Harbingers’ Magazine is a weekly online current affairs magazine written and edited by teenagers worldwide.

harbinger | noun

har·bin·ger | \ˈhär-bən-jər\

1. one that initiates a major change: a person or thing that originates or helps open up a new activity, method, or technology; pioneer.

2. something that foreshadows a future event : something that gives an anticipatory sign of what is to come.

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Sri Lankan Newsroom

Three students from Sri Lanka are currently studying journalism and writing for Harbingers’ Magazine on a full scholarship.

They were selected from a group of 14 students who took part in a pilot project launched in Galle, Sri Lanka, in 2023.

Since then, they have continued their studies and take part in weekly online journalism classes with Harbingers’ Project mentor Tharushi Weerasinghe.

Writers

Hesandi

Ravisinghe

Science Section Editor 2025

Galle, Sri Lanka

Lisindi

Liyanage

Writer

Galle, Sri Lanka

Anastasia

Kulikova

Writer

Sydney, Australia

Project editor

Ananya

Prasanna

Science Section Editor 2024

Reading, United Kingdom

Latest article:

sri lankan newsroom

Cyclone Ditwah wreaks havoc in Sri Lanka

Early in the morning on 28 November, tropical cyclone Ditwah hit the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. What followed was a national emergency, affecting more than 1.7 million people across the island. By the following day, most districts were underwater and communications were cut off.

Hesandi Ravisinghe, 16, and Lisindi Liyanage, 17, report on the deaths and devastation caused in their homeland

sri lankan newsroom

The wonder of nelu: Horton Plains sees mass bloom after 12 years

The morning sun rises above the rolling hills of Horton Plains National Park casting a golden glow over the endless stretch of purple, pink and blue flowers. This is the long-awaited bloom of the Strobilanthes flowers that occurs once every few years.

16-year-old Hesandi explains a rare natural phenomenon the occurs in the central highlands of Sri Lanka

climate crisis

Coast Conservation Dept cleans up Galle beach for new project

It was a relatively secluded beach, protected by a dense wall of trees that blocked access to it, with a few lemonade stands on the edge of the road. The CCD allowed the lemonade stands to continue their business as long as they didn’t cut down any of the trees or build permanent structures. This peaceful and fair agreement lasted for several years.

16-year-old Hesandi investigates development plans for her local beach

women's desk

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

sri lankan newsroom

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

science

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

health & wellness

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

social media

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

climate crisis

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

sports

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

women's desk

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

science

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

economics

Dying jobs - will AI shape the future of employment?

Due to the rapid development of technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), jobs are swiftly disappearing. Over the last few years, some traditional jobs have gone for good. Supermarket cashiers have already been replaced by self-service checkouts, while many assembly line workers have been replaced by cheaper, more efficient, automated machinery. But some jobs will continue to remain essential

15 year-old Anastasia Kulikova on the phenomenon of ‘dying jobs’ in the age of tech advancement

society

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

science

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

opinion

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

opinion

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

science

The impact of climate change in Australia

In Australia, every decade since 1950 has been warmer. In New South Wales, the most populous state in Australia, locals share how the regularity of seasons has changed

14 year-old Anastasia Kulikova on the detrimental and highly influential effects of climate change in New South Wales

opinion

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

climate crisis

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

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