Six families in the Basnakanda area of Makandura have been evacuated due to a landslide threat, local authorities said. The evacuation followed heavy rainfall that uprooted several large trees on a nearby hill. Officials said there is a risk of falling rocks affecting six houses in the area. Further action will be taken based on an assessment by the NBRO.

Six families evacuated over landslide risk in Makandura

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with China Harbour Engineering Company Chairman Bai Yinzhan and company representatives in Colombo today (13). According to the President’s Media Division, the CHEC Chairman said the company remains confident about investing in Sri Lanka and welcomed incentives offered for the Port City Colombo Special Economic Zone. The President said foreign direct investment remains a key priority for economic growth and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting investors. Discussions also focused on developing Port City Colombo as an international investment hub.

CHEC reaffirms confidence in investing in Sri Lanka

Meta (META.O), CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told employees that the social media giant has made mistakes in ​its AI transformation of its workforce, according to an internal memo seen ‌by Reuters. Zuckerberg is pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into AI as he seeks to reshape his company's inner workings around the technology, reflecting a broader pattern among major U.S. companies this year, particularly ​in the tech sector. In the memo, Zuckerberg describes the rapid advances in AI ​and the challenges brought on by the boom in the technology. "Given ⁠the complexity of these changes, we've made mistakes and will almost certainly make more," ​Zuckerberg said, adding that he is also "focused on providing as much stability as possible" in ​terms of organization changes going forward. "I don't want to overpromise because the world is changing in ways that are out of our control," he said, reiterating that Meta does not expect more company-wide layoffs this ​year. He said Meta will try to find new roles for employees reassigned to train ​AI models, after the Facebook owner carried out a massive restructuring in May, laying off 10% of its ‌workforce ⁠globally and transferring 7,000 employees to new initiatives related to AI workflows. "By creating important new roles for people, this also allowed us to shrink the size of teams knowing that if we make mistakes in some places, then we could transfer some people back," ​Zuckerberg said. Meta declined to ​comment on the memo ⁠when contacted by Reuters. The company plans to increase investment in team-building initiatives, Zuckerberg said, including higher budgets for offsites and corporate events, ​and is organizing a large-scale hackathon in July to foster cross-team ​collaboration and ⁠development on its latest models. Zuckerberg said Meta has taken note of concerns over the widening of manager oversight responsibilities and plans to scale back the practice. Meta's new Applied AI Engineering ⁠unit reportedly ​had a flat structure with up to 50:1 ​ratio of individual contributors to managers. In April, Meta raised its annual capital spending forecast to between $125 billion and $145 billion. Source : Reuters

Zuckerberg says Meta made 'mistakes' in AI workforce shift

France forward Ousmane Dembele has defended captain Kylian Mbappe, ​saying criticism of the Real Madrid striker has become excessive as the national team prepare for the World Cup. Dembele, last ‌year's Ballon d'Or winner who has emerged as a key figure for France, told Spanish newspaper Marca that some commentators had gone too far in their assessment of his long-time teammate. Mbappe remains one of the most scrutinised figures in French football since leaving PSG and joining Real Madrid in ​2024. Despite still being a prolific scorer, the France captain came in for criticism during a season in which Real failed ​to win either LaLiga or the Champions League, while some pundits and supporters have questioned his leadership ⁠with the national team since he inherited the captaincy following Hugo Lloris's retirement from international football. Mbappe's performances, public appearances and ​even minor aspects of his behaviour regularly attract intense debate in France. "The criticism towards him is very, very unfair," Dembele said ​before France start their World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday. "Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian. "He's an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. Some people overdo the criticism because he's Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn't keep going after him. Whether ​he ties his shoelaces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not... it's too much. He's still a human ​being. "With the France team, he's very good with us, he's a leader." The pair have developed a close relationship during their years together with ‌Les Bleus. ⁠They are expected to play central roles in France's bid for a third World Cup title in the United States, Canada and Mexico. France defender Lucas Hernandez echoed Dembele's support on Friday, saying Mbappe remained highly motivated ahead of the tournament despite the scrutiny surrounding him. "Kylian is an extraordinary player," he said. "When you're Kylian Mbappe, everyone looks at everything you do, on the pitch and ​off the pitch. "He's 100% motivated ​for the World Cup. All ⁠the criticism there has been this season, he's going to silence it." DESCHAMPS DEPARTURE LOOMS Dembele also paid tribute to coach Didier Deschamps, who has announced that he will step down after the World ​Cup following more than a decade in charge of the national side. "He's simply an exceptional ​coach," Dembele said. "He ⁠will forever remain a legend among French national team coaches." Deschamps guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 and another final four years later. Asked about the prospect of former France great Zinedine Zidane succeeding Deschamps, Dembele welcomed the idea. "We hope to welcome him one day ⁠to the ​France bench," he said. "I'm convinced he would do a fantastic job." Zidane, who ​won the World Cup as a player in 1998 and later enjoyed major success coaching Real Madrid, has long been linked with the France job but ​has repeatedly declined to discuss the position while Deschamps remains in charge. Source: Reuters

Dembele says criticism of France captain Mbappe has gone too far

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

Six families evacuated over landslide risk in Makandura

CHEC reaffirms confidence in investing in Sri Lanka

CHEC reaffirms confidence in i ...

Zuckerberg says Meta made 'mistakes' in AI workforce shift

Zuckerberg says Meta made 'mis ...

Dembele says criticism of France captain Mbappe has gone too far

Dembele says criticism of Fran ...

England Women beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs

England Women beat Sri Lanka b ...

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 ...

CHEC reaffirms confidence in investing in Sri Lanka

CHEC reaffirms confidence in i ...

Zuckerberg says Meta made 'mistakes' in AI workforce shift

Zuckerberg says Meta made 'mis ...

Dembele says criticism of France captain Mbappe has gone too far

Dembele says criticism of Fran ...

England Women beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs

England Women beat Sri Lanka b ...

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 ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

CHEC reaffirms confidence in investing in Sri Lanka

CHEC reaffirms confidence in i ...

Zuckerberg says Meta made 'mistakes' in AI workforce shift

Zuckerberg says Meta made 'mis ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Dembele says criticism of France captain Mbappe has gone too far

Dembele says criticism of Fran ...

England Women beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs

England Women beat Sri Lanka b ...

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; ...