A Pakistani trial court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts, local media channels said on Saturday. “Judge Humayun Dilawar announced that involvement in corrupt practices has been proven,” Pakistan TV said Khan was not in court for the hearing, but the Reuters news agency reported […]

Cassandra in her Friday Cry-s has often noted with deep gratitude that nature has been benevolent to suffering, down and almost out Sri Lanka. Forest fires due to intemperate temperature in usually cool climes; sudden floods due to torrential rains; erupting volcanoes and earthquakes have all assiduously avoided troubling poor little Sri Lanka struggling against […]

Wednesday 2nd August, 2023 A brouhaha has erupted over what is described as the distortion of the national anthem at the Lanka Premier League (LPL) opening ceremony. Talented young vocalist Umara Sinhawansa has been drawing heavy fire for singing the national anthem in operatic style, and mispronouncing some words therein. Her performance has sparked a […]

Cassandra needs to commemorate, in words, one of the most shameful episodes, or evil occurrences, that happened in this island of ours: the planned and directed massacre of Tamils among us; burning their possessions and homes and tarnishing the name Ceylon/Sri Lanka around the world. I retell what I heard and did – safe in […]

Leaders of India and Sri Lanka were on the same page over regional security following President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s latest visit to New Delhi, an official source said amid fears of China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region, Wickremesinghe addressed India’s security concerns over China’s increasing footprint in Sri Lanka and vowed to fast track […]

By Jayantha Somasundaram (This articlecontinued from yesterday (25) is based on reporting by the international media on the events in Sri Lanka forty years ago.) “For day after day Tamils were beaten, hacked or burned to death in the streets, on buses, on trains – sometimes in the sight of horrified foreign tourists. Their homes […]

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Mass Media to sign the license agreement for exchange of television programmes between the National Radio and Television Administration of the Peoples’ Republic of China and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation with the objective of strengthening mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation.  

Monday 25th July 1983 began like just another day. But what we didn’t know was that it was to be the last day of an era. By mid-morning from my second-floor office in Fort I could see the city being put to the torch. Already my two sisters’ homes in the suburbs had been attacked […]

by Rex Clementine At times you wonder whether the reason for our cricket to suffer setbacks is lack of talent or poor man management. Take the case of Pathum Nissanka. He scores a Test hundred on debut, that too overseas and has notched up five more half-centuries in nine Tests and then was sidelined fearing […]

(Excerpted from volume ii of the Sarath Amunugama autobiography) During one of my visits to Colombo I got a call to see the President at ‘Breamar’. Gamini Dissanayake had told him of my friendship with Parathasarathy and he wanted me to help him repair the damage done to their friendship due to the abuse heaped […]

JAT Holdings PLC, the market leader for wood coatings in Sri Lanka, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with MTV Channel Private Limited, a leading broadcaster and media organization. This strategic collaboration, which is the first of its kind, will see JAT Holdings join forces with MTV Channel Private Limited as the media partner […]

by S. Skandakumar Dear Mr. Taufel As you were an Umpire who was held in the highest esteem throughout your tenure, I read your comments on the Bairstow dismissal with interest. Since it was an incident that raised comments from two Prime Ministers and turned the sacred Long Room at Lord’s temporarily into an angry […]

The muted, panicked voice came through the phone of a friend who croaked she was very confidentially warning Cassandra and advising her. Yours truly was immediately panic infected. With deep emphasis and concern the friend took her time to advise that Cass withdraws all money from banks. Cass was for once glad she was poor […]

Wednesday 21st June, 2023 The ‘Rice Mafia’ has emerged so powerful over the years that it is now running a parallel government of sorts. Wealthy rice millers resort to market manipulations, determine paddy and rice prices and exploit farmers and consumers alike, with impunity. This country is not short of political leaders who talk tough […]