Former Opposition parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake is currently in the President’s waiting list for presidential pardons. Ramanayake is serving a four-year rigorous imprisonment term for making defamatory comments against the Judiciary. However, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa as well as artistes have requested the President to grant Ramanayake a presidential pardon. Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga too requested for a presidential pardon for the MP in a letter addressed to the President on Friday (10). The letter stated that Ramanayake had been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for contempt of court, whereas many other convicts of various crimes are set free by the Government.

September 12, 2021 by News Admin No CommentsThe governing Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is looking at nominating Wimal Geeganage to fill the National List slot in Parliament that falls vacant following State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal’s resignation this week, it is learnt. It is also learnt that the SLPP leaders are considering giving Geeganage the appointment as a token of gratitude, since he had given up his registered political party to form the SLPP.

The construction of jogging tracks has come under severe scrutiny by the public on various social media platforms. A proposed jogging track on the breakwater of the Parakrama Samudra tank in Polonnaruwa caused much controversy, resulting in the Government suspending the project. However, the Government has suspended the construction of yet another proposed jogging track, this time in the vicinity of the Kantale Tank. Director General of Irrigation Nihal Siriwardana had reportedly stated that the proposed project in the Trincomalee District had been suspended. Apart from objections over the construction of jogging tracks around tanks, one of the key issues raised was the cost being incurred at a time the country was facing a pandemic and an economic crisis.

The resignation of State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal from Parliament to enable his return to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) as its Governor made way for speculation over the individual who would fill the parliamentary National List slot if and when vacant. Two names were being tossed around as contenders for the National List slot – namely, former MP Jayantha Ketagoda (who recently resigned from his National List slot to make way for Basil Rajapaksa) and Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Yoshitha Rajapaksa. While some reports on social media noted that Rajapaksa would fill the slot, some other reports stated that Ketagoda would be the popular choice. However, when social media reports were being widely circulated on Rajapaksa’s possible appointment, several inquiries were made from him (Rajapaksa) by various quarters on whether he would actually be entering Parliament. After listening to all comments and questions, Rajapaksa laughed and said that it was all a joke.

Email [email protected]A cyclist who was 'attacked' by naked men in London has claimed the pair rampaged through the streets beating innocent bystanders before being arrested and released by police. The two men were spotted outside Elephant & Castle underground station on Thursday at around 2.30pm, one in their underpants and the other in the nude. He said: 'I thought it was more of a shove, I didn't realise they took a run up and took a kick. Mr Strafford-Taylor said he had begun filming the pair after he noticed they were naked and they were 'shouting and causing a scene'. Other people on Twitter explained they had also witnessed the naked men wandering in the street.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena has assured there will be no shortage of clothes and undergarments in the country. Speaking to reporters on Saturday (11), he said that garment factory operators are in the possession of sufficient and extra stocks of clothes to be released to the local market. “We home to take the necessary measures to sell clothes via state agencies at a lower price,” he said.

Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who is known for his outspoken nature, last week claimed there were “pimps” in the House. Aluthgamage last Monday (6) accused the Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) of being “pimps” who were willing to put down the nation in order to rise to power. Aluthgamage, referring to a speech by United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who, on an earlier occasion noted that the UNP had plans for the future of Sri Lanka, said that there was no point in talking of the future when they had already “ruined” the country. The Minister went on to question whether the SJB would be any better, since it is a by-product of the UNP.

Senior member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera last week issued a challenge to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam. Amaraweera challenged Rasamanickam to prove that a minister representing the SLFP was involved in alleged sand mining in the Eastern Province with the aim of selling the sand to the Maldives. Amaraweera claimed that he was prepared to resign from his portfolio as well as his parliamentary seat if the TNA MP provided evidence to prove that a minister of the SLFP was involved in the alleged project. Rasamanickam told Parliament last week that a minister of the SLFP was involved in a sand racket in the East. Responding to the allegation, the Environment Minister claimed that there was no truth to the allegation levelled by MP Rasamanickam.

The lobbying has already begun for him to enter the current national selection committee, probably as one of its members or as its new chief. The official is also willing to include him in the panel,” a senior Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official revealed last week. A shady pastPramodya Wickramasinghe heads the current three-member senior national selection committee which also includes Romesh Kaluwitharana and Hemantha Wickramaratne. During such times Sri Lanka lost quite unexpectedly against very lesser countries,” remembered the said source. Yet, after a new-look Sri Lanka side under Skipper Dasun Shanaka started winning and regaining confidence of the local cricket followers, such criticism faded gradually.

Construction work of the second phase of the Central Expressway from Mirigama to Kurunegala is expected to be ready for public use by November 15, says Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando. Blaming the previous government for the delay, Minister Fernando said that the construction was to be completed 10 months ago, yet it was delayed as the Yahapalanaya government wanted to give the contract to their acquaintances and companies owned by their Ministers. Our only aim is to take this country forward during the tenure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” the Minister further remarked. These remarks from Fernando came during a tree planting event along the Central Expressway from Mirigama to Pothuhera under a green project to plant one million trees on roadsides. The event was attended by Chairman of Road Development Authority (RDA) Chaminda Athaluwage, RDA’s Director General Sardha Weerakoon, Project Director of the second phase of the Central Expressway Anura Kehelella and several other officials.

For this edition’s Weekly Wonder, we’re taking a look at Mike Flanagan, writer and director of popular Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor (as well as many of our favorite horror movies). Flanagan’s newest show, Midnight Mass, hits Netflix on September 24, so you’ve still got time to catch up on Hill House and Bly Manor before then — though this new show isn’t related to the other two. Check out Netflix’s synopsis: “The tale of a small, isolated island community whose existing divisions are amplified by the return of a disgraced young man (Zach Gilford) and the arrival of a charismatic priest (Hamish Linklater.) When Father Paul’s appearance on Crockett Island coincides with unexplained and seemingly miraculous events, a renewed religious fervor takes hold of the community — but do these miracles come at a price?“We can’t wait to see this when it lands later this month.

State Minister of Money and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms, Ajith Nivard Cabraal has reiterated that there is no food crisis in Sri Lanka to come out from. “Like other countries of the world Sr Lanka too faces challenges. The country’s economic growth rate this year will be 4.5 percent,” Mr. Cabraal said in an interview with BBC. When asked as to why the government denied there is a food shortage while a food emergency has been declared to address the same issue, Cabraal responded that some unscrupulous traders had mischievously hoarded stocks of several food items in order to create an artificial shortage and profit by such exercise. Speaking further, the state minister pointed out that the creation of an artificial shortage by unscrupulous elements obviously leads to increases in prices.

Huawei has scheduled a new product launch event for October 21 in Vienna, which will start at 3PM CET and will be hosted by Mr. Derek Yu - President, Central Eastern Europe, Nordic and Canada, Huawei Consumer Business Group. Huawei hasn't revealed the name of the product(s) it's going to launch on October 21, but the invite we received from the company includes a smartphone, suggesting the global debut of the P50 series announced in China in July. We say the P50 lineup because the Mate 50 series has been reportedly canceled this year. Circling back to the P50 lineup, we have two models - P50 and P50 Pro. You can check out the detailed specs of the P50 and P50 Pro here.

By Adam Shergold for MailOnlinePublished: 03:48 EDT, 11 September 2021 | Updated: 03:48 EDT, 11 September 2021Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes he should be considered the equal of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the debate over the world's greatest player. The 39-year-old Swedish striker, still going strong at AC Milan, has enjoyed a hugely successful career at nine clubs in seven countries, scoring 502 goals. Yet despite never winning the Champions League or the Ballon d'Or - honours won multiple times by both Ronaldo and Messi - Ibrahimovic says he shouldn't be regarded as inferior to them. Deep down, I think I'm the best player in the world. Ibrahimovic watches from the stands as AC Milan beat Cagliari 4-1 in their last league matchDespite playing for the likes of Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, Ibrahimovic has never succeeded in winning the Champions League.

OnePlus introduced the Buds Z TWS earphones last October, and the company will follow up with its successor - dubbed OnePlus Buds Z2 - next month. Word comes from leakster OnLeaks, who also shared a few renders of the OnePlus Buds Z2, revealing their design. The Buds Z2 look similar to their predecessor, but the ear tips are slightly angled this time. In the meantime, you can read our OnePlus Buds Z review here to learn more about the company's most affordable TWS earphones. It's unclear if those and the Buds Z2 are the same pair of TWS earphones or different.