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The ICC Women's T20 World Cup was launched in stunning fashion on Sunday as London's famous Waterloo Bridge was transformed into a massive cricket pitch for the first time.

All 12 captains were in attendance at the famous London landmark ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup in England and Wales, which begins June 12, with the world's best players taking part in the Captains' Carnival high above the River Thames.

It was the first public gathering of all 12 captains ahead of the T20 World Cup and served as a powerful symbol of the global growth, visibility and appeal of women’s cricket in front of well-known London landmarks that included Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye.

The famous Waterloo Bridge was turned into a vibrant celebration of cricket and culture as anticipation builds for the upcoming event that promises to redefine what is possible for women’s cricket on the global stage.

“This is a landmark moment for women’s Cricket and a fitting way to launch what we believe will be the most exciting and ambitious ICC Women’s T20 World Cup ever staged," ICC Chairman Jay Shah said.

"This will help elevate the buzz and excitement around the event, providing the final boost to the anticipation for the tournament before the first ball is bowled on June 12 in Birmingham. 

"This event is another expression of the ICC’s commitment and belief linked to the agenda of building a more inclusive, global game.”

With ticket sales already around 200,000 – a record-breaking figure achieved before the tournament has even begun and comfortably eclipsing previous ICC Women’s T20 World Cup benchmarks – even more records are set to be smashed when the action gets underway in less than a week.

“Seeing these 12 captains playing cricket in a global first on an iconic London stage is a sign of how far the women’s game has come and where it’s headed," ICC Director and England Cricket Board Chair Richard Thompson said.

“With just five days to go until the opening game, this landmark captain’s event sets the scene for what promises to be the most attended and most widely covered Women’s World Cup ever.”

Source: ICC

Former head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay has been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, a short while ago.

Hospital sources said that he was admitted to the hospital’s Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) for medical care.

Further details regarding his current health condition have not yet been released.

Earlier today, the wife of Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay, Manori Sallay stated that her husband served the country for 38 years, dedicating his life, and that the time has now come for the public to show gratitude for that service.

She made these remarks when she visited the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today to meet Suresh Sallay, who has reportedly begun a “fast unto death” in protest.

She further said that although she had asked her husband to abandon the hunger strike, he was not willing to accept it and continues to stand against what he considers injustice.

She also claimed that Suresh Sallay, who is still only a suspect, is being treated in a very inhumane manner and that there is no fairness in the way he is being handled.

Sallay's wife, son, and brother visited the CID today to see him while he is being held under detention orders.

Meanwhile, the wife of Major General Suresh Sallay wrote to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), calling for an independent criminal investigation into alleged inhumane treatment during his detention in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department.

In her letter, she requested an inquiry into allegations including torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, abuse of authority, denial of medical care, and other possible offences allegedly committed while he remains in state custody.

The letter outlined 10 points based on information reportedly conveyed by Maj. Gen. Sallay during a family visit on June 6, when he met his son and brother. The letter noted that the alleged treatment raises serious concerns over his safety, health, dignity, and fundamental rights.

According to the correspondence, Maj. Gen. Sallay has informed his family that he has commenced a “fast unto death,” stating that he can no longer endure what he describes as continued mental distress, degrading treatment, and systemic unfairness while in custody.

He has also reportedly said that he remains confident that pending writ proceedings will establish his innocence and has instructed his legal representatives to continue legal action even in the event of his death.

Given the reported hunger strike and concerns over his health, his wife has urged the IGP to intervene immediately.

She further noted that a separate complaint regarding alleged inhumane treatment was submitted to the IGP’s office on March 7. However, she claims that no response has been received so far, and that the family has not been informed of any investigation, statements recorded, or officers assigned to inquire into the matter.

The letter stated that the absence of a response is particularly concerning given that the allegations involve a person in state custody, where authorities have a heightened duty to protect life, health, safety, dignity, and constitutional rights.

Accordingly, she requested that the IGP treat the latest communication as a renewed complaint and an urgent request for immediate intervention, investigation, and accountability.

The former head of the State Intelligence Service, Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay was arrested by the CID on February 25 over allegations linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings and remains in detention under a court order.

(Source - Adaderana.lk)

China's President Xi Jinping hailed an "invincible friendship" with Pyongyang as he arrived in North Korea Monday, his first trip abroad this year after hosting back-to-back summits in Beijing.

China, Washington's chief geopolitical rival, has been North Korea's main trading partner by far for decades and a key source of diplomatic and economic support for the country hit by multiple international sanctions.

Military officers lined a red carpet as an Air China plane carrying Xi arrived for his first visit since 2019, video from Xinhua showed.

A banner that read "We warmly welcome Comrade Xi Jinping" and hailing the two countries' "unbreakable friendship" hung below Chinese and North Korean flags at the airport.

Xi made the trip after hosting US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin separately in Beijing, and as North Korea's nuclear talks with Washington remain deadlocked.

The White House said last month that Xi and Trump "confirmed their shared goal to denuclearise North Korea" during their summit in Beijing.

However, leader Kim Jong Un's powerful sister said on the eve of Xi's arrival that North Korea's nuclear weapons programme was "the line of no retreat".

Minseon Ku, a diplomacy professor at DePaul University, told AFP that "Beijing probably has accepted North Korea as a nuclear state" but Xi "will probably tell Kim that China wants stability more than anything".

China has "always prioritised stability and is currently having to manage its relations and differences with the US", Ku said.

Seong-Hyon Lee, a visiting scholar at the Harvard University Asia Center, also said Beijing is shifting towards "underwriting regime durability" rather than seeking to coerce North Korea into denuclearisation.

"China's broader regional strategy benefits from a stable, heavily armed, and aligned buffer state that absorbs US and allied military bandwidth," he told AFP.

Elevated status

North Korea has repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear state since Kim and Trump's 2019 summit collapsed over the scope of denuclearisation and sanctions relief.

Kim has also been emboldened by the war in Ukraine, securing critical support from Moscow after sending troops to fight alongside Russian forces.

Some analysts say the summit could be Xi's way of countering Russia's growing influence over North Korea, but DePaul's Ku stressed that "overall, Moscow is not a major power like China".

"Moscow-Pyongyang power relations are more equal than Beijing-Pyongyang; Moscow needs Kim for their war in Ukraine as much as Kim needs technology sharing and food from Russia," she said.

In an article published on the front page of North Korea's Rodong Sinmun, Xi pledged closer cooperation.

"No matter how the times change or how the international situation evolves, the traditional friendship between China and North Korea is always invincible," Xi wrote.

Xi last met Kim in September, when he invited the North Korean leader and Putin to a military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Taiwan counterweight

Trump has made little progress on North Korea, especially on the nuclear front, despite his earlier high-profile summits with Kim.

North Korea is also the only country with an official, binding military alliance with China.

"America is currently engaged in offensive warfare potentially harmful to China's key interests, such as energy supplies," Vladimir Tikhonov, Korean Studies professor at the University of Oslo, told AFP.

"It appears Xi is trying to consolidate the alliance" with North Korea partly for that reason, he said.

Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, and North Korea could also serve as a useful counterweight to US partners in the region, including South Korea and Japan, analysts said.

Long-frosty China-Japan ties have deteriorated since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a security hawk, suggested last year that Tokyo might intervene militarily in any Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.

"As China's international standing rises, Beijing is likely seeking to draw Pyongyang more actively into its diplomatic orbit," said Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University.

Source: AFP 

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) today announced that 46 players have been selected to receive National Player Contracts for the 2026–2027 season. 

Issuing a statement, it said that the contracted period will run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 and that players have been categorized under A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and Central Contract based on performance, consistency, fitness, potential, and the strategic requirements of the national teams. 

“The contracts are aimed at ensuring that the selected cricketers are provided with the necessary support, structure, and resources to perform at the highest level of the game while contributing to the long-term development of cricket in the country,” SLC said.

Kamil Mishara, Lasith Croospulle, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Isitha Wijesundera, Wanuja Sahan, Dilum Sudeera, and Tharindu Rathnayake are the new inclusions in the National Player Contracts. 

Sri Lanka Cricket congratulated all contracted players and extends a special welcome to those receiving national contracts for the first time. 

The statement added that the awarding of these contracts reflects SLC’s continued commitment to rewarding performance, nurturing emerging talent, and maintaining a strong pool of players capable of representing Sri Lanka across international formats of the game. 

Sri Lanka Cricket said it looks forward to the players continuing to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline, and excellence as they strive to bring success to the nation during the forthcoming international season.

The contracted players are:

1. Kusal Mendis 2. Dhananjaya de Silva 3. Dinesh Chandimal 4. Wanindu Hasaranga 5. Pathum Nissanka 6. Charith Asalanka 7. Kamindu Mendis 8. Dushmantha Chameera 9. Asitha Fernando 10. Dasun Shanaka 11. Maheesh Theekshana 12. Janith Liyanage 13. Dunith Wellalage 14. Niroshan Dickwella 15. Jeffrey Vandersay 16. Prabath Jayasuriya 17. Vishwa Fernando 18. Matheesha Pathirana 19. Dilshan Madushanka 20. Pavan Rathnayake 21. Eshan Malinga 22. Milan Rathnayake 23. Lahiru Kumara 24. Kasun Rajitha 25. Avishka Fernando 26. Sadeera Samarawickrama 27. Ramesh Mendis 28. Kamil Mishara 29. Binura Fernando 30. Nuwan Thushara 31. Sonal Dinusha 32. Sahan Arachchige 33. Pramod Madushan 34. Lasith Croospulle 35. Lahiru Udara 36. Nuwanidu Fernando 37. Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 38. Isitha Wijesundara 39. Nishan Madushka 40. Akila Dananjaya 41. Chamika Karunaratne 42. Pasindu Sooriyabandara 43. Mohammed Shiraz 44. Wanuja Sahan 45. Dilum Sudeera 46. Tharindu Ratnayake 

Sri Lanka Police said that another person who was receiving treatment in hospital following the fire at an elders’ home in Anguruwatota has succumbed to injuries, increasing the death toll from the tragedy to 13.

Another five individuals who sustained serious injuries in the incident have been admitted to hospital.

A magistrate’s inquiry into the incident was conducted last morning (04), when Horana Magistrate Lakmini Vidanagamage visited the site.

The burnt bodies were removed in the presence of the magistrate, and among them, the body of a cat that had died in the fire was also discovered.

Police stated that 71 residents were staying at the elders’ home at the time of the incident.

When the fire broke out on June 03, 10 people died inside the building after being caught in the blaze.

The five injured individuals are currently receiving inpatient treatment at the Horana Base Hospital.

Approximately 50 residents who survived the fire were temporarily accommodated at the Batagoda Junior School last night.

Last morning, with the assistance of Sri Lanka Army personnel, those residents were safely transferred to another branch of the same elderly care organization located in Galpatha.

Additionally, the director of the elders’ home in Anguruwatota was remanded until June 11 by the Horana Magistrate’s Court.

(Adaderana.lk)

The minimum monthly expenditure required for an individual to meet their basic needs has increased to Rs. 17,117, according to the official poverty line released by the Department of Census and Statistics for April.

According to the Department, the official poverty line increased by Rs. 427 compared to March, when it was recorded at Rs. 16,690.

The official poverty line represents the minimum monthly expenditure required for a person to satisfy basic consumption needs.

District-wise data show that the highest official poverty line for April was recorded in the Colombo District at Rs. 18,461.

Meanwhile, the lowest poverty line was reported in the Monaragala District, where the minimum monthly expenditure required to meet basic needs was estimated at Rs. 16,367.

(Adaderana.lk)

 Colombian pop star Shakira will perform her official song for the 2026 World Cup at the competition's opening ceremony in Mexico.

Shakira will perform Dai Dai, along with Burna Boy, on Thursday, 11 June at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, before Mexico and South Africa play the first of the tournament's 104 games (20:00 BST).

Dai Dai - an Italian phrase meaning "let's go" or "come on".

Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin and South African singer-songwriter Tyla will also perform at the show in Mexico.

Opening ceremonies will precede each of the first matches played in the host nations of USA, Canada and Mexico.

Canadian singer-songwriters Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette will headline the opening ceremony at BMO Field in Toronto before Canada take on Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, 12 June (20:00 BST).

In the USA, pop star Katy Perry and rapper Future will perform before the USA take on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, 12 June (Saturday, 02:00 BST).

Shakira, along with Madonna and K-pop boyband BTS, will also co-headline the Super Bowl-style half-time show at this summer's World Cup final on 19 July.

BBC

A total of 237 suspected cases of meningitis have been reported from several parts of Sri Lanka, according to the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health.

The surge in cases has also prompted health authorities to issue preventive guidelines to the general public.

Meanwhile, health authorities have advised the public to consume clean drinking water, preferably boiled and cooled, to help curb the spread of the disease.

Speaking on the development, Community Health Specialist Dr. Thushani Dabrera said that the majority of cases reported so far are believed to be viral meningitis infections.

According to Dr. Dabrera, the first cases were detected on April 15 in Deniyaya, Matara. Since then, additional cases have been reported from Rikillagaskada, Kandy, Badulla, Welimada and Diyatalawa.

Health officials noted that schoolchildren account for most of the reported cases. As of yesterday (May 31), only 59 patients remained hospitalized, while the rest had recovered and been discharged.

The primary symptoms associated with the illness include fever, headache, and vomiting. Dr. Dabrera explained that viral meningitis typically resolves within a few days in most patients.

Authorities have established special committees to investigate the outbreak and oversee control measures. The Ministries of Health and Education have also issued special guidelines, citing contaminated drinking water sources as a possible factor in the spread of the disease.

The general public has been advised to ensure that children do not share food with one another and to use clean, boiled, and cooled water at all times as a precautionary measure.

(Adaderana.lk)

Proceedings in the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, have been postponed by the Colombo High Court until July 9 as related legal proceedings continue before the Court of Appeal.

The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, where the prosecution informed court that a revision petition submitted by the accused had already been called before the Court of Appeal on the previous day and fixed for hearing on June 16, 2026.

Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara told the court that the prosecution had communicated to the Court of Appeal that no evidence would be led in the High Court proceedings until the matter before the appellate court had been considered.

Based on that position, the prosecution requested that the High Court postpone the case without summoning witnesses.

Accepting the request, Judge Ranatunga ordered that proceedings be deferred until July 9 and directed witnesses to appear on the next scheduled date, subject to the outcome of the appeal process.

The Attorney General has filed indictments against Yoshitha Rajapaksa under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging that he unlawfully acquired five plots of land valued at more than Rs. 73 million.

Under the ‘Vanaspathi’ Programme launched in 2025, a total of 81 forests have so far been declared as forest reserves through gazette notifications.

An additional five reserves are scheduled to be gazetted on June 5, increasing the total number of forest reserves declared under the programme to 86.

The reserves set to be declared on June 5 are Ritigala, Aliyawetunu Wewa, Bulagala, Konkatiya, and Kallanchi.

Speaking at a media briefing held today (01) at the Government Information Department, Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi said that the 29 forests declared as reserves in 2025 covered approximately 50,000 hectares.

He further stated that an additional 50 forests, declared as reserves on the ‘International Day of Forests’ in 2026, covered a total area of 12,989 hectares.

‘‘The Vanaspathi Programme was officially launched on July 15, 2025, at the Bajjanggoda Forest Reserve in Gampaha. During the first year alone, we were able to declare 29 forests as reserves, covering approximately 50,000 hectares.

‘‘Subsequently, on the International Day of Forests in 2026, we declared another 50 forests as reserves. These forests were located across the districts of Ampara, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, and Matara, and covered 12,989 hectares. They also included several forest areas situated at elevations above 5,000 feet in Sri Lanka’s central highlands,’’ the Minister said.

He further noted that two additional forests were declared as reserves on April 24 in conjunction with the ‘Ehi Passiko’ Peace Walk. These were the Nugagahamula Yaya Forest in Matale District and the Padigam Palella Forest in Kegalle District. 

The Minister added that the Forest Conservation Department plans to gazette five more forest reserves on World Environment Day, June 5. All five are located in the Anuradhapura District.

‘‘These include the Ritigala Reserve, Aliyawetunu Wewa Reserve, Bulagala Reserve, Konkatiya Reserve, and Kallanchi Reserve. Together, they cover an area of 2,169 hectares,’’ he added.

(Adaderana.lk)