• 5 August 2025
SeconD Hand Chic

Fast fashion may still dominate the high street, but the winds of change are unmistakable. In a world increasingly aware of climate change, overconsumption, and the need for conscious living, pre-loved fashion is stepping confidently into the spotlight.

  • 5 August 2025
My Oxford Year (2025) : A Charming But Familiar Romantic Journey in the Halls of Oxford

Netflix’s My Oxford Year, directed by Iain Morris and based on Julia Whelan’s bestselling 2018 novel, is a romantic drama that explores ambition, love, and self-discovery against the picturesque backdrop of Oxford University.

  • 5 August 2025
In Conversation with Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny: Group Managing Director IAS Holdings (PVT) LTD

In a world where corporate structures often reinforce convention and resist disruption, Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny stands out as a force of transformation.

  • 5 August 2025
What is the next trend that will kill our personality? : The High Cost of Chasing Trends

Scroll through TikTok or Instagram for five minutes and you’ll see it - a new drink, a new bag, a quirky collectible toy everyone suddenly needs.

  • 5 August 2025
Law Meets the Sea: Sri Lanka’s Landmark Verdict on the X-Press Pearl Disaster

In a historic move that reverberates beyond Sri Lanka’s shores, the Colombo High Court recently delivered its long-awaited judgment in the X-Press Pearl disaster case which is one of the worst marine environmental catastrophes in South Asia.

  • 5 August 2025
Celebrating the 734th Anniversary of the Swiss Confederation

A reception was held to mark the 734th anniversary of the Swiss Confed eration, hosted by the Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka, Her Excellency Siri Walt.

  • 4 August 2025
Legal Tensions Escalate Between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Amid Allegations and Counterclaims

In a significant turn of events in the ongoing legal dispute surrounding the film adaptation of It Ends With Us, YouTuber Lauren Neidigh, known online as LethalLauren904, has filed for a protective order against actress Blake Lively. Neidigh alleges harassment and intimidation, marking a new chapter in a broader legal saga that began last year between Lively and actor-director Justin Baldoni. According to Neidigh, she was served with a subpoena d

  • 4 August 2025
A Series in Three Voices

This article forms the second part of our three-part exploration of the Ramayana’s Lankan dimensions. Last week we examined Ravana, whose image oscillates between historical conjecture and epic villainy. This week, we turn to Sita, whose sojourn in Lanka is among the most contested episodes in the entire tradition. Unlike Ravana, whose role was flamboyant and martial, Sita emerges as a paradox: powerless in circumstance, yet central to the epic’s

  • 4 August 2025
The price of Silence Why victims Don’t Speak up in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, silence is often mistaken for strength. Victims of abuse are expected to endure in quiet dignity, because speaking up is seen as shameful, disruptive, or worse, selfish. The social fabric is held together by an unspoken pact: we do not air our dirty laundry, even when it reeks of pain.

  • 4 August 2025
City of Dreams Cinnamon Life

The red carpet was rolled out for a spectacular two-day celebration marking the launch of City of Dreams at Cinnamon Life, hosted by Melco Resorts and Entertainment, on Friday, 1st August and Saturday, 2nd August 2025.

  • 1 August 2025
AI Is Draining Our Planet

AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.

  • 1 August 2025
The August Colour Palette Dressing in the Glow Between Seasons

August is a strange kind of beautiful. The air is still warm, but the light has softened. This is the sweet spot between two worlds. Sun-soaked spontaneity and the grounded calm of early autumn. It’s the moment where colour tells a deeper story. The August colour palette is less trend, more tone. It’s a soft rebalancing. A transition. A gentle re-entry into real life, laced with memory, mood, and sun-warmed skin. So, what does August look like in

  • 1 August 2025
Wanton Wacky Weddings

As a follow-up to my opining last week on “Bodacious Beastly Brides,” I thought it only apropos that I move on to the arena that offers these “Beastly Brides” a platform for their frightful escapades. On to the grandest of the grand, the pinnacle of parasitic profiteering, the highlight of the heinous, the all-encompassing wedding.

  • 1 August 2025
The baritone on broadway Gehan A. Cooray Returns to the New York Stage with a Solo Performance

On August 22nd, the bright lights of New York’s Theatre District will shine a little more brightly for Sri Lankan-American actor, singer, and filmmaker Gehan A. Cooray, as he takes the stage for a solo concert titled “The Baritone on Broadway.” The show will be held at the iconic Green Room 42, a leading cabaret venue nestled inside YOTEL Times Square on 42nd Street, just a stone’s throw from Times Square, the beating heart of Broadway. This perf

  • 1 August 2025
10 Things You Can Only Experience in Down South Sri Lanka

There’s something enchantingly chaotic about South Sri Lanka. The kind of place where you can get a fresh coconut on the roadside, watch a monk meditate by a jungle beach, and find a man selling grilled corn with zero context or pricing. It’s rustic but radiant. Untamed, yet unforgettable. From Galle to Tangalle, and every sleepy surf town in between, here are ten things you can only truly experience in Down South Sri Lanka.

  • 1 August 2025
Indika Wijewardana Presents “LEGENDS” An Exhibition Inspired by Andy Warhol

An exclusive art exhibition titled LEGENDS, inspired by the works of iconic artist Andy Warhol, was unveiled at Curado Art Space on the 31st of July 2025. The exhibition featured the work of talented Sri Lankan artist Indika Wijewardana, who presented a powerful series of portraits that celebrated legendary figures through bold colour, repetition, and Warhol-inspired techniques.

  • 1 August 2025
Read With Caution This May Cause Laughter Lines

In the not-so-distant past, turning 50 meant surrendering your wardrobe, covering up, and slipping your perfectly pedicured feet into ghastly-looking orthopaedic footwear. Deemed to have passed her

  • 1 August 2025
The City That Never Sleeps Exploring Tokyo, Japan

If cities had personalities, Tokyo would be the shy genius brilliant, unpredictable, and endlessly fascinating. A place where a centuries-old temple might sit next to a robot café, and where fashion

  • 1 August 2025
Why Every Product Wants to Be “That Girl” - And Every Girl Wants to Buy Her

Ever seen those girls, especially on TikTok, the ones with their perfectly curated morning routines, a 1.5 litre Stanley cup in hand, heading off to Pilates in a matching workout set at 6 am, sipping on an iced matcha? She looks like she has her life together, which is something we wish we could be on a Monday morning - hydrated, productive, and organised. She is That Girl.

  • 1 August 2025
How To Have Difficult Conversations with Loved Ones

Do you avoid having difficult conversations at all costs? Is disappearing through the floor more appealing to you than broaching that topic? You are definitely not alone. Confrontation can be scary,

  • 1 August 2025
Is Female Genital Cutting Patriarchy’s Worst-Kept Secret in Sri Lanka?

There are louder ways to be silenced, but my favorite is the quiet kind. A call you’re not copied in. A question disguised as concern. A reminder, subtle but firm: “The author is targeting one particular

  • 1 August 2025
Adya by Ashanthi, Celebrating Originality

There are few collections that capture the soul of individuality quite like Adya. Inspired by the Sanskrit word for original, Adya is a bold celebration of personal expression and timeless artistry. Each piece in

  • 31 July 2025
One Island, Two Childhoods A Tale of Split Realities in Sri Lanka

In the mirror of memory, childhood should reflect innocence. But on a small tear-shaped island in the Indian Ocean, that reflection fractures. The same country. The same years. Two vastly different childhoods, divided not by oceans, but by the accident of birth, by language, ethnicity, and history. Sri Lanka. One island. One anthem. But not one reality.

  • 31 July 2025
Stop Hiring Dinosaurs to Run Digital Marketing

In too many boardrooms in Sri Lanka, the marketing decisions are being made by people who: Don’t know how TikTok works

  • 31 July 2025
The Systematic Erosion of Rights since 2021

Since returning to power on 15 August 2021, the Taliban have dismantled decades of progress for women and girls in Afghanistan. Over 70 decrees and directives have progressively stripped away rights to education, employment, freedom of movement, health care, public voice, and basic dignity. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, established in place of the former Ministry of Women’s Affairs, enforces strict moralit

  • 31 July 2025
Yumi at Taj Samudra Colombo

If you’re a fan of Japanese food or simply curious to try something new, Yumi at Taj Samudra Colombo is a great place to visit. This elegant Japanese restaurant offers a special curated menu that brings together some of the best dishes from Japan. From soup to dessert, every part of the meal is carefully prepared and full of authentic flavors. At just LKR 5,500 net per person, this set menu also includes a choice of a cocktail or mocktail, making

  • 31 July 2025
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer sets his ultimatum UK to recognise Palestinian state in September

On 29 July 2025, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a major shift in British foreign policy. Unless Israel takes decisive action to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, halts any plans for annexation, and recommits to a two-state solution, the United Kingdom will formally recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

  • 31 July 2025
Hymns of Hope A Soulful Celebration of Sacred Music and Readings

St. Paul’s Church in Colombo came alive with the sound of sacred harmonies during Hymns of Hope — a special evening dedicated to music, worship, and spiritual reflection. The event brought together the Euphony Choir Australia and The Victoria Welsh Male Choir, directed by Rushan Hewawasam, along with The Music Ministry Choir led by Ishan De Lanerolle. Adding to the richness of the program were the renowned De Lanerolle Brothers, whose voices reso

  • 30 July 2025
The Price of Survival in Gaza Soaring Costs of Food and Essential Items Amid Blockade

In Gaza the cost of survival has soared beyond imagination. Families face astronomical prices for basic food water fuel and medicine. The economy has collapsed under a tight blockade and insecurity. With

  • 30 July 2025
Gandhi’s Complex Legacy The Untold Story Behind His Celibacy Experiments

Mahatma Gandhi is remembered around the world as the guiding force behind India’s independence. He is celebrated not just for freeing a nation from colonial rule, but for doing so