneath the poson poya moon as
When a fight between inmates on Sunday spiralled into the second deadliest prison riot in Sri Lankan history, 29 died. This includes eight guards brought to Negombo from Colombo, who didn't know the lay of the land. 14 of the bodies had bullets in them, but the STF denies shooting.
Ragging has been illegal for almost three decades. The Supreme Court has issued strict anti-ragging orders. Universities have marshals and hotlines. But students continue to suffer serious injuries.
Source: World Prison Brief (based on official national figures)Sri Lanka’s prison crisis is increasingly a remand crisis. Nearly three-quarters of the country’s prisoners are in pre-trial or remand detention, up from less than half in 2015.
This evening, build your "climate character" (presumably no hotties allowed) at Lakmahal's eco writing workshops – they’re on during the weekend too. Ready yourself to storm the barricades with a burgundy tasting at the kopi department – Bastille Day’s almost upon us.
Some think the president favours the incumbent chief justice, Surasena, because he’s expediting high profile cases. The government says the idea to extend judges terms has nothing to do with personalities, its meant to retain expertise in the understaffed justice system.
Around the world, tea estates are turning to drones and harvesting machines to manage labour shortages. But high equipment costs, hilly terrain, and concerns over quality will make the transition for Sri Lanka especially difficult.
Of the 50 largest BOI-approved projects since 2015, only 10 are in industrial manufacturing (after excluding raw or natural-resource-based projects such as sugar, mineral-sands processing, and precious-metal refining). The remaining projects are concentrated in ports, logistics, energy, real estate, hotels, retail, and other non-manufacturing
This evening, the Barefoot Gallery reopens to a show from Alex Stewart. Kiku’s DJs take us back to the 90s. Or solve a murder mystery at the Shangri-La's Tiki Bar — presumably the skeletons unearthed during its construction. Come Saturday, the Bar Association’
Monks striving for a “Buddhist renaissance” occupy over 2,000 acres in Trinco’s Kuchchaveli. They believe “pooja bhoomi” gazettes give them land ownership, but the physical planning department insists the land's state-owned.
The cricket board’s interim committee says Jay Shah, the ICC Chair, is impressed with their work. If there aren’t any googlies, a new cricketing constitution will cross the boundary next month, the committee hopes.
This Friday, Colombo uni’s lecture halls go still for Prasanna Vithanage’s Silence in the Courts. If you’re more in the mood for tussle than tranquility, discuss a new age of sexism at Lakmahal. MusicMatters trivia from 7, and a drag show in Mount for
Over the last two decades, rice barons have reshaped the industry. Fueled by credit, they’ve bought expensive machinery and built vast warehouses. As small millers are running out of business, the industry is becoming an oligopoly, and controlled prices are regularly flouted.
Dengue cases surge in Sri Lanka, with Western Province the worst-affected. Authorities are planning on rolling out new prevention methods like virus-resistant mosquitoes. The Qdenga dengue vaccine, registered in several Asian countries, is yet to be approved in Sri Lanka.
The Gratiaen prize winner teases a transgressive story of a gay monk. What unfolds is far more profound, argues Praveen Tilakaratne in his review. “The Son and the Lover” portrays the mundane and excruciatingly normal world of human intimacy and offers a timely critique of Sinhala Buddhism.
Source: Ministry of HealthAlthough deaths have fallen markedly since peaks in 2009 and 2017, Sri Lanka's case count remains high. Is patient management improving faster than disease prevention?
Colombo is alive and kicking this evening. The marvelously named HearHere grooves out SanSun at MusicMatters. Then gander over to what used to be the hood, the Rio, for HoodPolitics and its curtain call of hiphop DJs. For more whitebread fare, Where is House? at Coco Bar. Or a more
Hayeshika Fernando, an influencer-tutor, helps grade five students crack the life-changing scholarship exam by relying on a combination of love-bombing and well-executed teaching. Controversies surround her, but many seek her out. In some parents’ books, she’s become a modern-day guru devi.
Suresh Sallay continues his hunger strike on saline, demanding his investigation be moved away from Shani Abeysakara’s purview. With two probes into these claims underway, opposition politicians temporarily halted their satyagraha.
Since 2009, workers’ remittances have exceeded tourism earnings every single year. Even in 2025, when arrivals surpassed the 2018 level, tourism earned only US$3.2bn, while remittances hit a historic high of US$8.1bn — 2.5 times as much foreign exchange.
This afternoon, “To Whom Does the Buddha Belong?” a children’s book launch at the National Library. Or, speaking of Indian imports, a few hours later, Colombo uni hosts a webinar on the Indo-Lanka FTA. Classical music this weekend: Saturday, the Mahler Society opens their
