Curfew curtails celebrity birthday celebrations

The month of April started with the entire world gripped by coronavirus fears, with most countries including our closest neighbour going under lockdown. Celebrities in Sri Lanka also felt the pinch with the curfews around and after being asked to stay at home while maintaining the crucial social distancing. Talking of

The panic buying saga

At the onset of the indefinite curfew period, people around the island got into panic mode. They feared that they will run out of food, which is a valid fear at a time of crisis. Although the government promised that there would be lorries travelling to

hobbies & interests

Back in the day, people were free to pursue their hobbies and interests unapologetically. But as a result of the rat race that is life, many have been forced to give them up, relegated to simply recalling them fondly. For most, life comprises cyclic

CELEBRATING AVURUDU under a CURFEW

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a month-long celebration in April that brings the whole country together; whether you celebrate it or not. April marks a month of bonuses and shopping and a time where old pots and moulds are pulled out from their cob-webbed nooks and generations of family gather together to make sweet treats and exchange stories of ‘Avurudu back in our time’, auspicious times are observed, gifts are passed and packed plates of f

Surviving in the time of coronavirus

With the declaration of a global pandemic and as countries all over the world fight the Coronavirus which is wreaking havoc

Stranded abroad Crunch time for Sri Lankan students

Gamini Hrithik Jayasuriya a first year Business Admin student at RMIT in Melbourne explained that there were many Sri Lankan students who were stranded with little or no money. ’’Many of the students who are here are helped by their parents to get to Australia. Most of them have to do extra jobs to pay for their food, accommodation

Swimming The Palk Strait

Setting off Talaimannar Beach, Sri Lanka on 26th January 2020 and swimming the 29km Palk Strait to India in a record time of 10 hours and 18 minutes, Adam Moss alongside Edie Hu set the second-fastest time in the official record to cross the Strait. Adam is an open water swimmer based in Hong Kong and trained for 6 months prior to his journey to Sri Lanka to swim across the Palk Strait. The Palk Strait is a strait formed between the Tamil Nadu st

Paying Tribute to the Co-Creator of Asterix

Co-creator of Asterix (better known as Soora Pappa to many Sri Lankans), Albert Uderzo passed away recently at the age of 92 due to a heart attack. His son-in-law Bernard de Choisy stated that he “died in his sleep at his home in Neuilly from a heart attack unrelated to the corona virus. He had been very tired for several weeks”. Uderzo, a Fr

Keeping busy

If you are social distancing, self quarantined or have days off work, chances are you’re bored out of your mind, worried sick, or both and more! At a time such as this, it’s very easy to get sucked in to WhatsApp groups sharing inaccurate information and gossip, and find yourself envisioning a zombie apocalypse like doomsday looming on the horizon. So do yourself and everyone else a favour and find constructive ways to while away your time. Here

The Virus

It all began in mid-November in Wuhan, a city in China. A flu that was unusual and reported only at the end of the year to the World Health Organization. Today, the world is battling a pandemic. An illness which the entire world is equ

’Friends’ reunion special latest victim of coronavirus shutdown

The planned “Friends” reunion has been delayed due to disruptions in Hollywood caused by the coronavirus, an industry source said on Wednesday. The one-off special was due to have been filmed next week on the original sound stage in Burbank, California, according to the source, and broadcast in May on the upcoming HBO Max streaming service. reuters

COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on Sri Lanka

As a majority of Sri Lankans continue to stay indoors and observe the COVID 19 transmission within the country, discussions are underway to seek the possibility of closing down the Bandaranaike International Airport. With a mass influx of returnees from high risk countries and other foreign lands, officials at BIA, the Sri Lanka Army, Police and Health Ministry are working round the clock to ensure th

U.H.E Group places Ella as adventure tourism destination

U.H.E. Group, the umbrella company to world-renowned brands Halpé Tea, 98 Acres Resort and Spa in Ella and the Secret Hotel Chain (located in Kandy and Ella), recently celebrated the launch of its ’Adrenaline & Adventure Tourism’ series in Ella. The event which took place at the Lotus Ballroom – Shangri-La Colombo, welcomed over 220 VIPs and Travel and Tourism sector officials.

New addition at Mandara Resorts, Weligama

To meet the growing demand from the 2020 winter season, Mandara Resorts, Weligama will add 20 new rooms to its river side wing by the end of the year. Mandara Hotels and Resorts Chairman and Managing Director Sagara Palihawadana said in addition

Surviving a Pandemic with a Baby

These are indeed worrying times. Families have been advised to stock up and self isolate themselves to avoid spreading diseases. So far the authorities have not determined for how long. If all follow the said rules, then hopefully it will be sooner than we anticipate. But there is also the possibility that it will be longer. The good news is that the virus is not prevalent amongst babies unlike the older demographic. But it will affect them in ot

Arsikland The circle of strife

A brilliant musical by Feroze Kamardeen hit the boards last Friday chronicling the political journey to the polls  by the two main presidential candidates Ajith Luvdasa (Vishan Gunawardane) and Choolabhaya Pusswedilla (Eshan Thillakasena). Just over 120 minutes of musical comedy engulfed the Lionel Wendt and entertained an audience who had temporarily allayed their corona fears to witness Kamardeen’s latest offering.

Healing Chicken Soup

Yes, we have a pandemic on our hands. Yes, our health and those of our loved ones might be at risk. The solution to this is not only to self isolate and eat junk food! The answer to fight the possibility of disease is to keep your loved ones safe, and the first step in accomplishing that is with good nutrition. The quintessential remedy for every cold, flu out there is a good bowl of chicken soup. B

Wes and Payimpath Festival Helakala Dancing Academy Holds of second batch of students

The Panadura Helakala Narthayathanaya Dancing Academy of Wattalpola headed by Nandana Chandralal recently graduated the second batch of students during the Colourful Wes and Payimpath Mangalyaya held at the Panadura Sri Saddharmarajaramaya amidst a large gathering.

Prof. Senanayake’s newest book on Coronavirus

Award-winning tele drama scriptwriter, author and renowned neurologist, physician and researcher Prof. Nimal Senanayake has published his newest book encompassing wide-ranging aspects on the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) titled ‘Warning Coronavirus’. The Samudra Publication which is now available in all leading bookshops, is Prof. Senananayake’s third in the Virus series after SARS an

The Critics

Colombo seems extreme in most things. Apartments with no buyers, hotels with no guests, salons with a few clients, restaurants with no guests, interior decorators, architects who have no qualifications, fashion designers etc. The list is endless. On top of it all, ever

HSBC Colombo Fashion Week 2020

The must looked forward to event in South Asia’s fashion calendar, Colombo Fashion Week is set to take place from the 18th to 21st March. Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) in its 17th year taking a global lead in introducing a programme that evaluates each garment presented on the ramp on its sustainability, making it the first fashion week in the world to introduce such a system. This is the current need of the global fashion industry and fashion weeks

ROCK ’N ROLL SHOW LIVE

To celebrate the 21st anniversary of the station, Lite87 will be presenting the inaugural Rock ‘n Roll Show Live, building on the success of the station’s eponymous all-day Saturday show. Known for playing the best hits across the decades, the Saturday Rock ‘n Roll Show is a favourite among listeners, stretching from 10 am in the morning till midnight, playing everyone from the Guns N’ Roses to U2. The live spinoff will be no different, with the

Peter Rabbit 2 becomes the latest Hollywood movie to be postponed by coronavirus

Families told of their disappointment today after Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway was put back by more than four months due to the escalating coronavirus crisis. The movie, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rose Byrne and the voice of James Corden, was due to be released across Europe on March 27 and in the US on April 3. However, Sony Pictures an

Cardi B cast in Fast & Furious film

It seems this action star listens to his family when it comes to many things — even who to cast in the latest sequel in his blockbuster action franchise. During a recent visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live, brawny actor Vin Diesel discussed some of the new additions to the cast of F9, the unbelievable NINTH installment of the Fast & Furious franchise. Among the celebrated stars Die

Chanel swaps skirts for jodhpurs

Loose, studded trousers split open at the sides and jodhpur-style looks took center stage at Chanel on Tuesday, as models walked in twos and threes down a vast mirrored floor that served as a runway at

Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin join forces for the first time ever

Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin will be embarking on their very first co-headlining arena tour in 2020. The beloved Latin pop singers surprised fans with the big news on Wednesday afternoon during a press conference held at The London West Hollywood. ‘This is a historic moment and w

Sri Lanka Announced as the Host Country for the Prestigious Mrs. World Pageant

Current reigning Mrs. World, Caroline Jurie, the Mrs. World Organisation (USA), National Director of Mrs. World (Sri Lanka), Chandimal Jayasinghe and event co-producers, The Colombo Lifestyle Company in partnership with Vogue Jewellers (PVT) Ltd., The Kingsbury Colombo and GFlock Clothing (Sri Lanka) proudly announced Sri Lanka as the host country for the prestigious 2021 Mrs. World Pageant, at The Kingsbury Hotel.

Gal Gadot films movie amid Coronavirus fears

Early this year she publicly pledged to only fly commercial, for environmental reasons. But now Gal Gadot has resorted to private jets for her commute between Los Angeles and Atlanta, where she is filming Red Notice. The move is said to have been insisted upon by her Netflix bosses, who are said to be concerned about the spread of Coronavirus disrupting filming of their big budget globetrotting action heist. Sources told TMZ Netflix

Taylor Swift top-selling global artist of 2019

Taylor Swift capped off an exceptional year by being named the top-selling global artist of 2019. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) revealed on Monday that Swift, 30, was the world’s best-selling recording artist for 2019. Swift released her new album Lover in 2019, winning the IFPI’s Global Recording Artist of the Year for the second time, with her first in 2014, the year she released her hit album 1989. Lover wa

Economic and Strategic integration in the region

It was good to hear from many friends and acquaintances in India, of the success of former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s speech at ‘The Huddle’ organised by the Hindu. The Chief Guest was the President of India and the keynote address was by Ranil. His topic was ‘Economic and Strategic integration in the region’. My Indian friends who heard him were very impressed by his rhetoric, his vast