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 […]

Another brilliant, high-octane spell from Mark Wood cracked open Australia’s second innings after Jonny Bairstow’s blitz continued England’s batting rampage at Old Trafford as they did all they could to buy themselves enough time to beat a poor weekend weather forecast and level the Ashes series. After Bairstow’s unbeaten 99, with 50 coming from his […]

The biggest Fifa Women’s World Cup – featuring European champions England and debutants the Republic of Ireland – will finally get under way on Thursday  (20). Australia and New Zealand are co-hosting the ninth edition, which for the first time will feature 32 nations including defending world champions the United States. It is the first […]

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 […]

Key roads in the Indian capital, Delhi, have been flooded as water from the Yamuna river has overflowed onto them. The water level of the river has been rising since Wednesday after it breached an all-time high mark in more than 45 years. Authorities have evacuated thousands from nearby low-lying areas and have diverted traffic […]

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 […]

Tamim Iqbal has withdrawn his retirement a day after announcing it in emotional circumstances in Chattogram, following an intervention by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Their meeting took place on Friday afternoon at her residence in Dhaka. Tamim, accompanied by his wife, met Hasina alongside former captain Mashrafe Mortaza and BCB president Nazmul Hassan. The […]

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 […]

A jury found a former New York City police sergeant and two Chinese citizens guilty on nine counts on Tuesday in a landmark federal trial involving a suspected Beijing-backed operation aimed at repatriating a Chinese fugitive living in New Jersey. Charged in the nearly three-week trial were former police officer-turned-private investigator Michael McMahon and two […]

The boss of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says he has seized “all military facilities” in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. The announcement comes hours after he threatened to topple Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. President Vladimir Putin said this was “a stab in the back” and pledged to punish those who had “betrayed” Russia. [...

Australia won an epic first Test by two wickets, to take a 1-0 lead over England at Edgbaston, an hour and six minutes after they seemed to have lost it. Pat Cummins their captain, back-cut Ollie Robinson’s short ball down towards the boundary directly in front of the travelling Australian supporters in their canary caps […]

The Ceylon Motor Traders Association (CMTA) has raised concerns regarding the fairness of current import regulations, shedding light on the importation of extravagant items, such as, televisions and mobile phones, while essential necessities, such as motorcycles, remain restricted. The CMTA emphasizes the need for a more equitable import policy that considers the struggles faced by […]

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 […]