Parents accused of dumping infant daughter in rubbish-strewn woods

Damion Comager, 23, appeared before Bronx Criminal Court on charges of murder, manslaughter and concealment of a human corpse in the death of his young daughter Genevieve Rozzlyn Comager.

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US House of Representatives votes ‘yes’ on debt-ceiling deal

The United States House of Representatives has voted to advance a bipartisan bill to raise the debt ceiling, which limits the amount of money the federal government can borrow.

After calling for a recorded vote, the House passed the bill 314 – 117 in a late night sitting on Wednesday.

The vote comes as the government approaches the deadline of June 5 to lift the debt ceiling or default on its loans, which prospect experts warn could have devastating effects on the US economy.

But Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced a divided party as he rallied votes for the 99-page deal, which would suspend the $31.4 trillion borrowing limit until January 2025.

Far-right members of the Republican Party have blasted the deal since it was announced on Sunday after days of negotiations between congressional representatives and members of President Joe Biden’s Democratic White House.

Among the criticisms was the fact that the proposed spending cuts were not as deep as many Republicans hoped.

(Aljazeera)

 

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Showers in Western, North-western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces

Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 01 June 2023 by the Department of Meteorology

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces. Fairly heavy showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in Galle, Matara and Kalutara districts.

Several spells of showers will occur in Northwestern provinces. Showers or thundershowers will occur in Central, Uva and Eastern provinces during the evening or night.

Winds will be south-westerly over sea area around the island and wind speed will be (20-30) kmph.  Wind speed may increase up to (50-60) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and from Pottuvil to Hambantota and up to (40-45) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle.

The sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanthurai to Pottuvil via Mannar, Colombo, Galle and Hambanthota will be rough at times.

General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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Sam Neill to auction Jurassic Park memorabilia in support of children’s charity

Actor Sam Neill is to auction off items from his personal collection of movie memorabilia including the hat, scarf, shirt and jacket he wore in the Jurassic World movies. The money will go to support the charity Unicef.

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Media Secy. finds fault with TV ratings, calls for remedial measures

Outdated French equipment bought at a cost of Rs 108mn in 1999 not used at all

Mass Media Secretary Anusha Palpita has told the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) that the current television rating system practised here is biased and implemented in an irregular mannar.

Attending a COPA meeting chaired by State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna recently in Parliament, Palpita, who is also the Chairman of Lake House, underscored the urgent need to take remedial measures.

Janakantha Silva, Director Legislative Services and Acting Director Communication, has said in a media statement that Palpita discussed the issue at a meeting called by COPA to examine the Auditor General’s reports on the Government Information Department performance in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and the current situation.

Palpita has questioned the very basis of the data obtained for want of a transparent system, according to the statement issued by Parliament. The official was quoted as having said that a special device required for collecting data is installed in randomly selected 400 television sets. However, the entire process was manipulated by interested parties, Palpita said.

Palpita said that the state-owned television stations couldn’t resort to the same tactics to secure higher ratings.

During the proceedings, it was disclosed that a negative tape machine and the positive tape machine procured at a cost of Rs 108 mn from France in 1999 hadn’t been used at least once. Officials told COPA that the technology was outdated.

State Ministers Diana Gamage, Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, Members of Parliament Niroshan Perera, J. C. Alawathuwala, Jayantha Ketagoda, Sivagnanam Sritharan, (Dr.) Major Pradeep Undugoda, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, (Ms.) Manjula Dissanayake and M. W. D. Sahan Pradeep Withana participated in the proceedings. (SF)

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Child, 10, among four shot at multiple scenes in Cincinnati

Police say that the victims of the gun outrage were aged 10, 14, 15 and 18 and were believed to have been shot by multiple gunmen traveling in a black four-door vehicle with tinted windows.

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Ted Lasso fans fume as Apple TV airs final episode three hours late

Eager fans were due to find out what happened to Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond on May 31 - but they had to wait a long time to find out

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Panic in South Korea and Japan as North Korean spy satellite crashes into sea after launch

There was panic in South Korea and Japan after North Korea's launch of its first space satellite failed, causing it to fall into the sea. Air raid sirens sounded in the South Korean capital Seoul, while Japan warned residents in Okinawa to take precautions.

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Man charged with murdering local politician as she parked her car

Eunice Dwumfour's 12-year-old daughter heard the fatal gunshots ring out as she waited for her mom to arrive back home at their New Jersey apartment

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Kim Kardashian shows off toned figure in sports bra and shorts

Kim Kardashian underwent a staggering weight loss transformation so she could wear an iconic dress made famous by Marilyn Monroe

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China reassures SL of continued support

Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong has assured Premier Dinesh Gunawardena that China will always stand by Sri Lanka’s sovereignty as well as for political independence and socioeconomic development.

The meeting took place at Temple Trees.

The Vice Minister assured that China will increase investments in several areas, such as agriculture, trade and commerce, ports, and infrastructure development in Sri Lanka. He also said China will continue to provide economic assistance, as well as support for Sri Lanka’s debt-restructuring programme.

The Chinese Vice Minister expressed deep appreciation to Sri Lanka’s adherence to One China Policy, despite pressures from many quarters.

Vice Minister Sun Weidong said China has taken steps to establish a strong cooperation with Sri Lankan Buddhist Associations to further religious ties.

Minister Sun Weidong has donated 10,000 sets of school bags and stationary supplies, including picture books, oil colour boxes, pencils and pen boxes, sharpeners, erasers, colour oil painting, rulers, water bottles, insulated lunch boxes and fabric of white plain shirt and skirt, 33,000 meters, and fabric of blue twill pants, 10,000 meters, for distribution in schools.

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Natalee Holloway murder suspect Joran van der Sloot handed ‘severe beating’ in prison

Joran van der Sloot, the main suspect in the 2005 disappearance of teen Natalee Holloway, has been handed a 'severe beating' in prison. His lawyer said he may have been the victim of gang rules in the Peru prison where he is being held ahead of extradition to the US.

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Showers in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Eastern provinces and in Galle, Matara and Polonnaruwa districts

Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 30 May 2023 by the Department of Meteorology

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Central, Uva and Eastern provinces and in Polonnaruwa district during the evening or night. Fairly heavy showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in Eastern and Uva provinces.

Winds will be south-westerly over sea area around the island and speed will be (20-30) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (40-45) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota.

The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and from Kalutara to Pottuvil via Galle and Hambantota will be fairly rough at times.   The other sea area around the island will be slight to moderate.

General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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'White supremacist' in FBI custody following undercover investigation

Convicted felon held on weapons charges after allegedly trying to establish 'white private community' and school to teach antisemitism to young children in Colorado

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Russia issues arrest warrant for US senator who calls it a 'badge of honor'

Sen. Lindsey Graham said he considers the arrest warrant issued by Russia following comments in support of Ukraine to be a ‘badge of honor'. He told the Putin regime: ‘I will submit to jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if you do'.

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Plane passengers divided on airline etiquette

TikTok influencers have divided the internet with their views on what should - or shouldn't - be put in your overhead compartment

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Jadeja’s nerveless hitting gifts Chennai Super Kings fifth IPL title

Chennai Super Kings became IPL champions for the fifth time in a game befitting a title clash. With 10 needed off the last two deliveries, Ravindra Jadeja smacked a six down the ground and a four to fine leg off Mohit Sharma to seal one of the most dramatic finales in the history the tournament.

Brief Scores:

Gujarat Titans 214/4 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 96, Wriddhiman Saha 54; Matheesha Pathirana 2-44) lost to Chennai Super Kings 171/5 in 20 overs (Devon Conway 47, Shivam Dube 32*) by 5 wickets (DLS method)

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The responsibility of educational authorities is to ensure students can take exams in familiar environments without hindrance – President

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed his concerns about the obstacles faced by students when taking exams in unfamiliar environments.  He emphasized the need for the Ministry of Education and the Examinations Department to prioritize the convenience and progress of students over their own convenience. Recognizing the difficulties faced by students, the President advised the education authorities to transform schools with a minimum of 75 qualified students into examination centres, provided that it doesn’t disrupt on-going exam activities. He instructed officials to take prompt action in implementing this plan.

During the discussion, it was revealed that the 2023 GCE O/L examination, which began today (29), would be conducted in 3,568 centres, accommodating a total of 472,553 students. The government has employed approximately 40,000 officials for the smooth execution of the exams.

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Historic Mahiyangana sacred site proclaimed an officially recognized place of worship

President Ranil Wickremesinghe presented a momentous proclamation to the Mahavihara Vamsika Shyamopali Maha Nikaya Asgiri Vihara Senior Karaka Sangha Sabhika, Most Venerable Urulewatte Sri Dhammarakkhitha Thera, designating the historic Mahiyangana sacred site as an officially recognized place of worship.

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Joe Biden says debt-ceiling deal 'ready for congress' despite Republican opposition

House Republicans had reportedly called the deal 'unacceptable' and threatened to vote against it.

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Search for gunman after three people shot in casino

Investigators are still working to establish the attacker's identity and determine a motive.

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Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places over the island during the evening or night

Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 29 May 2023 by the Department of Meteorology

Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places over the island during the evening or night. Showers will occur in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts in the morning too.

Winds will be south-westerly over sea area around the island and speed will be (20-30) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (40-45) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota.

The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and from Kalutara to Pottuvil via Galle and Hambantota will be fairly rough at times.   The other sea area around the island will be slight to moderate.

General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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Over 20 global companies to attend Lanka’s first International Mining and Mineral Conference, Investor forum

By Ifham Nizam

More than 20 global mineral companies have evinced an interest in exploring investment opportunities in Sri Lanka through its first-ever International Mining and Mineral Conference, Investor Forum and Exhibition to be held in October.

Environment Minister Nazeer Ahamed yesterday said that the proposed event would serve as a forum for investors in mining.

Ahamed said that the prime objective of the event was to build a global brand value for Sri Lankan mineral industry, on a medium-term perspective by re-positioning Sri Lankan minerals based on their unique value propositions (UVP) and thereby, unlock the enormous investment and economic potential of the country.

The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB), which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Environment, has identified and mapped out 43 mineral resources in Sri Lanka. Amongst them, Graphite, Heavy Mineral Sand, Limestone, Phosphate, Dimension Stones, Vain Quartz, etc., have been identified as having most intrinsic value with high export potential.

Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) Chairman Sanjeepan Ravi said that the proposed International Mining and Mineral Conference, Investor Forum and Exhibition would provide an ideal platform for all stakeholders of the current and future Mineral Industry in Sri Lanka.

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GCE Ordinary Level examination commences on Monday (29)

The General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level) examination 2022 (2023) will commence on Monday (29).

472,553 candidates have applied to to sit this years examination which will be held at 3568 examination centers

The examination will conclude on 8th June 2023

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Crowds scramble for cover as multiple shots fired in Chicago beach Memorial Day Weekend

A 15-year old boy has been arrested and charged in relation to the disturbance.

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Migrant mum charged for throwing baby away ‘didn’t know’ she put newborn in bin

Lucia Garcia says didn't realise she had been pregnant - a claim backed up by her father.

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Mystery poem sent to newspaper helps police solve cold case murder

Police had been unable to crack the killings of Cyrus Everett and Donna Mauch.

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Gill gets ready to spoil Dhoni’s farewell party

Mahendra Singh Dhoni wouldn’t mind a ‘Farewell to Remember’ but a young Shubman Gill, oozing grace, would do everything under his control to prevent Chennai Super Kings from beating Gujarat Titans to its fifth IPL title, in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Nearly 19 summers back when a young Dhoni was making his first strides in India blue, a four-year-old Gill was taking stance on a vast farmland in Punjab’s Fazilka village on Pakistan border, with a handmade customised bat, prepared by his doting grandfather.

On Sunday, at the 1,32,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium, the soon-to-be 42 Dhoni will have one last assignment in his favourite Canary Yellow jersey – to stop Indian cricket’s megastar-in-waiting and do a ‘High Five’.

Three hundreds and 851 runs don’t happen every season but on a batting belter at the Motera, what will be Dhoni’s strategy to rein in the ‘Mohali Marauder’?

Will it be Deepak Chahar’s swing or Ravindra Jadeja’s wicket-to-wicket bowling? Or will it be Moeen Ali, who could be the ‘Joker in the Pack’ with his enticing flighted deliveries outside the off-stump which could sharply break back. Can Matheesha Pathirana bowl some incisive toe-crushers?

A technically near-perfect batter against a captain known for thinking out of the box. It can’t get more exciting than this.

His die-hard fans might expect him to come back again next year but even Dhoni, who has played the entire season with a heavily strapped left knee might find it extremely difficult to keep up with the demands of the shortest format.

So for every ‘Thala’ (elder brother in Tamil) fan, it’s all about savoring the Dhoni moments till it lasts. In this CSK set-up, he could afford to bat at No. 8 in most games but entering the finals with a bowling line-up that missed Deepak Chahar for the better part of first half and had to turn a profligate Tushar Deshpande into a dependable wicket-taker.

Turning an inconsistent Shivam Dube into a six-hitting bully or overseeing the return of Ravindra Jadeja, the T20 bowler, the legend of Dhoni will never cease to exist. It will only grow and his captaincy stories will also be burnished with coats of myth decades down the line.

They say familiarity breeds contempt but contempt would be the last word in Dhoni and CSK’s mind when they face Hardik Padya’s Titans.

The CSK logo features a “Roaring Lion” but they would take the team from Land of Gir Forest lightly at their own peril.

After 73 games, the two of the most consistent teams are pitted against each other in the summit clash.

No team has emulated the structural and team building ethos of Chennai Super Kings as minutely as Gujarat Titans, another team, where cricketing decisions are based on sound logic, consistency and no interference from overbearing owners.

There is a skipper in Pandya, who believes that there is only one way to lead the team. It’s called ‘The Mahi Way’.

Batters win matches but bowlers win tournaments is an old saying and it couldn’t be more apt when one tracks Titans’ performance.

Mohammed Shami (28 wickets), Rashid Khan (27 wickets) and Mohit Sharma (24 wickets) have executed plans more often than not and thus it hasn’t really effected the Titans that second highest run-scorer after Gill’s 851 runs is skipper Hardik Pandya (325), who is more than 500 runs behind.

Wriddhiman Saha, a keeper-par-excellence, woukd consider himself lucky, that team management never thought of replacing him despite a strike-rate of 127 opening the batting and only one fifty plus score in 16 knocks.

And herein, Dhoni would try to seize the opportunity. If they can get Gill out early, none of the other batters have shown wherewithal to fight hard and bowlers would need a decent total on board.

Under Dhoni, if players like Ajinkya Rahane (299 runs in 13 matches, two fifties) and Shivam Dube have found their groove this season, young bowlers such as Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana (17 wickets in 15 matches) and India’s uncapped Tushar Deshpande (21 wickets in 15 matches) have also been able to find their feet at the IPL stage.

In CSK’s batting line-up, Devon Conway (625 runs in 15 matches, six fifties) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (564 runs in 15 matches, four fifties) have time and again provided CSK with resolute starts at the top.

The big-hitting Dube (386 runs in 15 matches, three fifties) is the second joint-highest six-hitter for CSK in this IPL with 33 sixes, joined by Gill in the list.

There are no clear favourites and it could be one of the finest finals in history of IPL.

Teams (from):

Gujarat Titans:

Hardik Pandya (c), Shubman Gill, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudharsan, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Pradeep Sangwan, Darshan Nalkande, Jayant Yadav, R. Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Dasun Shanaka, Odean Smith, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Urvil Patel, Joshua Little and Mohit Sharma.

Chennai Super Kings:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c&wk), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Sisanda Magala, Shivam Dube, Dwaine Pretorius, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Simarjeet Singh, Matheesha Pathirana, Mahesh Theekshana, Bhagath Verma, Prashant Solanki, Shaikh Rasheed, Tushar Deshpande.

(PTI)

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Woman who 'died and went to heaven' says 'I saw other side and there's nothing to fear'

Courtney Santiago blacked out as she underwent an MRI scan and told TikTok users what she then experienced was "beautiful".

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'Adorable' John Wayne 'so different in our Western’ claims Rio Bravo's Angie Dickinson

John Wayne's Rio Bravo co-star Angie Dickinson, who was a much younger love interest leading lady, has shared in the years since her touching memories of working with Duke, who she felt had a side to him that you normally don't see on screen.

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Heat index at caution level in Northern, North-Central, North-western and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambanthota districts.

Heat index Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 06.30 a.m. 27 May 2023, valid for 27 May 2023

Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is expected to increase up to ‘Caution’ level at some places in Northern, North-Central, North-western and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambanthota districts.

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Winners of WTC final between Australia and India to take home US$ 1.6 million

The winners of the World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia is set to become richer by US$ 1.6 million, while the runners-up will get $800,000, the ICC announced on Friday.

The winners’ cheque is the same as that in the 2019-21 cycle, where  New Zealand beat India in the final in Southampton.

The ICC’s total purse for the current WTC cycle, which ends with the final next month at The Oval in London, is $3.8 million. With $2.4 million being distributed between the two finalists, the remaining amount will be given out based on the teams’ standings on the WTC table.

Third-placed South Africa will earn $450,000, while England, who ended fourth, will get $350,000. Sri Lanka, with a fifth-place finish, will earn $200,000, and numbers six to nine, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies and Bangladesh, in that order, will get $100,000 each.

The final of the 2021-23 WTC will be played from June 7 to 11, with June 12 as reserve day. While Australia had finished as table-toppers after winning 66.67% of their allotted points, India were second with 58.80%. The two teams had also met in a four-match series in India earlier this year, which India won 2-1.

Earlier this month, India also went past Australia in the ICC Test rankings, taking back the No 1 slot. This happened despite neither side playing any Test cricket recently, since the rankings consider a specific period and series completed before that period lose some of their value. In this case, the rankings considered all series completed since May 2020, with series completed before May 2022 weighted at 50% and everything since weighted at 100%.

(Cricinfo)

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NE Tamil politicians to lobby India ahead of Persident RW’s visit

By Dinasena Ratugamage

Politicians, representing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and three other Tamil parties, are to visit New Delhi, in June, seeking a solution to the problems faced by residents of the North and East.

The representatives of the Tamil parties will meet the Indian Prime Minister and several other Indian leaders.They are to urge Indian leaders to press Sri Lanka to finalise a political solution to the issues faced by Tamil people.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is to visit India and the Tamil MPs want to visit Delhi before that.The Tamil parties are also holding a series of discussions with President Wickremesinghe on solving the issues faced by the Tamils.

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Powerball winner Edwin Castro served lawsuit at $25m mansion amid stolen ticket claim

Jose Rivera claims a man named "Reggie" stole the ticket from him

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Showers in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Eastern, Uva and North-Western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts

Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 26 May 2023 by the Department of Meteorology

A few showers will occur in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-Western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Eastern and Uva provinces during the evening or night.

Winds will be south-westerly over sea area around the island and speed will be (20-30) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (40-45) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Trincomalee via Mannar and Kankasanthurai and from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota.

The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Trincomalee via Mannar and Kankasanthurai and from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota will be rough at times.  The other sea area around the island will be moderate.

General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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Abortion providers file lawsuit after South Carolina signs ban into law

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has signed the ban into law. All abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected are now outlawed.

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New wine in old bottles: Anthropologising Sinhala middle-class

By Uditha Devapriya

Although it has always been something of a passing interest, anthropology has figured in my travels, studies, and writings over the last five years. My focus over these years has narrowed down to five areas: the different meanings that categories like race and ethnicity have acquired from the early historical period to the contemporary moment; the social, cultural, and political transformations of the colonial era, specifically the British Period and more specifically the early and middle British Periods; the folk revival of the mid-20th century, as exemplified by the work of Sunil Santha; the modern artistic and cultural movement, revolving around if not centring on the 43 Group; and the transformation or one could say transfiguration of social values that accompanied and continues to accompany the entry of the Sinhala petty bourgeoisie to elite institutions.

Of these I would say that while the first four topics have engaged scholarly interest for years, if not decades, the fifth has not quite attracted the same interest. This may be because the topic is far more recent than the others. The Sinhala middle-class’s entry to elite institutions, specifically schools and the public sector or civil service, has been a fairly recent phenomenon: it can be dated, if at all, to the post-1956 period, when the language and education reforms undertaken by both SLFP and UNP governments – the former more than the latter – enabled a petty bourgeoisie to rise, if not to the top, then to the middle ranks of organisations that had been the preserve of a colonial elite and Anglicised middle-class for almost one and a half centuries.

My interest in this area grew because of two reasons. First, as a freelancer covering various school and commercial events, I inadvertently came face to face with people, particularly students and middle level executives and employees, whose values one simply could not associate with the history and character of the institutions they represented. That the most elite of schools in Colombo had sizeably non-English speaking populations did not, of course, come as a shock to me, yet it more or less fascinated me because of how such institutions continue to be associated with elite milieus and social classes. The reality is obviously much more different and complex, a fact I had to grapple with when it came to commercial firms and the country’s civil service as well.

Second, my travels to villages and far-flung communities in the country opened me up to the immense complexity of the social relationships, values, and mores governing them, and how far removed the reality these communities live through every day is from what is usually assumed or one could say imagined about them. Steven Kemper ends the last chapter of his brilliant study of advertising in Sri Lanka by recounting the lives and details of two families from suburban Colombo.

One of these families trace their roots to Kandy, but have shifted to Colombo because one of their sons obtained admission to Royal College through a scholarship exam. Kemper, outsider though he is, grasps the significance of this achievement: the son, in effect, becomes for his parents a link to the city, and all that it represents. The upward aspiring Sinhala petty bourgeoisie has gained its place in the sun because elite institutions, in essence, have been opened for them.

Whether one can reduce such phenomena to the dynamics of a social milieu in pursuit of social advancement is of course highly debatable. My argument is that this is a two-way process: elite institutions have become more accessible for the petty bourgeoisie, and the petty bourgeoisie has become the new elite. They are, in effect, the new kingmakers: they have voted and brought to power both neoliberal and nationalist parties and presidential candidates. This places them in an interesting conundrum. Numerically they are stronger and more representative of the country than the elites that preceded them, but their willingness to adapt to and adopt elite attitudes has distanced them from the vast multitude of their countrymen. They are, in other words, conscious of their kinship with those below them on the social scale and their subservience, so to speak, to the urban middle-classes above them. In his introduction to Gamanaka Mula, Gunadasa Amarasekara critiques Martin Wickramasinghe for having focused more on the colonial bourgeoisie than the Sinhala middle-class. But Wickramasinghe does examine the latter in his Koggala Trilogy, and what is more examines their contradictory position in the colonial social order, specifically in the character of Aravinda, Malin Kabilana’s friend in Yuganthaya.

20th century Sinhala literature has not, I think, given us a more concrete, flesh-and-blood archetype of the Sinhala middle-class, with the pressures and paradoxes that continue to assail it even today, than Aravinda. In Yuganthaya Aravinda serves as a conscience for Malin Kabilana. But instead of appealing to Kabilana’s better instincts, Aravinda serves as a vessel for the colonial bourgeoisie.

At one point he implores Kabilana to abandon his radical politics and return to his father Simon’s class. In one particularly memorable and evocative episode – evocative in a Proustean sense – Aravinda smokes a cigar and dreams of living in a house in the Cinnamon Gardens. By this point we have been told of the immense hardships and difficulties his father had to wade through to educate his son and ensure a position for him. Yet Aravinda is not shown as bad or indifferent: he prescribes medicines free of charge for his villagers, to his father’s consternation.

Aravinda’s dilemma remains emblematic of the Sinhala petty bourgeoisie both of his time and ours. This has spilt over to the cultural sphere as well, sometimes profoundly. Here the contradiction is between the cultural values on which the Sinhala rural petty bourgeoisie have been raised and the avowedly secular or non-Buddhist heritage of the elite institutions that have been opened for them. Perhaps no better example illustrates this more, for me, than a recent complaint, written by an Old Boy of an elite school and published in a prominent newspaper, that his school was becoming less secular and more ‘Sinhalised” and “Buddhicised.” These are pertinent concerns, especially in light of lingering fears of Sinhalisation and Buddhicisation in the country’s north and east.

Given these concerns, one is compelled to sympathise with the writer. But one is also forced to recognise the inevitability of such transformations, at a time when a mostly Sinhala and Buddhist petty bourgeoisie has entered these institutions. There is in any case an interesting afterword to this episode. When shown the article, a younger student from this same elite school, who is by his own definition a fervent Buddhist, questioned whether his school remained the preserve of the elite or whether it was a “school for the best.” He obviously associated “the best” with his milieu, the Sinhala and Buddhist middle-classes who have obtained entry to these institutions through merit-based examinations and assessments. His next point was even more interesting: that the best invariably are bringing with them what he calls “rural cultural values”, and that these, in effect, were shifting his school from its secular origins to a much more culturalised establishment.

Sociologists and anthropologists working in Sri Lanka, who are studying the Sinhala and Buddhist petty bourgeoisie, should I think take note of these observations. These should ideally form the basis of a study, a study that to me remains as relevant for our time as it is for all time, and indeed for all societies: the transformation of elite institutions at the hands of a nascent, emergent middle-class, in effect the new elites of countries such as ours.

The writer is an international relations analyst, researcher, and columnist who can be reached at udakdev1@gmail.com

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Iran successfully launches missile with 1,200-mile range

It is thought the missile could reach key bases of the United States of America or Israel.

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Bebe Rexha opens up about 'tough' comments on weight gain after PCOS diagnosis

Bebe Rexha opened up about her recent weight gain and diagnosis on the Jennifer Hudson Show.

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Michael Keaton returns as Batman after 30 years in new The Flash footage

Michael Keaton is back as Batman after three decades in a new clip of the Batcave from the upcoming The Flash movie.

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Jerome Fernando and his profane gimmicks – II

By Rohana R. Wasala
(Continued from yesterday May 24, 2023)

Some well-meaning, erudite, but very naive and innocent, young bhikkhus are challenging Paster Jerome Fernando to a debate over his deprecatory remarks about Buddhism; that, I think, is ridiculously ingenuous and unnecessary, because that is giving that man a measure of dignity that he doesn’t deserve, and also because he cannot be credited with a decent understanding even of Christianity, let alone anything additional outside that domain. These young monks are being eclipsed in their calm but determined attempt to react to Jerome’s disinformation and deception without any ill will. By whom? They are getting overshadowed by a few yellow-robed imposters who are themselves Buddhist versions of pastor Jerome Fernando. Actually, those few false monks and the fake prophet are birds of a feather probably fed by the same hands, as some say.

It has also been observed that certain discredited politicians are exploiting the opportunity that came their way through this obviously well-rehearsed Jerome Fernando episode to take a dig at each other for the heck of it, without utilising it to repair the damage it is causing to reconciliation. Last but not least, where are the Ven Mahanayake theras? Their silence in crisis situations has often aggravated issues affecting the Buddha Sasana. The online media I normally consult have nothing in this regard. However, one can’t blame the Ven Mahanayakes because they avoid politics, as they have done down the centuries. They used to advise the monarch only in spiritual matters, and the monarch took responsibility for looking after the Shashanaya. The most senior monk or monks, close to the royalty, offered their opinion in succession matters on rare occasions, and also when the ruler failed in his duties or when there were foreign threats to the nation. The Sangha never took part in ruling, but remained above the ruler. The Buddhist Sangha is a very democratic community, where one monk has no control over another. Times have changed. It is urgent that the Mahanayakes do more to save the Buddha Shasanaya including the Fourfold Assembly of Followers (Sivvanak Pirisa) of male and female lay Buddhists and bhikkhus and bhikshunis.

Back to the topic. Meanwhile, a complaint was lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) by the propaganda secretary of the political party, Pivituru Hela Urumaya (PHU), Iranga Vidvath Mendis, in connection with the relevant offensive statements made by Jerome Fernando who calls himself a prophet, which are derogatory to the Buddha, Buddhism, and other religions. This is the only meaningful reaction I have seen so far to Jerome Fernando’s outrage (up to the time of writing). The complainant demands that the law be applied to the (suspect) offender in this case in terms of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act No. 56 of 2007.

The aforementioned petition to the CID was published in a news report in the online lanka c news. It quoted the following fromJerome Fernando’s importunate harangue:

 “This is what separates Christianity from Buddhism. Because for a Buddhist in their mind, it’s like, okay, අනුන්ට කලදේ තමන්ට පලදේ in a sense, it’s true, especially if you do something to a prophet. Anyways. Now, but in the Buddhist mind, they never hear the love of Buddha. Are you hearing this? Their focus is enlightenment. But to be enlightened, you need light. The Buddha himself, the name Buddha means enlightened one. Ladies and gentlemen, what is greater, light or enlightened? Jesus said, I’m the light of the world. so i tell you now, jesus didn’t said I’m the enlightened one, No, no, no, no. Jesus came from a different wavelength. Jesus said I’m the light. So, I submit to you, the Buddha was looking for light. He was actually looking for Jesus. This is why every Buddhist needs Jesus.”

I came across a YouTube video clip of the relevant part of Jerome Fernando’s coercive religious rant against the Buddha, Buddhism and Buddhists that contained more. There was a singing part to it too, that ridicules such traditional curative and protective magical remedies as tying charmed threads, anointing charmed oil, etc., usually found among rural folk, as superstitious practices based on Buddhist teachings. Those are cultural things and should not be confused with Buddhism. Buddha did not advocate such things. He himself visited a physician called Jeevaka when he fell ill, according to the known life of the Buddha. He preached no religion, and never prescribed blind-faith based devotional practices or mindless rituals. Even the most ignorant Buddhists know that magical cures like charmed threads, oils, and chants are not part of the doctrine they actually follow. Instead, those ritual performances are part and parcel of the established holistic native healing culture which maintains the vital balance between the physical and mental aspects of the patients’ health. These ancient healing arts have survived, particularly among villagers, into modern times. Jerome also staged some faith healing episodes, not different from them. Such magical fake cures are daily performed in many hundreds of devales dedicated to local deities found across the country which are patronised not only by gullible villagers, but by superstitious city dwellers including politicians and businessmen among others of the same ilk seeking divine assistance with their nefarious projects. Why should a ‘prophet’ demean his god by descending to the level of a village kapurala unless he was a genuine fake?

 In the letter to the CID referred to above, Mendis has left out (probably, as irrelevant to the point of his plaint) Fernando’s disparaging references to Hinduism and Islam and relevant sacred figures, which are equally outrageous, such as that Hindus venerate animals. A common allegation he raised against the leaders of all three non-Christian religions did not preach Love! But this fake prophet’s real target is the Buddha, his teaching and the Buddhists, his followers, whom he demeans, by implication, as a spiritually misguided lot. Though it is evident that Jerome is proficient enough in Sinhala for preaching to them, he speaks only in English and has himself interpreted in Sinhala. That, I think, is just an act he puts on to further impress his apparently mesmerised audience, whose awed gazes were fixed on his constantly beaming beatific smile.

What is Jerome Fernando saying in the snatch of speech quoted above? Simply, nonsense. He appears to be ignorant of his own religion of Christianity and its truly great founder Jesus Christ. Christianity came five or six hundred years after Buddhism. The latter is definitely beyond pastor Fernando’s power of understanding. What did Buddhists do to him (if he means himself by ‘prophet’) for him to say “anunta kala de tamanta pala de” (which would be equivalent to the English proverb ‘Curses come home to roost’)? (When he said this, though, he seemed to be mocking his own ‘prophet’ act!) This idea of ‘retaliatory justice’ is not part of the Buddhist concept of karmic causation. People from different cultural backgrounds accept the idea that bad deeds earn you bad results and that good deeds bring you good results, as a self-evident truth. The Karma concept taught in Buddhism is much more profound and complex than ‘Curses come home to roost’.

A word about the idea of love that Jerome finds missing in Buddhism. Buddhism is nothing if it is not about wisdom and compassion. The Buddha does uphold love as a positive emotion, but says that it is ultimately based on selfishness/the illusion of ‘self’. The Buddha’s teaching recognises a difference between love (that you feel for a person) and unconditional universal compassion or loving-kindness (maitri, friendliness) towards all sentient beings, something that is completely selfless. I think Christian love is also very close to or identical with the Buddhist concept of loving-kindness. To me it looks like the highly intelligent Jerome Fernando has not so far cared to grasp at least a faint idea of the Buddha’s profound dhamma. He has no sense of history, for he doesn’t know that the Buddha lived five to six centuries before Jesus was born. Otherwise, if he is in his right senses at least temporarily, how can he say that the Buddha was looking for Jesus? What do you know about the Enlightenment concept taught in Buddhism, Jerome? Obviously, NOTHING! You equate enlightenment to lighting up or illuminating something. That is stupid. An Australian YouTuber of Sri Lankan origin says that he had some slight acquaintance with Jerome as a young Burgher with a different name doing modelling work for commercial firms about twenty years back. It’s plausible information. He uses both Sinhala and English equally fluently. Oops! I almost forgot. At the end or thereabouts of his Buddha bashing, quite paradoxically, like a true Christian preacher or a genuine Buddhist monk for that matter, he admonishes his congregation: “Never persecute anybody, never shame another person’s faith”.

I will wind up with a reference to the Buddha’s famous Kalama Sutta discourse. The Buddha advised his disciples to question and examine even the Tathagata (Buddha) himself to find the trustworthiness, the authenticity, of the teacher they chose to follow. A group of young men called the Kalamas came to the Buddha with a question. They wanted to learn from him how they could separate truths from falsehoods uttered by the various venerable recluses and brahmanas who visited their village of Kesaputta from time to time and preached their different doctrines that disagreed with each other. Obviously, the young men had heard of the fame of the Buddha who himself had studied under the most famous teachers of the time and exhaustively analysed their teachings, and dissatisfied, had embarked on his own long and assiduous search for the Truth and eventually attained Enlightenment. The Buddha’s advice to them was: “Kalamas, do not be led by reports, or tradition, or hearsay. Be not led by the authority of religious texts, nor by mere logic and inference, nor by considering appearances, nor by the delight in speculative opinions, nor by seeming possibilities, nor by the idea: ‘this is our teacher’. But…when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome (akusala), and wrong, and bad, then give them up… and when you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome (kusala) and good, then accept them and follow them”. (I am quoting here from Ven Walpola Rahula thera’s classic dhamma compendium ‘What the Buddha Taught’ first published in London in 1959, and reprinted many times since, which Jerome Fernando may profitably read and still remain, or learn to be, a pious and virtuous Christian, which, I am afraid, he is not at present.)

I can easily answer your criticisms of Hinduism and Islam, but it is better for you to learn by yourself their moral essence that is as noble and as ennobling as Christianity.

(Concluded)

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US salmonella outbreak linked to cookie dough, CDC reports

At least 18 cases have been reported, with the CDC saying two of which are hospitalizations.

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John Wayne's The Searchers co-star enraged John Ford for what he did to Duke on set

The Searchers featured an appalling mistake by Ward Bond that had to be covered up for years to avoid the "terrible temper" and physical attack of director John Ford. When the filmmaker finally found out what he'd done to John Wayne, he was "left speechless".

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Music legend Tina Turner dies at 83

Singer Tina Turner, whose soul classics and pop hits like The Best and What’s Love Got to Do With It made her a superstar, has died at the age of 83.

Turner had suffered a number of health issues in recent years including cancer, a stroke and kidney failure.

She rose to fame alongside husband Ike in the 1960s with songs including Proud Mary and River Deep, Mountain High. She divorced the abusive Ike in 1978, and went on to find even greater success as a solo artist in the 1980s.

Dubbed the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner was famed for her raunchy and energetic stage performances and husky, powerful vocals.

Her death was announced on her official Instagram page.

“With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow,” the post said. “Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music.”

Turner won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 as a solo artist, having first been inducted alongside Ike Turner in 1991.

Upon her solo induction, the Hall of Fame noted how she had “expanded the once-limited idea of how a Black woman could conquer a stage and be both a powerhouse and a multidimensional being”.

Younger stars who have felt her influence include Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Janelle Monae and Rihanna.

(BBC)

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Ruthless Mumbai Indians seal second qualifier spot

IPL 2023 edged one step closer to a dream MI-CSK final as Akash Madhwal’s stunning five-fer in the Eliminator helped Mumbai Indians brush aside Lucknow Super Giants at Chepauk on Wednesday (May 24).

Chasing a stiff 183, Lucknow Super Giants collapsed in dramatic fashion to get bowled out for just 101 as they lost their last eight wickets for just 32 runs. In the process, Madhwal broke into the record books by registering the best figures in IPL playoffs history and the fifth-best overall.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians 182/8 in 20 overs (Cameron Green 41, Suryakumar Yadav 33; Naveen-ul-Haq 4/38, Yash Thakur 3/34) beat Lucknow Super Giants 101 all out in 16.3 overs (Marcus Stoinis 40; Akash Madhwal 5/5) by 81 runs

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Elvis sweetly sang Dolly Parton hit song to Priscilla Presley as they left divorce court

Elvis and Priscilla Presley, who turns 78 today, remained close despite their divorce half a century ago.

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ICC suspends Devon Thomas on corruption charges

The ICC has provisionally suspended West Indies player Devon Thomas with immediate effect and charged him on seven counts under the anti-corruption codes of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The charges, as listed by the ICC, are as follows:

• Article 2.1.1 of the SLC Code – contriving or being party to an agreement to fix or attempt to fix, contrive or influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of matches in the Lanka Premier League 2021.Article 2.4.4 of the SLC Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct in the Lanka Premier League 2021.

• Article 2.4.6 of the SLC Code – failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by failing to provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the Designated Anti-Corruption Official

• Article 2.4.7 of the SLC Code – obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation into Corrupt Conduct, including (without limitation) concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of Corrupt Conduct.

• Article 2.4.4 of the ECB Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct at the Abu Dhabi T10 2021.

• Article 2.4.4 of the CPL Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct in relation to the CPL 2021.

• Article 2.4.2 of the CPL Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or benefit (a) that he knew or should have known was made in order to procure a breach of the CPL Code, or (b) could have brought the player or the game of cricket into disrepute.

• Thomas, who made his Test debut for the West Indies last year, will now have 14 days to respond to the charges.

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Showers in Eastern, North Central and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara and Trincomalee districts

Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 May 2023 by the Department of Meteorology

Showers or thundershowers will occur at a few places in Eastern, North Central and Uva provinces and in Trincomalee district during the evening or night. A few showers may occur in Western coastal areas and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning too.

Winds will be south-westerly over sea area around the island and speed will be (20-30) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (40-45) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota.

The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota will be rough at times.  The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle will be fairly rough.

General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers

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Elon Musk predicts AI weapons race and 'drone wars' as civilisation 'crumbles'

Twitter owner Elon Musk thinks advanced countries will turn to artificial intelligence to boost their weapons capability before they do anything else with the improving technology

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Dylan Mulvaney fallout leads to Bud Light 'buying back unsold beer'

Bud Light has seen a sales after their partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The deal began in March when Mulvaney posted that the company had sent her packs of the beer, which featured her face, to celebrate one year of "girlhood".

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Coyote that attacked toddlers in two separate incidents is still on the loose

Officials believe the same wild animal set upon a toddler standing on a driveway with his mother and attacked another child at a playground.

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PM Modi announces 12-point new development initiatives for Pacific Island nations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled a 12-point development plan for the Pacific Island nations in a range of areas including healthcare, renewable energy and cyber-security as he announced that India is ready to share its capabilities with the region “without any hesitation”.

Modi made the announcements on the new initiatives at the FIPIC (Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation) summit held at Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.

(PTI)

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Biden 'optimistic we’re going to make some progress' on budget after meeting McCarthy

President Joe Biden has revealed that early talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have been going well as they try to thrash out some comprises with regards to the US financial budget

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President Biden faslely told US Marines his son Beau died 'in Iraq'

President Biden told US troops during a visit to the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Thursday that his son Beau died in Iraq. Biden Jr in fact died in Bethesda, Maryland in 2015 following a battle with brain cancer.

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Parents should implement 'gender ideology' before birth, says professor

Dr Lauren T Roth encouraged parents to have gender-related conversations with their children early in their lives.

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SLGJA jewellery design competition

A jewellery design competition, with the intention of bringing Sri Lanka’s talent together, has been announced by the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association. The following is the text of statement issued by the association: “Open to all existing and aspiring jewellery designers, the competition aims to encourage talented and creative individuals to get more involved with the jewellery sector.

The theme of this year’s competition is “Celebrate Sri Lanka”. Designs can be inspired by all things wonderful our Paradise Island has to offer, from its deep-rooted history, unique and vibrant culture, stunning natural attractions, sprawling beaches to its rich wildlife and rainforests. Capturing the essence of this beautiful island through design is the key. Jewellery designs should be in keeping with current global trends, as well as it being something a modern-day buyer would invest in.

A total of 10 designs will be shortlisted and selected, with each design being manufactured by a local jewellery firm sponsoring the competition. The final three winning designers will be in with the chance of winning attractive cash prizes. SLGJA encourages everyone interested in design, jewellery and fashion to submit their designs and showcase their creativity. Register now at www.slgja.org

The Competition closes on May 31.”

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Are we the most gullible on earth?

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

I wish experts on human behaviour introduced a gullibility index, as this surely would have been the one, we could easily have topped! We have been fooled by politicians of all hues who have mastered the art of exploiting gullibility. We have been brainwashed to believe that family bandyism is an integral part of success in politics. We have been fooled into putting caste before the country. Our votes are cast not on policies but on the subtle, and the not so subtle, bribes. Whilst other countries borrow for developmental purposes, we borrow to repay political bribes and are in an abyss now, as a result. Even at this darkest hour, our politicians have put self-interest first, instead of getting together to save the country. Seeing no light at the end of the tunnel, professionals are fleeing in droves and soon we will be a country bereft of talent, on top of being financially bankrupt!

It is not only the politicians who exploit the gullibility of the masses. Paradoxically, even the intelligentsia are at it. Look at the proliferation of professors in Sri Lanka! It has become such an epidemic that University Grants Commission is reportedly considering laying down guidelines. How they are going to implement, I wonder! There are plenty of dubious universities the world over, awarding pseudo-degrees and appointing professors! Ayurvedic Medical faculties do not produce Ayurvedic doctors, all labelling themselves as doctors and practicing non-Ayurvedic medicine. Further, plenty of bogus doctors abound, practicing very successfully with no training at all!

It reminds me of a colleague of ours, who went on a Chinese government fellowship to study acupuncture for three months. On return, not only he became a specialist in the field but also set up an institution to teach and award degrees. Seeking legitimacy, he invited President J. R. Jayewardene, who happened to be the Minister of Higher Education, to award degrees at the convocation.

The danger of this was discussed at a Sri Lanka Medical Association council meeting and it was left for Dr N J Wallooppillai, as the President, and me, as the secretary, to appeal to President Jayewardene. Fortunately, we were able to approach President Jayewardene and convince him that he would be awarding degrees from an institution not recognised by the UGC. As it was too late to cancel, he attended but did not take part in the awarding of degrees!

Of course, gullibility is at its peak when it comes to religion which, in a way, is no surprise. After all, religion is the first and strongest brainwashing we get in life. More often than not, the religion we practise is based on birth, not on conviction as it should be. Gullibility is best exploited in this situation by so-called conversions. I have no problem with conversions based on convictions but most conversions are simple exploitations. Many rewards are offered in some religions for conversions resulting in conversions through, from marriage to trickery; almost all miracles falling within this category. The worst offenders are the cults and the only thing that has not happened in Sri Lanka is people killing themselves before the world ends!

There is much hype these days about a self-proclaimed prophet, supposed be close to some politicians too and he is accused of insulting other religions. Some politicians are up in arms demanding punishment which seems more for their political gain. Out of curiosity, I carefully watched YouTube video and am quoting verbatim what he stated, as media did not do so. During his preaching to a large cheering crowd, where Sinhala translation followed each line, he stated:

“This is what separates Christianity from Buddhism. This is what separates Christianity from Islam. Let us take Islam for instance. You can’t even call Allah, father! Are you hearing this? You have 99 names for God in Islam and yet, love is not one of them! This is what separates Christianity from Buddhism. Because for a Buddhist in their mind, it is like, Okay, annunta kala de tamanta palade In a sense it is true, especially if you do something to a prophet anyway. Now, but in the Buddhist mind they never hear the love of Buddha. Are you hearing me? Their focus is on enlightenment. Now, to be enlightened you need light. The Buddha himself, the name Buddha means enlightened one. Ladies and gentlemen, what is greater? Light or enlightenment? Jesus said ‘I am the light of the world.’ So, I tell you now, Jesus did not say I am the enlightened one.

No, no, no, Jesus came from a different wavelength. He said I am the light. So, I submit to you, the Buddha was looking for light. He was actually looking for Jesus. This is why every Buddhist needs Jesus. This is why every Muslim needs Jesus. This is Christianity that separates itself from Hinduism. Glory to Lord! Hindus are very close to the gospel. Buddhists are also very close to the gospel. Muslims are very close to the gospel. Very close.

That is why you need preachings like this. Let them take the next step. Sit down! Hinduism, the reason why they venerate so many animals. They don’t realise and hopefully after I said this will realise why they have a god that looks like an elephant. The reason why they have gods with ten thousand hands. They are not far from the truth. Why they venerate cows? They are very close but they are still far away. But what separates Christianity from Hinduism? It is this reality of life. Agape love. Some of you should tell your loving Hindu people, what you are doing may be true to you but there is a deeper truth. Never prosecute anybody. Never shame another person’s faith.”

As for me, these are not the words of a prophet, nor a preacher but the ramblings of an ill-informed individual who is making a living out of the gullible. The cheers for some of his ill-conceived statements amply demonstrate the gullibility of the audience. Their behaviour is in sharp contrast to our youth; I have been most impressed by the knowledge of Buddhism displayed by non-Buddhist children in quiz shows. In my opinion, the best way to handle ill-informed persons is to ignore them. In fact, past events support this. In January 2000, a series of chain emails spread the rumour that imported bananas were infecting people with ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria, adding that the FDA was trying to cover up the epidemic to avoid panic and encouraging readers to spread the word to their friends and family. FDA issuing a denial which only made matters worse!

Coming back to the pseudo-prophet, he displays gross ignorance as he implies light is needed for enlightenment! Light gets rid of darkness and that is not enlightenment!! He completely overlooks the fact that the Buddha was there six centuries before Christ, making it impossible for the Buddha to look for Christ!

After insulting all religions, the pseudo-prophet demonstrates the height of his hypocrisy by stating: “Never shame another person’s faith”!

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Harrison Ford holds back tears at Indiana Jones 5 press conference ‘It was indescribable’

Harrison Ford, 80, became incredibly emotional on more than one occasion at the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny press conference at Cannes.

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Elvis Presley threw his food at the TV after what he was watching made him sick

Elvis Presley famously fired a gun at his TVs every now and then but did you know he once threw his food tray in disgust at the screen after one particular commercial came on?

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Police searching for man after 6 dog carcasses found rotting in yard, 8 others rescued

Police rescued eight starving dogs from the man's house while six other animals were found dead rotting in the front yard.

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Andrea Bocelli thanks King Charles for Coronation performance honour with touching post

Andrea Bocelli hopes that his King Charles III Coronation concert's "emotional climax arises in all of us." Watch his incredible performance of You'll Never Walk Alone with Sir Bryn Terfel here.

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King wants Kate and William's children to avoid making 'mistakes he made'

The King wants to make sure Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have much more freedom when it comes to love compared to what he had, a royal historian claimed.

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Showers in Western province and in Galle and Matara districts

Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 21 May 2023 by the Department of Meteorology

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western province and in Galle and Matara districts.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Sabaragamuwa, Central, Eastern and Uva provinces during the evening or night.

Winds will be south-westerly over sea area around the island and speed will be (20-30) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (40-50) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and in the sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil. Strong winds about 40 kmph can be expected at times over North and North-central provinces and in Puttalam district.

The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar and in the sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil will be rough at times. The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle will be fairly rough.

General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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US Covid lockdowns and vaccine mandates slammed by Supreme Court Justice

Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch has called the Covid lockdown measures imposed across the United States as one of ‘the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country'. He said officials issued emergency decrees on a ‘breathtaking' scale.

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From timeless investment pieces to playful statement styles

Receiving something sparkly is usually tied to a big event, like an engagement, graduation, or birthday. But investing in a jewellry gift just for yourself? That’s one of several 2023 jewellry trends on the rise. Whether costume or fine jewellry, designers are noticing more demand for standout earrings, rings, and necklaces that reflect shoppers’ personalities and interests—and the bigger the statement, the better. “We’ve seen far more demand for bolder pieces,” says designer Brent Neale.

The shift toward using jewellry for a true personal statement has been a long time coming. “[During] the past two years with the pandemic, everyone needed colourful, uplifting, [and] fun jewellry, as a way to boost their moods,” explains Francesca Simons, a fine jewellry publicist who launched her own consultancy in 2016. That bright and whimsical aesthetic will continue in 2023, with chunky cuffs and eye-catching earrings also trending upward. Plus, there’s renewed interest in pieces that feel intentional, perhaps custom designs (something Neale has seen demand increase for), or small personal splurges like a signet ring

“[Clients are looking for] something that speaks to them to purchase for themselves, rather than waiting for someone else to gift them a piece without their input,” says Baylee Zwart, CEO and founder of Azlee jewellry. “Fine jewellry has become something you wear and enjoy every day, not something that sits in a safe for years to come.”

“I think people have begun to wear earrings again,” says Neale. “During the pandemic, we really saw that stop because of masks and people being less social. But recently, earrings sales have been coming back in a big way.” On runways ranging from Givenchy to Tory Burch, bold cuffs worn at the wrist or higher up on the arm were a favourite style for spring 2023. Oversized or dainty, the choice is yours. On runways ranging from Givenchy to Tory Burch, bold cuffs worn at the wrist or higher up on the arm were a favourite style for spring 2023.

“Coloured stones are continuing to gain attention —especially emeralds, which I think are here to stay,” says Zwart. Instead of a classic tennis bracelet or diamond studs, try swapping for bold emeralds instead.

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James Stewart was 'so upset' with Rock Hudson they never spoke again

James Stewart and Rock Hudson were two of Hollywood's biggest stars during the Golden Age of Tinseltown. Yet they never worked again after what happened during the filming of Bend of the River.

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Putin's lapdog warns of ‘enormous risk' and 'escalation’ ahead of F-16 deal with Ukraine

Washington has said it is ready to jointly train Ukrainian pilots with its allies on advanced fighter jets including F-16s.

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Urgent warning issued after man airlifted to hospital following brutal shark attack

A shark bit a 20-year-old man while he was spearfishing with two other people, according to police.

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Hundreds of migrants check in as historic Roosevelt Hotel reopens as ‘arrival centre’

Twenty busloads of migrants have arrived at the historic Roosevelt Hotel, which will be used to house the new arrivals. The 1,000-room hotel has areas for check-in, registration and emergency medical services and will eventually be fully occupied.

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Ex-Playboy model claims to have had 'loving 10-month affair' with Donald Trump

Former model Karen McDougal claims she had an affair with the former president in 2006 around the same time as Stormy Daniels and shortly after Melania Trump had given birth

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Private bus owners threaten strike action unless random emission test stop

Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Chairman, Gemunu Wijeratne, expressed concern over the random emission tests conducted on private commuter buses by flying squads from the Transport Ministry and warned of a strike if these tests continue.

He warned that if the Transport Ministry failed to address the issue, the Association would take drastic action, without prior notice, potentially bringing the country’s transportation to a standstill.

Wijeratne mentioned that a discussion is scheduled with the Transport Ministry Secretary and the CPC (Ceylon Petroleum Corporation) in the coming week. However, if the discussion does not yield positive results, the bus owners may be forced to suspend operations, nationwide.

Wijeratne said there is higher sulfur density in auto diesel fuel distributed across the country, which stands at 500 parts per million (ppm). This higher sulfur content leads to increased emissions, he said.

He alleged that emission tests are conducted suddenly, and selectively, on private buses, by the flying squads, often with the assistance of the Police. He further claimed that such tests are not carried out on State-run Sri Lanka Transport Board buses.

Wijeratne emphasized that obtaining an Emission Test report is mandatory for acquiring Revenue Licenses, and Vehicle Fitness Certificates necessary for obtaining a Route Permit. Consequently, he has requested the DMT Commissioner-General and the Transport Ministry Secretariat to discontinue this allegedly unfair programme.

Highlighting the disparity in diesel sulfur densities, Wijeratne pointed out that the imported auto diesel fuel has a sulfur density of 500 ppm, whereas other countries maintain levels as low as 0.25 ppm. This disparity, combined with the use of higher sulfur auto diesel, leads to uncontrolled emissions, despite the buses being equipped with Euro 4 engines. To address this, Wijeratne suggested the use of Super Diesel.

He further criticized the lack of emission tests for SLTB buses, stating that they are exempt from random emission tests. If this discrepancy continues, the LPBOA (Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association) may stage an unplanned nationwide bus strike to draw attention to their concerns and potentially disrupt transportation services.

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Warning issued after two tourists killed in Mexico in separate attacks

The US State Department says Americans should 'exercise increased caution' in the state of Oaxaca follow the shooting of a Canadian visitor and the death of a rugby player from Argentina who was attacked by a man wielding a machete.

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Ukrainian PATRIOT missiles may have downed jets over Russia in major war escalation

Ukraine reportedly used a PATRIOT battery to shoot down at least four aircraft over Russia earlier this week in what is likely to be seen as a major escalation by Vladimir Putin.

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DeSantis slams Trump as having ‘no chance’ of beating Joe Biden in 2024

Ron DeSantis took aim at Donald Trump as the Florida Governor is widely expected to announce his 2024 candidacy next week.

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Contaminated eye drop: Religious leaders condemn attempts to downplay number of patients who lost vision

By Nalaka Rathnayaka

Religious leaders of Nuwara Eliya on Wednesday evening alleged that those who had lost vision due to the use of a contaminated eye drop used at Nuwara Eliya District Hospital is around 70.Addressing the media in front of the hospital, they dismissed the claims made by Nuwara Eliya District Hospital that only 10 people had been affected.

Ven. Bogoda Sumedhalankara Thera, Kurukkal Dr. Dhamma Sri Nandakumar, Moulavi Mohomed Anwar Irshad and the head of the Nuwara Eliya Salvation Army, Fr. Hasitha Kumara expressed their views.

The religious leaders said that they were disappointed at the misinformation campaign launched by the health officials.

Commenting on the allegations, hospital director, Mahendra Seneviratne said that only those who underwent eye surgery on 05 April had been affected by the contaminated eye drop.

“Only 34 surgeries were carried out on the particular day.”

The eye drop was withdrawn from use from 21 April.

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Cashiered SP Kulasiri Udugampola gives evidence pertaining to raid on military safe house at Millenium City

By A.J.A. Abeynayake

Former IGP Mahinda Balasuriya, who was a DIG in 2002, had commended him for raiding a safe house at Athurugiriya Millennium City and arresting six including army intelligence officials and a former member of the LTTE, SP Kulasiri Udugampola, who has been sent on compulsory leave, told the Colombo High Court on Wednesday.

Balasuriya said he had carried out an excellent raid, Udugampola said.SP Udugampola said Balasuriya had given him a long list of written instructions on how the investigation into the raid had to be carried out.

Balasuriya had asked him to take photos and film the firearms taken into custody, Udugampola said.Saliya Peiris, PC, appeared for Udugampola.

Udugampola said so when a case against him filed by the Attorney General on the raid was taken up.He is accused of having undermined national security by exposing the activities of military intelligence agencies.The case will be taken up again on 05 June.

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The mote and the beam

Friday 19th May, 2023

The Committee of Public Enterprises (COPE) has striven over the years to meet the people’s expectations as a parliamentary watchdog outfit. Together with the Auditor General and others, it has exposed numerous state institutions for their shortcomings, accounting irregularities, avoidable losses, waste, and corruption. In some cases, it has even prompted corrective action to be taken. Thankfully, the COPE continues its efforts to enforce accountability in the public sector and rationalise government expenditure, deserving praise for its good work.

Recently, the COPE held a meeting with a group of representatives from vocational training institutions to discuss the Auditor General’s findings on their performance and shortcomings. The proceedings of the meeting are now public. During the discussion, a committee member criticised the officials present for not having basic information about their institutions; he said they should be ashamed. This remark must have resonated with the public.

Our opinion of the state bureaucracy is not very favourable, as it is plagued by corruption and inefficiency, much like the political authority. Decades of politicisation and the lowering of public professional standards under successive governments are to blame. There are still some upright public officials who do not enter into a Faustian pact with politicians and other crooks, but they are unfortunately the exception that proves the rule. Consequently, the public is elated when COPE, the Committee on Public Accounts, etc., take on state officials. However, these parliamentary watchdog committees should uphold natural justice and allow the officials under scrutiny to express their views and defend themselves; the MPs should adhere to the principle of audi alteram partem or hearing the other side. Regrettably, a very senior health official faced the wrath of an MP, who effectively frustrated his attempts to defend his position, during a parliamentary committee meeting. This incident has left a negative impression on many.

There are instances where parliamentary committee members take moral high ground and lash out at public officials for their failures, just as the COPE did when it reprimanded decision-makers in vocational training institutions for their lack of familiarity with their institutions’ affairs, particularly the courses they offer. One cannot help but agree with COPE’s standpoint that public officials should remain informed about the happenings within the institutions under their purview and have necessary information readily available. After all, we live in an information-driven world. However, the question remains: Do the legislators practise what they preach to others?

Last year, when the government declared that the country was bankrupt and had no choice but to default on its debt, many MPs from both the ruling coalition and the opposition claimed that they had been unaware of the dire state of the economy until that time. They sought to shift the blame to the officials of the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry, accusing them of having withheld vital information about the economy and the possibility of a debt default. These same individuals portray themselves as all-knowing when they criticise their political rivals and even ‘disclose’ the amounts of funds allegedly stolen by the latter. Yet, when faced with accountability, they readily profess ignorance!

Article 148 of the Constitution grants Parliament total control over public finance. The MPs therefore have a duty to fulfil their fiduciary responsibilities diligently to the satisfaction of their constituents. Failing to do so would be a neglect of their raison d’être. It is disturbing that most MPs are absent even when crucial financial bills are put to the vote. Although the government claims to have the support of over 120 MPs, only 79 voted in favour of the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill in December, with a mere 36 voting against it, in the 225-member House. The annual budget debate reveals the legislators’ lack of comprehension of the Appropriation Bill; they present weak and unfounded arguments. Parliament has become one of the most underperforming state institutions. Shouldn’t MPs put their own House in order before asking others to get their act together?

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Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs recalled over child seat safety concerns

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the recall covers certain 2020 to 2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs. The rear-seat lower anchor bars may have had too much powder coating, making them too thick for a child seat to be properly installed.

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UFO investigator says ‘cosmic sperm’ sample has gone missing after rare find

A UFO investigator lost a sample of what has been called "cosmic sperm" after being handed some unidentified orbs by a Russian biologist.

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