sri lankan newsroom

May 02, 2025

Abortion in Sri Lanka: a danger if you do and a danger if you don’t

Every day, hundreds of Sri Lankan women risk their lives by having illegal abortions driven by poverty, stigma and the country’s draconian abortion laws. Harbingers’ Magazine interviewed a nurse who used to work in a maternity clinic and frequently had to deal with women suffering complications from illegal terminations

16-year-old Lisindi Liyanage explains legal and social attitudes towards abortion in Sri Lanka

March 20, 2025

Elephant deaths from train crashes in Sri Lanka soar

Sri Lanka’s death toll for elephants from train crashes has already surpassed the figure for 2024 following a tragic accident on 20 February. A train collided with a herd of seven elephants in Polonnaruwa district, North Central province. Six elephants, four adults and two calves, died. Only one adult elephant – a pregnant female – survived

15-year-old Hesandi Ravisinghe reports on the train crash that killed six elephants in Sri Lanka

February 28, 2025

Conflict between humans and elephants at all-time high in Sri Lanka

The Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) is a growing problem in Sri Lanka, with 176 people and 470 elephants killed in 2023 – an all-time high. Habitat loss, large-scale development projects and increased interactions between humans and elephants are the main reasons

15-year-old Hesandi Ravisinghe explores the lived realities of human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka

February 14, 2025

For your listening pleasure: A guide to the best and safest headphones

Types of headphones differ on the basis of connectivity (wired or wireless); fit (over-ear, on-ear, open-ear, earbuds, in-ear); design (closed-back, open-back, headset); and whether or not they are noise-cancelling. All of these elements come together to decide how enjoyable – and healthy – your listening habits are

15-year-old Anastasia Kulikova explores the dos and don’ts of headphone and earphone use

January 03, 2025

Dreaming big: three teenagers join Sri Lanka’s women’s football team

Three talented young girls from a rural seaside village in Sri Lanka have joined the country’s under-17 national women’s football team in a triumphant conclusion to a story about beating the odds

15-year old Hesandi Ravisinghe talks to a trio of inspiring players from a seaside village

December 26, 2024

Sri Lanka survivors remember the Indian Ocean tsunami, 20 years on

On 26 December 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami struck, one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent history. The tsunami affected 18 countries around the Indian Ocean, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand, claiming the lives of at least 225,000 people and causing immense environmental devastation. Harbingers’ Magazine spoke to some of the survivors in Galle, who are still feeling the impact of the experience, 20 years later

15-year-old Anastasia Kulikova revisits the tragedy of the Boxing Day tsunami on its 20th anniversary

December 12, 2024

YouTuber social experiments: Where do we draw the line?

Popular American YouTuber ‘Nikocado Avocado’ broke the internet with a video posted in September that revealed the “grand social experiment” (his words) that he had been conducting for the past two years

15-year-old Hesandi Ravisinghe unpacks Youtuber Nikocado Avocado’s controversial online persona

November 22, 2024

What does Sri Lanka’s new female prime minister mean for the country’s young girls?

What does Dr Harini Amarasuriya appointment as prime minister – only the third woman to hold this position – mean for Sri Lanka? Harbingers’ Magazine spoke with young women and girls in Galle on the significance of the prime minister's appointment

16-year-old Lisindi Liyanage talks to young Sri Lankans about a prime minister of many firsts

November 07, 2024

Coral catastrophe: The race to save Sri Lanka’s fragile reefs

Coral reefs are some of the most important resources in the tropics, alongside mangroves and seagrass beds. Humans rely heavily on coral reefs, thanks to their benefits to the tourism and building industries, and for coastal protection. They are home to a quarter of the world’s marine species, and provide food and resources to half a billion people across the globe

15 year-old Lisindi Liyanage explores the devastating damage to Sri Lanka’s coral reefs

August 29, 2024

Why corporal punishment is still common in Sri Lankan schools

Corporal punishment of children as a means of discipline has been prohibited in Sri Lanka, but is still regularly used in schools, with the excuse that it is part of the country’s culture

15 year-old Hesandi explores the status of corporal punishment in Sri Lankan schools

August 08, 2024

Should poaching and hunting be illegal?

Hunting is one of the oldest causes of animal extinction and endangerment. The problem is that prohibition could be financially disadvantageous – because many countries rely on the tourism and fashion industries, in which animals play an important part

15 year-old Lisindi Liyanage from Sri Lanka examines the morality and necessity of killing animals

June 27, 2024

The dangerous rise of diabetes in South Asia

The rate of diabetes is increasing drastically across the world, but particularly in developing countries such as Sri Lanka and India. With expensive treatments, there is a rising importance to follow precautions to better protect health expenditure

15 year-old Lisindi Liyanage explores the past, present and future of diabetes in Sri Lanka

May 30, 2024

Sri Lanka’s Moragahakanda dam project is an environmental disaster

The bar for one of Sri Lanka’s largest and supposedly most conservation-oriented development projects has been set so low that it has caused more damage than progress

14 year-old Hesandi Ravisinghe weighs up the pros and cons of a crucial irrigation project

May 23, 2024

To be or not to be… an international student

Being an international student, attending different schools, seeing other countries and experiencing new environments gives you a lot of opportunities. You are able to find what you like and what you are good at, improve yourself and be prepared for the future

14 year-old Anastasia Kulikova explains the advantages of studying abroad

April 05, 2024

Hundreds of Sri Lankan elephant deaths are caused by human activity

Urbanisation and habitat loss has created a ‘frontline’ of worsening conflict between humans and elephants with deadly consequences for both

14 year-old Hesandi Ravisinghe on rising threats against the elephant population

October 20, 2023

‘Deranged cultural standards’ - How Sri Lanka’s misogyny is impeding its economic recovery

McKinsey Global Institute estimates that advancing gender equality in Sri Lanka could add $64 billion to its GDP by 2025

17 year-old Nadia Diakowska analyses a negative feedback loop between inequality and poverty

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