England Women's Cricket Team defeated Sri Lanka Women's Cricket Team by 87 runs in their Women’s T20 World Cup match. England posted 219/1 in 20 overs after batting first. In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 132 in their allotted 20 overs, falling short of the target.

England Women beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs

The Department of Meteorology has issued a Red advisory for strong winds and rough seas in waters from Kankesanthurai to Kalpitiya via Mannar. Winds of up to 60–70 kmph and very rough sea conditions are expected in the affected areas. Fishing and naval communities have been advised not to venture into these waters until further notice. Other coastal areas from Trincomalee to Kankesanthurai and from Kalpitiya to Pottuvil are also expected to experience rough seas and strong winds.

Red warning issued for strong winds and rough seas

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation officials told the Committee on Public Finance that government fuel subsidies are scheduled to end in June. Responding to questions from CoPF Chairman Harsha de Silva, CPC officials said no decision has yet been taken on a fuel price increase. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today (13) that the government’s objective is to reduce fuel consumption and that fuel pricing adjustments had been considered in that context. He also said CPC is currently supplying diesel below cost with a subsidy of about Rs. 100 per litre, and described that situation as unsustainable over the long term.

Fuel subsidies to end in June; no decision yet on fuel price hike

Paramount Skydance’s $111bn (£828mn) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery has been approved by the US Department of Justice. The approval marks a key development in the merger that will reshape media, allowing the takeover bid of the Hollywood studio, which owns CNN and HBO, to continue. The pending sale has been filled with contention, from Paramount’s battle with Netflix over the company to scrutiny over industry consolidation and worries about politics. David Ellison, the leader of Paramount, is the son of Larry Ellison, a major donor to President Donald Trump. But it’s not a done deal yet, as states like California are reviewing the sale and could sue to block it. In a statement on its decision, the justice department said it had conducted a “rigorous” investigation of the proposed deal and found it was “not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers.” Instead, the department said it found the deal would likely “increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers.” Rob Bonta, California’s Attorney General, said in late February that he was concerned any takeover of Warner Bros would further consolidate and limit competition in the entertainment industry, which has seen layoffs and cuts in recent years. Earlier this month, Bonta said he would soon decide on taking formal legal action to block the merger. A spokesperson for Bonta told the BBC said there was no update on that review and said it “remains under investigation”. More than 1,400 Hollywood actors, directors and filmmakers in April signed an open letter opposing the merger. “The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world,” the signatories said. Skydance merged with Paramount in 2025 and cut about 10% of its workforce in the process. While people in Hollywood fear jobs cuts and the impacts of fewer studios being in power, Paramount executives have said it was looking forward to what they say will be billions of dollars in cost-savings. By taking over Warner Bros, Paramount will become one of the most powerful forces in Hollywood, adding news network CNN, TV networks HBO, TBS, TNT, TCM, as well as studios DC Studios and New Line Cinema to its current stable of assets. Those include Paramount Pictures, CBS, Showtime and Nickelodeon. Paramount’s control of CBS News and its 60 Minutes programme has come under intense scrutiny for programming decisions that critics say favour of the Trump administration, including new leadership firing long-time staff and well-known journalists. Warner Bros put itself up for sale last year and came to an initial deal with Netflix to buy some of its assets, in a deal worth roughly $82bn (£61bn) including debt. Paramount made a rival proposal, which was rebuffed by Warner Bros, but the company didn’t back down and increased its bid to an amount that Netflix said was “no longer financially attractive” to attempt to counter. Those in Hollywood weren’t excited for the prospects of either company owning the iconic Hollywood studio, which created classics such as Casablanca and The Exorcist.&nbsp; Source: BBC

Warner Bros $111bn sale to Paramount approved by US Justice Department

A deal with the US to end fighting in Iran is close and includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Foreign Minister has said. Seyed Abbas Araghchi told state TV the deal also includes the lifting of a US blockade of Iran, but that talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin later. US officials have confirmed some of the details of the agreement, saying economic benefits for Iran would depend on Tehran meeting its obligations. The war began with US and Israeli strikes across Iran on 28 February, prompting Iran to attack Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf - as well as effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Despite having agreed a ceasefire in April, the US and Iran have exchanged intermittent fire, including two rounds of tit-for-tat strikes this week. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had cancelled “scheduled attacks” against Iran, because negotiators had “just made a great settlement” - a deal that was likely be to signed imminently. On Friday, Iranian media published some details from the alleged 14-point deal which Trump said had “nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to” and “bears no relation to the truth”. A few hours later, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country helped mediate the deal, said the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran had been agreed and awaited finalising. Iran’s Araghchi was quoted in state media saying there are “supporters and opponents” of the latest terms of the deal among Iran’s top security body, the Supreme National Security Council. However, he added that a collective decision had not been reached. “For now, we must wait. If approved, the agreement will be signed remotely,” he said. Israel is not involved in the talks which are meant to lead to an extension of the ceasefire and the start of negotiations on key issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme. For decades, Iran has been accused by Western countries of trying to build a nuclear weapon. It has denied the accusations saying its programme is for peaceful purposes - to generate electricity and for research purposes. In a detailed briefing with journalists on Friday afternoon, US officials said the deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in return for the US lifting its blockade on Iranian shipping. Those steps would come into effect more or less immediately. This would be followed by a 60-day period of negotiation - focusing on Iran’s enriched uranium - an essential ingredient to make a nuclear bomb. Officials said that this would result in all that material being destroyed on site and then removed from the country, though the precise mechanism for doing so is still to be worked out. On the economic side, officials stressed there would be no money provided up-front - an apparent rejection of earlier Iranian news reports suggesting some Iranian assets would be unfrozen before substantial negotiations had begun. Instead, US officials said, there would be a staged reintegration of Iran into the global economy, with measures such as the lifting of sanctions and the potential unfreezing of assets happening incrementally. The deal calls on Iran to stop funding proxy groups in the region - a reference to Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies across the Middle East. The US officials emphasised that the MOU was not based on trust or promises, but on “performance” - Iran would only receive economic benefits when it could be verified it had implemented measures it had committed to. Even though there is a sense of cautious optimism from all sides - the US, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar which has also helped with mediation efforts - there is still a small distance to go. Variations of this agreement have been expected several times over the past month or two, only to fall away at later stages. The difference now, according to the US administration, is both a greater level of optimism and a greater openness about the substance of the agreement. For his part, the Iranian foreign minister said that “as soon as the final stages of our negotiations are completed, this agreement will be signed and announced”. “This could happen in the coming days. I am very hopeful,” Araghchi told state TV. He stressed that the first point mentioned in the MOU was the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iran. As for the Strait of Hormuz - the crucial waterway through which some 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally transits - Araghchi said its administration would “no longer be the same as before”. Since closing the Strait, Iran has insisted on a fee to be paid by vessels seeking to cross, with the US insisting passage should be free to all shipping. The senior Iranian official also said the MOU envisaged an end to the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah in Lebanon. Previous reports from the US have suggested Lebanon may not be part of this deal - with Iran reportedly insisting on it. Israel’s prime minister has said his country will strike Hezbollah if it continues attacks against northern Israel. Source: BBC

Deal to end fighting would lead to Hormuz reopening, Iran says

Can a country put a fixed limit on its population? That is the question Switzerland will be answering on Sunday when voters go the polls to decide on a proposal to cap their population at 10 million. The move is backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which describes it as a “sustainability initiative” aimed at easing pressure on housing, public services and the environment. The Swiss government, all other major parties, business leaders and trade unions have dubbed the proposal a “chaos initiative”, arguing it will deprive hospitals and hotels of much needed staff, and damage hard-won relations with the European Union, leaving non-EU member Switzerland isolated in a very risky world. Switzerland’s population has grown rapidly since 2002, when it stood at 7.3 million. Now it is 9.1 million, 27% of whom are foreign residents. Many voters are concerned by overcrowded trains, expensive apartments and rising health costs. The latest opinion polls indicate this could be a very close vote. They suggest voters are inching towards a no vote by a wafer thin margin, with 52% opposed - but polls remain divided, with 45% saying they are in favour of the proposal and a significant number of voters still undecided. Helin Genis and Nils Fiechter have a good deal in common, but their diametrically opposed views on limiting the Swiss population are indicative of the polarised nature of this referendum. Both are young local politicians from immigrant families. Fiechter is 29 and Genis is 31. Helin’s parents are originally from Turkey, while Nils’s mother is from Canada and he holds dual citizenship. “We have lost control,” complains Fiechter, who represents the Swiss People’s Party in canton Bern’s parliament. “Unchecked immigration is leading to Switzerland no longer being Switzerland.” He believes Switzerland’s problems, which he says include a “housing shortage, gridlocked traffic, overburdened schools and strained social services”, are a direct result of immigration. Genis, who is a Social Democrat elected to Bern city council, dismisses these arguments as scapegoating. She tells BBC News: “It is not migrants who determine rent levels. It is not migrants who raise health insurance premiums. Nor is it migrants who make political decisions on housing, infrastructure or social investment.” Viewing problems ‘“through the lens of migration does not lead to solutions, but to division”, she adds. For voters who have not yet made up their minds, a key question is how exactly a population cap would work. Putting a hard limit on the number of residents is not a measure any other country has tried, although China, through its now abandoned one-child limit, did try to slow population growth. The Swiss proposal says the population must not exceed 10 million before 2050, and orders the government to take measures once the figure of 9.5 million is reached. Such plans could include limiting the number of people granted asylum in Switzerland, and ending family reunification rights for foreign workers. If the 10 million cap were to be reached, international agreements which Switzerland has signed up to, including the EU’s free movement of people, would have to be terminated. This prospect has caused alarm at Switzerland’s business association, Economiesuisse. Its chief economist Rudolf Minsch says that if the motion is passed, Switzerland “could face challenges in our relations with the European Union”. That is because Brussels has long warned non-EU members that they cannot simply cherry-pick the advantages of the EU’s single market, and wriggle out of commitments like free movement of people. “The EU is still by far the most important trading partner for Switzerland,” explains Minsch, adding that is it is “in our interest to have stable and clear relationships with our main trading partner”. Swiss employers are also worried about labour shortages, and losing access to a Europe-wide pool of skilled workers. Half of all those who work in Switzerland’s hotels are immigrants. Hospitals and care homes are also reliant on foreign workers. The Swiss People’s Party argues that immigration to Switzerland is simply fuelling an ever-increasing demand for more hospital beds and more places in schools, and that limiting immigration would ease the pressure. Opponents say this is unrealistic, pointing to 20% of the Swiss population now being over 65. Young workers, and young taxpayers, are required to staff and fund the needs of an ageing population – and Switzerland is not creating those young workers itself, they warn. Jon Pult, a member of parliament for the Social Democrats, says his biggest fear about a population cap is being “alone in this unstable and dangerous world”. Switzerland, like its neighbours in Europe, is spending more on defence, and despite its neutrality, is planning closer defence ties with its neighbours. It has been affected by rising fuel prices because of both Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict in Iran. It has also seen its products hit with punitive US tariffs. Switzerland could jeopardise its treaties with the EU, and possibly lose goodwill from Brussels along with them, Pult warns. Fiechter dismisses this as fearmongering, saying he is “certain that the EU will not allow this to happen”, and arguing that the agreements with Switzerland are “entirely in the EU’s own interest”. But fear of isolation may be a deciding factor for some voters. The Swiss were horrified when Washington slapped 39% tariffs on Swiss goods, and an agreement to get them lowered to 15% has still not been finalised. Now, posters urging voters to reject the population cap show a leering US President Donald Trump, with the shadowy profiles of Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping behind him. “Break with Europe, at a time like this?” the poster’s headline asks. Fiechter insists capping the population is all about protecting a way of life. He said: “Anyone who loves Switzerland, whether with or without a migrant background, wants it to remain a place worth living in, safe and prosperous. That is exactly what this initiative is about.” But Genis cannot see anything positive about it: “The key question is not how to exclude people... [it is] how we create enough affordable housing, ensure good working conditions, and invest in a strong public service. “That’s why I am convinced this initiative does more harm than good to Switzerland.” Source: BBC

Switzerland to vote on plan to cap population at 10 million

Construction of the second passenger terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is set to resume in November, the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation said. The project was suspended in April 2022 due to Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. The Ministry said the project is expected to be completed within 30 months after work restarts. Discussions were held between Minister Anura Karunathilaka, the Japanese Ambassador, and Japan International Cooperation Agency to finalise loan and contract approvals.

BIA second passenger terminal work to resume in November

A group of former Members of Parliament has sent a letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake calling for equal treatment under the law for former State Intelligence Service head Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay. The letter refers to concerns over his alleged treatment while in police custody and urges that he be treated as an ordinary suspect. It also calls for adherence to the principle of equality before the law and review of all relevant facts. The letter was signed by several former MPs, including Dullas Alahapperuma, Dilan Perera, Karu Kodithuwakku and others.

Former MPs urge President to ensure equal legal treatment for Suresh Sallay

Sri Lanka Police says financial fraud and cybercrime cases using fake social media profiles are increasing islandwide. Police said fraudsters are using fake WhatsApp and Telegram accounts, including profiles using photos of police officers, to mislead victims. Scammers are also impersonating institutions such as the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID)&nbsp;to gain trust and request bank details or OTP codes. Police warned the public not to share personal or banking information and to verify any suspicious communication through official channels. Complaints can be made to the Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID) via 011 2300756 or 071 8592918.

England Women beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs

Red warning issued for strong winds and rough seas

Red warning issued for strong ...

Fuel subsidies to end in June; no decision yet on fuel price hike

Fuel subsidies to end in June; ...

Warner Bros $111bn sale to Paramount approved by US Justice Department

Warner Bros $111bn sale to Par ...

Deal to end fighting would lead to Hormuz reopening, Iran says

Deal to end fighting would lea ...

Switzerland to vote on plan to cap population at 10 million

Switzerland to vote on plan to ...

BIA second passenger terminal work to resume in November

BIA second passenger terminal ...

Former MPs urge President to ensure equal legal treatment for Suresh S ...

Former MPs urge President to e ...

Police warn of rising social media scams using fake profiles

Police warn of rising social m ...

Red warning issued for strong winds and rough seas

Red warning issued for strong ...

Fuel subsidies to end in June; no decision yet on fuel price hike

Fuel subsidies to end in June; ...

Warner Bros $111bn sale to Paramount approved by US Justice Department

Warner Bros $111bn sale to Par ...

Deal to end fighting would lead to Hormuz reopening, Iran says

Deal to end fighting would lea ...

Switzerland to vote on plan to cap population at 10 million

Switzerland to vote on plan to ...

BIA second passenger terminal work to resume in November

BIA second passenger terminal ...

Former MPs urge President to ensure equal legal treatment for Suresh S ...

Former MPs urge President to e ...

Police warn of rising social media scams using fake profiles

Police warn of rising social m ...

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Red warning issued for strong winds and rough seas

Red warning issued for strong ...

Fuel subsidies to end in June; no decision yet on fuel price hike

Fuel subsidies to end in June; ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Warner Bros $111bn sale to Paramount approved by US Justice Department

Warner Bros $111bn sale to Par ...

Deal to end fighting would lead to Hormuz reopening, Iran says

Deal to end fighting would lea ...

Switzerland to vote on plan to cap population at 10 million

Switzerland to vote on plan to ...

BIA second passenger terminal work to resume in November

BIA second passenger terminal ...