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Following Sri Lanka’s disastrous exit from the Super Eight round of the World T20, social media has exploded with criticism and mockery of the country’s cricket team.

The humiliating exit hurts all the more given that Sri Lanka is co-hosting the tournament with India, and had they qualified for the semi-final, they would have had the added advantage of playing that game on home soil as well. However, after two horrendous defeats against England and New Zealand, Sri Lanka was left with playing only for their pride against Pakistan yesterday.

Memes making fun of the country’s cricketers have them taking up other professions such as farming or bus driving. Both the team and the Sri Lanka Cricket Board have been targeted by fans for mockery.

Perhaps it was with this in mind that Sri Lankan Captain Dasun Chanaka felt inclined to publicly ask the government to intervene to stop the negativity directed against the team, which he said was affecting players’ mental health, though this too met with more derision because many felt it was a case of players looking to the government to ‘censor’ fans from venting their anger. Some, though, felt it was simply a case of the country’s cricket team following in the footsteps of its government, whose ministers and MPs have routinely thrown hissy fits over being targeted for mockery on social media.

Reflections of a former president: From health to hot seat

The Health Ministry corridors were filled with whispers among staff members on Tuesday as news spread that a special visitor had arrived. “Our former minister is here,” one office assistant was heard telling another.

The ‘former minister’ turned out to be none other than former President Maithripala Sirisena, who had come personally to call on Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. Former President Sirisena was no stranger to the Health Ministry, having served as Health Minister himself. He was at the ministry to speak to Minister Jayatissa regarding issues at the Kidney Hospital in Polonnaruwa.

As Minister Jayatissa was in a meeting, the former president had to wait inside the Health Minister’s room. While he was chatting to one of the Health Minister’s personal staff, the former president pointed to the Health Minister’s seat and said, “It was from that seat that I went on to become president,” reminding them that it was the last ministerial portfolio he held before defecting from the government of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa to run against him—and win the presidency.

It was unclear what the former president was alluding to. Or was it?

Herath revives bid to regain artefacts

Portugal's Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel (left) with Foreign Minister Herath

The Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Paulo Rangel, who was on a working visit to Sri Lanka, met Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath this week.

During the meeting Minister Herath brought up the possibility of the return to Sri Lanka of artefacts taken from the country during the century and a half when the Portuguese colonised the country. The Portuguese minister had in turn agreed to establish a joint committee to conduct preliminary studies on returning Sri Lanka’s artefacts. Mr Herath, who was the Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage from 2004 to 2005, initiated a programme to get the artefacts returned, but the matter has lain in limbo since then.

Indians’ baited selfie with fishing minister

Indian pilgrims taking a selfie with Lanka's fisheries minister

A group of Indian fishermen who took part in the annual St Anthony’s Feast on the uninhabited island of Katchathivu did not miss a chance yesterday (February 28) to share a light moment of a ‘selfie’ with Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister R. Chandrasekar.

They did so after requesting him to take a ‘soft’ approach on them for frequently encroaching into Sri Lankan waters and engaging in illegal bottom trawling in the northern seas.

Minister Chandrasekar’s attitude when speaking about the issue of poaching by Indian fishermen with local fishermen, however, is markedly different. He has been known for taking a hard line on poaching by Indian fishermen, at least when speaking of the matter with Sri Lankan fishermen – selfies or not.

Police stand as censors between underworld and media

It was not long ago that the police and the government expressed concern that the media was giving too much publicity to the underworld and vowed that fresh measures would be taken to prevent underworld figures from being exposed to the media.

The government seemed to have taken particular issue with what happens when alleged underworld figures arrested overseas are brought back to the country and are taken through the airport in what have routinely become media circuses.

Podi Lassi, wanted underworld suspect, led through Katunayake airport arrivals under police escort

Nevertheless, when alleged underworld figure Janith Madhusanka, alias ‘Podi Lassi’, was extradited from India and brought to Sri Lanka, he was given a police escort while the media was given ample opportunity to capture pictures and videos of him.

Podi Lassi, a most wanted large-scale drug trafficker, was brought to Katunayake in the early morning hours on Friday.

There was video footage as well as pictures circulating in the media showing ‘Podi Lassi’ being led through the airport in handcuffs but adorned in a white hoodie and an orange backpack. He was walking among the police officers, showing a carefree attitude.

Members of the public have also raised concern over the safety of police officers who apprehend underworld figures, as they too are exposed when the media are allowed to take pictures of the suspects.

Though police say that the media provide too much publicity to underworld figures, police themselves give publicity to the operations to nab underworld figures and allow the media to cover their covert missions that they use to nab underworld figures and drug kingpins.

Another Sri Lankan baker wins Grand Prix, to bake for Elysée Palace

Award-winning bread maker Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan

Monsieur Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan, a 43-year-old Sri Lankan-born baker at Fournil Didot in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, has won the Grand Prix for the Parisian Traditional Baguette 2026, a prestigious award presented among 143 competing baguettes.

The prize comes with €4,000 and the opportunity for the bakery to supply bread to the Élysée Palace for one year.

The award, announced on Thursday (26), recognises excellence in traditional French bread and celebrates craftsmanship, taste, appearance, baking quality, crumb, alveolation, size, and salt content.

Mon. Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan arrived in France in 2003, worked in restaurants and only turned to baking in 2008, learning entirely on the job without formal training.

In 2023, another Sri Lankan-born man, Tharshan Selvarajah, won the coveted competition. It looks like those of Sri Lankan origin are dominating the famous traditional French bread-making business.

Namal meets Lord Naseby, a “true friend of Lanka”

While SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa missed out on addressing the Oxford and Cambridge Unions due to protests from pro-LTTE groups, he spent a few days in the United Kingdom visiting Buddhist temples in London and also meeting with Sri Lankans domiciled there.

One person he did not forget to call on was Lord Michael Naseby, a British Conservative peer and member of the House of Lords and a long-time supporter of Sri Lanka. “Former leader of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka, he is a true friend of our nation. Grateful for his enduring interest in Sri Lanka’s progress,” Mr Rajapaksa wrote on his X handle after the meeting.

CIABOC to relocate to Shrawasti

Parliament has taken steps to hand over the ‘Srawasthi Mandiraya’, formerly used by the Western Provincial Council, to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The decision to hand over Srawasthi Mandiraya to the CIABOC was taken by the Parliament Staff Advisory Committee under Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne, which met on February 19.

Srawasthi had served for years as quarters for MPs before being used as the head office of the Western Provincial Council. Six of the buildings at Srawasathi will be given to the Bribery Commission. Accordingly, several of the CIABOC’s offices currently being housed in rented buildings are to be shifted to Srawasathi.

Promoting jackfruit: New stalls on A9

Deputy Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake buying jackfruit from a newly set up stall

Newly established stalls to sell jackfruit at Dimbulgamuwa, Matale, along the A9 Road were declared open on Monday.

The project to establish the stalls was launched with funds provided by the Presidential Secretariat. The total cost of the project amounted to Rs. 9.6 million. Altogether, 21 jackfruit stalls have been set up and will operate in coordination with the Matale District Secretariat and the Pallepola Divisional Secretariat.

Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Deputy Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake, who was among those at the ceremony to declare open the newly built stalls, is seen here making a purchase from one of the new stalls.