Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel The violent clash between two groups of inmates at Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6, 2026, a crisis that left 26 people dead with dozens hospitalised, set off a wave of public anger. Bad actors moved to exploit that volatile moment for political and personal ends, floating doctored cards […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel A social media post has been circulating claiming that, following the removal of Aswesuma benefits from a group of beneficiaries since June, Minister of Transport Bimal Rathnayake stated that the Aswesuma benefit would have to be granted again when an election approaches. We carried out a fact check regarding this […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel With dengue cases past 50,000 and several districts nearing epidemic levels, Sri Lanka spent early July 2026 on edge over the outbreak. Into that anxious moment dropped a card carrying the News 1st logo and dated July 5, which quoted Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa as saying the government bears […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel A claim attributed to NPP MP Ravindra Bandara has been getting lot of attention on social media circles recently: that Cabinet had approved a plan to make Sri Lanka the richest country in the world. Mainstream outlets picked it up alongside social media pages, and it quickly spread as proof […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel When politicians get arrested over underworld ties, old photos have a way of resurfacing with new, convenient captions. SJB Horana organizer Charith Abeysinghe and Rakitha Rajapaksa, son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa, were arrested a few days ago on bribery charges linked to organised crime figure ‘Harak Kata.’ This […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Yoshitha Rajapaksa’s arrest and subsequent bail have dominated Sri Lankan political conversation this week. Amid that attention, a graphic formatted to look like a News1st news flash began circulating, attributing a pointed statement to former Speaker Ashoka Ranwala demanding that Yoshitha produce certificates proving his Navy recruitment and UK training […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Two separate social media posts, both presenting fabricated statements attributed to Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, circulated widely on Facebook this week. The first claimed he announced a Presidential Commission to investigate General Kamal Gunaratne over events at the Nandikadal Lagoon during the final days of the war. The […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel: Click Here Several false social media posts have been widely circulated attributing fabricated statements to Deputy Minister of Transport Prasanna Gunasena regarding the Upcountry Railway Line, which suffered severe damage from Cyclone Ditwah in late November 2025. Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka investigated three separate claims connected to this theme across […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel When grief is weaponized for political scoring, fact-checkers have a responsibility to name it clearly. Following the sudden death of Nivin Kumarapperuma, son of President’s Counsel and NPP Matara District parliamentary candidate Upul Kumarapperuma, a wave of condolences came from across the political spectrum. Among those who paid their final […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Two separate social media posts made serious criminal allegations about former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva and Retired Major General Jagath Dias. The first claimed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had launched an investigation against Shavendra Silva over the alleged massacre of civilians in the Wellamullivaikkal area. The second claimed […]
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