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4 days ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Rex Clementine
When Sanath Jayasuriya walked into his first media briefing as Head Coach, he didn’t waste time playing it safe. He went straight to the point — fielding was going to be a game-changer. And true to his word, what the team has pulled off over the last 12 months is nothing short of a stunning comeback. Here was a side that had just been bundled out of the ICC Cricket World Cup with a wooden spoon finish — ninth place — and failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy.
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5 days ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Rex Clementine
Nearly half a century has passed since the Catholic Church last had an Italian Pope. In the hallowed corridors of the Vatican, as the Conclave began deliberations to elect a successor to Pope Francis, several Italian names were whispered with increasing frequency. Chief among them was Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, a seasoned diplomat, and well-known among the electors. Others, like Cardinals Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Matteo Zuppi, also had their share of admirers.
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6 days ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Hiran H.Senewiratne
The CSE yesterday started off at a slow pace but later began to move in a positive direction due the oversubscription of an IPO launched by leading investment bank, Capital Alliance, market analysts said. It is said that Capital Alliance issued 157.5 million shares at Rs 10 per share to raise 1.6 billion for the purpose of expanding its operations overseas and enhancing existing local operations.
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1 week ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Rex Clementine
Sri Lanka’s First-Class cricket has long cried out for reform, and finally, some bold strokes are being played. The playing field has been trimmed down in recent seasons – deadwood cleared to raise the stakes. But the googly of the season was the axing of SSC, the grand old club with a trophy cabinet full of stars. It raised eyebrows, but the message from the top was loud and clear – no room for reputation alone. The long-term plan?
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1 week ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lanka’s JVP-led NPP government has made a dramatic pivot towards India, even utilizing legislative changes it once vehemently opposed. On August 19, 2023, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, then an opposition leader, criticized a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe had signed with India.
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2 weeks ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Rex Clementine
In 1978, when Pope John Paul II had a swimming pool installed at the Vatican, it made more than just a ripple. A few Cardinals raised eyebrows at the cost—after all, it wasn’t exactly a drop in the holy bucket. But when word reached the Pope, he waved away the murmurs with a smile and said, “Cheaper than a conclave.” For a man who lived and breathed his daily laps, it was a matter of staying afloat – literally and spiritually.
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2 weeks ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Hiran H.Senewiratne
The stock market yesterday was active and positive following President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s positive announcement to the effect that initial discussions with the US authorities on the reciprocal tariff on US imports were fruitful. This gave an impetus to the market yesterday, market analysts said. Amid those developments the market performance was bullish and investor sentiment improved significantly.
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3 weeks ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Rex Clementine
There was a time when Sri Lankan parents drummed into their kids that the only ticket out of the rat race was a university degree. Unless you were born with a silver spoon, it was books over bats. But those equations have been rewritten. These days, if you can land the ball on a sixpence and send stumps cartwheeling, the world’s your oyster. Just ask Kasun Rajitha — the latest poster boy for how far cricket can take you.
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1 month ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Rex Clementine
Tamil Members of Parliament with roots across the Palk Strait are often quick to look towards India at the drop of a hat. But last week, all they managed was a photo op with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – smiles, handshakes and little else. In contrast, Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning cricket team was granted a 45-minute chinwag over tea with the Indian leader. The Indian High Commission in Colombo had arranged the meeting.
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1 month ago | 
island.lk | Thilina Walpola |Hiran H.Senewiratne
The CSE’s local and foreign investors’ worries continued yesterday due to the escalating trade war between the US and Chinese governments. This resulted in the CSE performing in a negative manner. However, the 90-day suspension of the new high reciprocal tariff by the United States enabled the Colombo stock market to boost its value by over Rs. 200 billion as investors reverted to buying mode. Amid those developments both indices moved downwards.
