Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel One of the lingering questions to Sri Lanka’s public sector right now than whether the duty-free vehicle permit scheme will ever come back. Into this long-running debate, dropped a card bearing the News 1st logo, quoting Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa as saying the 2027 budget would let doctors import […]
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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 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 A photo post circulated on social media presenting a ceremony at the Beruwala Fisheries Harbour as the current NPP government launching Sri Lanka’s first ever locally manufactured multi-day fishing vessel. The claim resonated quickly in a political environment where supporters and critics are closely tracking government achievements. We investigated what […]
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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 When a video of a parliamentary speech honouring a former LTTE commander began circulating on social media, claims quickly spread that a member of the current ruling party had paid tribute to an LTTE member in Parliament. The video sparked intense debate. However, our investigation revealed that the claim was […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Azardeen Moinudeen, who was elected to the Kurunegala Municipal Council representing the All Ceylon People’s Congress and served as the Deputy Mayor of the Kurunegala Municipal Council (which is controlled by the National People’s Power Party), has been arrested while attempting to accept a bribe. While reporting on the incident, […]
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