China will play a Âpositive role in easing the financial difficulties of cash-strapped Sri Lanka and its bid to achieve Âdebt sustainability while Colombo will accelerate the formulation of a BRI cooperation plan to advance Beijing s projects in the island nation, a joint statement said on Sunday.

Eighteen-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne scored her first T20I half-century as Sri Lanka levelled the three-match series against South Africa with a seven-wicket win in Potchefstroom. Gunaratne and Ksvisha Dilhari shared an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 76 off 46 balls to successfully chase 138 after South Africa opted to bat first under stand-in captain Nadine de Klerk.  […]

Six double-digit scores of which three were fifty-plus ones and three fifty-plus partnerships of which two were over 90, including one century stand, put Sri Lanka in a position of strength at the end of Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. The visitors ended the day at 314/4 after opting to […]

In the wake of vessel re-routings, aimed at avoiding the Red Sea, bunker demand across ports in both India and Sri Lanka has witnessed a significant surge, highlighting a growing challenge for the maritime industry. While India contends with supply shortages, Sri Lankan ports are experiencing a notable increase in activity. According to S&P Global […]

The conflict between the USA and the USSR, during the era of the Cold War, had far-reaching consequences that extended beyond their borders, with Syria being one of the nations caught in the crossfire. Over the past decade, Syrians have endured the complexities of political manoeuvring amidst a backdrop of socio-political and humanitarian challenges. Additionally, […]

Sri Lanka’s basketball team created a major upset when they beat one of sport’s powerhouses – Korea – in the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup played in Singapore yesterday.The young Sri Lankan team were total outsiders against Korea, who are a strong side in the region. The Koreans outmatched the Sri Lankans with their height and […]

Forty-five people have died in South Africa after the bus they were in plunged some 50m (165ft) off a bridge into a ravine, authorities say. An eight-year-old girl, the only survivor, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The bus crashed through a barrier and caught fire when it hit the ground in the north-eastern […]

… frowns on trade minister’s role in the questionable process By Shamindra Ferdinando Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday (28) said the Trade Minister shouldn’t play any role in setting prices. Instead, pricing formulae had to be introduced, the SJB lawmaker said. Dr. de Silva said so when […]

Sri Lanka received a blow ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh as pace bowler Kasun Rajitha is ruled out of the series concluding match, scheduled at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium from March 30. Asitha Fernando joined the squad as a replacement for Rajitha while the latter returned home to start rehabilitation work. “Kasun […]

7Prof. Nalin de Silva, in his latest article, shared on social media, underscored the need to thoroughly examine what he called grave disclosure made by Speaker Abeywardena, pertaining to Western and Indian role in ousting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Myanmar, during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Presidency, explained how those who manipulated the crisis […]

Chennai Super Kings were clinical with both bat and ball as they completely outplayed Gujarat Titans to register their second win on the trot in IPL 2024. Packed with powerful performances right through with the bat, their bowlers mirrored the collective effort to ensure that Gujarat were never allowed to squeeze their way back in […]

In its quest to challenge Western hegemony in global governance and make itself more representative of the Global South, BRICS has begun to expand itself, including more new member nations. The expansion has led to a formal request by Pakistan to join BRICS in late 2023. This has led to discourse and speculations by scholars, […]

Virat Kohli’s 100th T20 half-century set the platform as RCB got off the mark with a four-wicket win over Punjab Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday night. Having restricted PBKS to 176/8 in their 20 overs, Kohli made the most of an early reprieve when he was yet to open his account, set […]

A brief but meaningful remark by a top General of the People’s Liberation Army of China, calling for a crackdown on “fake combat capabilities” in the military, made on March 9, 2024, has busted the myth of the invincibility of the armed forces of China and has also taken the lid off the hidden struggle […]

A brief but meaningful remark by a top General of the People’s Liberation Army of China, calling for a crackdown on “fake combat capabilities” in the military, made on March 9, 2024, has busted the myth of the invincibility of the armed forces of China and has also taken the lid off the hidden struggle […]

Andre Russell (64* off 25) produced a death-overs power-hitting masterclass only to be matched by Heinrich Klassen (63 off 29) in Sunrisers Hydearbad’s 209-run chase but eventually it was Harshit Rana who defended 7 off the final 5 balls to help Kolkata Knight Riders clinch the final-ball

by Rex Clementine When your star player gets suspended twice within a month, that’s not ideal. When he is your captain, you have serious problems to deal with. We are talking about Wanindu Hasaranga here, whose constant altercations with match officials have landed him in trouble. First he took on local umpire Lyndon Hannibal for […]

The bloodbath candidate by Vijaya Chandrasoma I concluded my essay last week with the prediction that, if Trump does not win re-election in November, “there is little doubt that Trump will, once again, call Foul and refuse to concede defeat. The nation will be plunged into political violence, tantamount to a civil war, for which […]

Fuelled by their pace trio of Vishwa Fernando (4-48), Lahiru Kumara (3-31) and Kasun Rajitha (3-56), Sri Lanka continued to hold the advantage at stumps on day two of the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet. Resuming the day at a shaky 32/3, Bangladesh continued to lose wickets in clusters. While some of the wickets […]

After constructive discussions in Colombo, IMF Senior Mission Chief Peter Breuer and Deputy Mission Chief Ms. Katsiaryna Svirydzenka issued the following statement: “The IMF team reached staff-level agreement with the Sri Lankan authorities on the second review under the economic reform program supported by a 4-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement and concluded the 2024 […]

Following productive discussions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Sri Lankan authorities have achieved a staff-level agreement on economic policies, marking a significant step in concluding the second review of the 4-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF)-supported program and the 2024 Article IV Consultation. This was stated by Mr. Peter Breuer, IMF Senior Mission Chief during […]

The United States says switching to solar energy for e-mobility will reduce the burden on Sri Lanka’s national grid. The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said that switching to solar energy will help ease the economic burden of having to spend dollars on importing fuel

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a staff-level agreement with the Sri Lankan authorities on the second review under the economic reform program supported by a 4-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement. The EFF arrangement was approved by the IMF Executive Board for a total amount of SDR 2.3 billion (about US$3 billion) on March […]

SCRAP BOOK OF CHANDRAJEEWA – Part II by Laleen Jayamanne Shirani Rajapakse’s short piece has a delicious bit of visual analysis which brings out the playful nature of Sarath’s mati wada, that most folk of craft practices, loved instinctively by many Lankans. She says, ‘the quaint ornamental structure in the picture looks very much like […]