By Dinouk Colombage Following the United Nations Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva, Sri Lankan state media and members of the government have been on the offensive against human rights activists and independent media groups calling them ‘traitors’. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, acting Minister of Mass Media, in an interview with The Sunday Leader says he ...

A dramatic global theatre jam   By Nirasha Piyawadani Pinnawala Adramatist who has rendered yeoman service to the promotion of local stage drama, M. Shafeer, has a cherished wish and that is to be able to hold an international drama festival in Sri Lanka. Our protagonist M. Safeer, strove to make this dream a reality and thanks to his untiring efforts the first ever international drama festival in...

(Srilankamirror) - Former chief justice Sarath N. Silva says any suspected war criminal could be taken before The Hague despite not being a signatory to the Rome convention. He has refuted opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s claim that no Sri Lankan could be hauled before the International Criminal Court as he had not signed the convention as the then prime minister. Speaking to...

(Srilankamirror) - The Colombo Crime Division says it is investigating to identify the persons who had caused damage to public property during the joint opposition protest in Colombo Fort a week ago. The CCD informed Colombo Fort magistrate Kanishka Wijayaratne today (Feb. 24) about this and sought permission to obtain video footage of the protest from television stations. The magistrate o...

The Colombo Fort magistrate a short while ago ordered the news editors of the Sirasa Media Network, Swarnawahini, Derana and ITN to present video footage to the CCD regarding the...

(Srilankamirror) - Popular singer Shihan Mihiranga, who rose to popularity from Sirasa Super Star, has wed is longtime sweetheart - Gishni Clementa Silva, reports say.

(Srilankamirror) -  The Black January protest is to be held at the Lipton Circus at 3.00 pm today (Jan. 25), reports say. The demonstration was earlier scheduled to be held at 2.00 pm at the Fort Railway Station compound. Speaking to 'Srilankamirror' on behalf of the Sri Lanka's Alliance of Media Organizations, convener of the FMM, Sunil Jayasekara confirmed the report. He...

Srilankamirror - Fort Magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne today decided that the ruling of the petition against the Black January protest will be handed tomorrow (Jan. 25). The Black January protest is scheduled to be held in front of Colombo Fort Railway Station tomorrow. Organised by Sri Lanka's Alliance of Media Organizations, the Black January demonstration is a mark of protest against t...

(Srilankamirror) - A poster campaign has been launched to raise public awareness against media repression by the government, said organizers. The start of the campaign today (Jan. 23) at Lipton Circus in Colombo coincides with the ‘Black January’ declared by the Alliance of Media Organizations. In the months of January of the last three years, the murder of Lasantha Wickramatun...

(Srilankamirror) - The Alliance of Media Organizations says it will organize a major demonstration next week against the government’s suppression of the media. In a statement, it says the agitation will start at 2.30pm on January 25 in front of Colombo Fort Railway Station. It has decided to name the protest as Black January in view of the media attacks in the months of January in th...

(Srilankamirror) - Members of the UNP working committee were today (Jan. 16) shown a video which contained the mobs attack on Sirikotha last month. It showed the attackers as well as those who had encouraged them, said the party in a statement. The WC adopted a resolution to take legal and internal action against those responsible for attacking and causing damage to the party headquarters....

UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe’s tirade against Sirasa TV has not been taken lightly and the network has now hit back by erecting billboards at several locations in Colombo with images of him holding the stone he claims was used by Sirasa to attack Siri Kotha recently. Picture by Thusitha Kumara

(Srilankamirror) - The external affairs ministry has been unable to get in touch with relatives of the British tourist who was murdered in Tangalle, said deputy minister Neomal Perera. The government will send the body to Britain at state expense, as soon as a relative is contacted, the deputy minister has told Sirasa FM.

Recently opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe blames Sirasa media network work behind the attack carried out against the UNP Srikotta party headquarters.

Methods to kill a Lion Newton Method: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Let, the lion catch you. This implies that you caught the lion. Einstein Method: Run in the direction opposite to that of the lion. Due to higher relative velocity, the lion will also run faster and will get tired soon. Now you can trap ...

by Shamindra Ferdinando In spite of being re-elected at Monday s election b..

(Srilankamirror) - Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament yesterday (Dec. 21) that he would submit a proposal to investigate Sirasa Media Network and its owner Rajamahendran. Mr. Wickremesinghe made a reference to Maharaja Organization during the final day of the debate on budget 2012. He proposed the setting up of a parliamentary select committee to probe the organization an...

Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe requested the people not watch news aired and broadcast in the Maharaja broadcasting services.

(Srilankamirror) - Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says the mobs who hurled stones at him at Sirikotha on December 19 missed their target and hit the Buddha statue in front of the party headquarters building. At a media briefing at his office yesterday (Dec. 20), he displayed one of the rocks, which he said was aimed at him, and said it was thrown by Keli Rajamahendran. As a Christm...

Srilankamirror  - Administrative director of Sirikotha D.B. Medagedara today (20) launched a complaint against the Sirasa TV station. The complaint stated that the TV station evoked the public into attacking Sirikotha, leading to the threatening of the UNP leader with death. In a special statement in Parliament today, the UNP leader Rail Wickremesinghe said that there was a threat t...

  Mano Wickramanayake, Group Director of Capital Maharaja Organization passed away yesterday. He also served as Group Director of Sirasa and MTV Channels. Funeral arrangements will be notified later.{jcomments on}

(Srilankamirror) - A group director of Capital Maharaja, Mano Wikramanayake, passed away this afternoon (Dec. 03). Mr. Wikramanayake suddenly fell and was being taken to hospital, when he breathed his last. He had been director in charge of Sirasa and MTV media channels, owned by Capital Maharaja. Mr. Wikramanayake was one-time deputy president of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Associati...

Sarath Fonseka was found guilty on the first charge in an indictment filed in the High Court of Colombo, consequent to an article carried in The Sunday Leader on December 13 2009 -  front page under the caption “Gota Ordered Them To Be Shot - Gen. Sarath Fonseka.” The case was heard at a Trial-at-Bar before ...

“There is a tide in the affairs of men.  Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life  Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.” – Brutus, in Julius Caesar, Act 4 Winning ...

Colombo (Srilankamirror) - S.M. Marikkar has been appointed head of Shakthi FM channel, in addition to his position as head of Sirasa FM, according to reports reaching Srilankamirror. The additional responsibility for him comes after his achievements with Sirasa FM. The channel has been recognized as the no: one radio channel among the people and its financial position has been further str...

Colombo (Srilankamirror) - Surendra Perera, winner in the season two of Sirasa Super Star, has been hospitalized after being beaten by one of his best friends. The alleged attacker, who is employed in Italy, had returned home and carried out the attack, reports said. It is over a dealing between his girlfriend and Surendra. Attempts by ‘Srilankamirror’ to contact the Super S...

Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara has said that there could have been a conspiracy involved in the killing of presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra. The minister gave a statement to a team of CID detectives at his ministry this morning (Oct. 19), Sirasa reported. He said that neither the CID nor he made references to a conspiracy in the killing. Detectives asked him to give th...

OCTOBER 17, 2011: Status: Not Free Legal Environment: 23 Political Environment: 30 Economic Environment: 18 Total Score: 71 Despite the end of the government’s long-running war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group in May 2009, media freedom remained restricted in Sri Lanka, with journalists subject to myriad forms of legal harassment and physical intimidation. Altho...

Former Army commander Sarath Fonseka today (Oct. 07) asked a Sirasa journalist why only a part of the statement made by him yesterday was broadcast by the media channel. He further questioned whether the statement was edited as Sirasa was wary of Minister Mervyn Silva. The question was raised while the former Army commander was leaving the Colombo High Court after appearing for the 'Wh...

The Media Organizations Collective says it unreservedly condemns the arrest of Sirasa TV journalist Indika Sri Aravinda, who was taken to Moratuwa Police Station, where his recorded video footage was deleted. It says in a statement that the journalist faced the incident yesterday (Oct. 05) after he had videoed the mourning relatives of a dead man, who was one of the suspects in the killing of...