Twitter to stop counting photos and links in character limit

Twitter Inc. is making a major shift in how it counts characters in Tweets, giving users more freedom to compose longer messages. Therefore Twitter is planning on letting users craft longer tweets by not counting photos and links toward its 140-character limit, according to a report from Bloomberg

The change could be made within the next two weeks. The company has not yet commented on the report. But in January, founder Jack Dorsey said Twitter would explore ways of enabling its users to write longer posts.

Links currently take up 23 characters, even after Twitter automatically shortens them.

The 140-character limit was originally adopted because it was a way to send Tweets while fitting all the information within a mobile text message a common way for sending Tweets when the service debuted in 2006, before the proliferation of smartphones.

However, the company has struggled to attract new users and has seen its share price decline by more than 70% over the past year.

Last June, Twitter announced it would increase the limit on direct messages between one user and another to 10,000 characters.

Weather havoc - Sri Lanka floods leave thousands homeless

Several areas of Colombo went under water causing major traffic jams throughout yesterday due to heavy rains experienced during the last two days.

The Meteorology Department warned further strong winds during next few days along with 150mm of rain in many parts of the country.

According to the latest statistics of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), three people have died and 4,186 people from 3,616 families in eleven districts have been affected by the prevailing inclement weather. Accordingly, Colombo, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Galle, Matara, Anuradhapura, Puttalam and Kurunegala were among the badly affected districts.

Over 1,853 people from 605 families have been removed to safe locations.

The Met Department’s National Early Warning and Meteorological Centre (NEWMC) Meteorologist in Charge A.R. Warnasooriya told The Island that the low pressure area located over the country as at yesterday afternoon was now moving away towards India.

She said the prevailing rainy condition over the country would be gradually reduced to some extent, but strong windy conditions would continue for some more days. Heavy rains were predicted in the Northern, North Central, North Western provinces and in the South western party of the country.

Due to the active cloudiness associated with the above system, the possibility of sudden roughness of the sea accompanied by sudden increase of wind speed up to 70-80 kmph could be expected over the surrounding sea areas of the country, Warnasooriya said.

The DMC has issued warnings for the people living on the river banks and low lying areas close to rivers Kelani, Kalu, Nilwala, Mahaweli, and Yan Oya, Maha Oya and Attanagalu Oya to be vigilant as the water levels were rising gradually. The river water levels in the areas of Hanwella, Ratnapura, Panadugama, Peradeniya, Nawalapitiya, Horowpatana, Badalgama, Giriulla and Dunamale were also rising yesterday, according to the DMC.

Due to the prevalent weather conditions, three flights that were scheduled to land at the Katunayake International Airport on Sunday night and yesterday morning were diverted to Mattala and Cochin, India.

According to the Katunayake International Airport Field Task Manager, a flight from Dubai was diverted to the Mattala International Airport. Two flights that were to arrive from Mumbai and Kuala Lampur were diverted to the Cochin Airport in South India.

The met office statistics stated that the highest rainfall of 260.2 mm during the 24 hours ending at 5.30 am yesterday had been recorded at Katunayake. Colombo had recorded a rainfall of 232.4 mm, Ratmalana 170. 8 mm, Ratnapura 131.1 mm, Mannar 173. 9 mm and Trincomalee 182. 4 mm.

Meanwhile, the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has extended the landslide warning issued to eight districts with the prevalent weather conditions. The warnings have been issued to Kandy, Ratnapura, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Moneragala, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya Districts. Several areas in and around Colombo remained inundated hampering vehicular movement owing to heavy downpours as at yesterday afternoon.

The DMC said the Kelani River had reached spill level and houses in the ‘Dewani’ Nawagampura and Kettharagama Aluth Para areas were likely to be flooded. Vehicular movement in the Maligawatte area was also hampered. The Sedawatte canal reached spill level.

The DMC also warned the public in Bingiriya, Mahawa, Kobeigane, Nikaweratiya, Pallama, Arachchikattuwa, Chilaw and Wariyapola to be vigilant of rising waters in Deduru Oya.

Several houses in Colombo remained inundated till yesterday evening due to the overflowing of several canals which carried waste water. Vehicular movement on the Ella-Wellawaya Road was hampered due to rock-slides. Transportation between Baddegama and Galle was hampered as the Galle-Baddegama main road was flooded. Several low lying areas were inundated due to the rise of the water level of the Gin Ganga.

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Bell 412 Air Sea Rescue Team saved two fishermen named Jude Ranjith and Newton after their boat capsized off Pitipana, Negombo yesterday. The air crew and four member rescue team were on board in this rescue mission conducted by the No. 4 Helicopter Squadron based at SLAF Base Ratmalana. Base Commander SLAF Base Katunayake Air Commodore Sagara Kotakadeniya coordinated the rescue operation.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has stated that several areas of the country had experienced power failures during heavy thundershowers and storms in last two days and the CEB was in the process of restoring the power supply to the affected areas.

The Education Ministry said Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam had authorised all zonal and provincial education directors to decide on the closure of schools in case of adverse weather which would affect the safety of students and teachers and also in case of emergency, all principals have been instructed to inform the respective zonal or provincial education director of the situation to decide whether to continue school activities or not.

ICC verbally Agrees to Reimburse SL for Kusal case

The ICC has verbally agreed to reimburse the funds Sri Lanka Cricket spent in clearing wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera of doping charges, an SLC board official has said. No decision on whether legal action would be taken has been made, though SLC has not ruled out that option.

"The ICC has agreed to compensate us, but there is nothing in writing," SLC secretary Mohan de Silva said. "In any case we will be making an appeal for that. I'm quite confident that they will oblige us."

SLC confirmed it had spent over 13 million rupees (USD $92,000 approx) on clearing Perera's name, though they did not quite need the 15 million rupees they had set aside to fight the case.

In addition to fees paid to Perera's UK-based lawyers Morgan Sports Law, SLC also helped fund a polygraph test and separate urine test conducted in London, as well as a hair analysis conducted in a Paris lab. Each of these measures is said to have helped give Perera leverage with the ICC.

Perera himself suggested he was not dwelling on the suspension's personal cost to him, but board president Thilanga Sumathipala said the "indirect cost" to Perera had been "colossal". In addition to missing a full tour of New Zealand, a bilateral series against India, and two major tournaments in the Asia Cup and World T20, Perera was also ineligible for the IPL auction. He had been fixture in all three formats for Sri Lanka prior to the suspension.

SLC's executive committee has not made a firm decision on further legal action, but de Silva confirmed discussions were ongoing in the board about "how to compensate Kusal".

The Qatar-based lab, whose findings were deemed "unsustainable" for "scientific and technical reasons" by the independent expert hired by the ICC, may come under scrutiny. However, that expert had also stated the lab had "correctly identified 19-Norandrostenedione in the samples" taken from Perera.

Perera has resumed his training with SLC coaches at Khettarama, after five months of being barred from doing so. He may be in the fray for the limited-overs leg of Sri Lanka's tour of the UK and Ireland.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Schools to be closed if severe weather continues

Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam today instructed authorities of all the regional and zonal education divisions to take the necessary decisions regarding closure of schools in their areas due to the prevailing adverse weather.

Accordingly, principles of school that had an impact from the adverse weather could inform the regional or zonal directors about the situation and follow the instruction, to continue or close the school. The minister further stated this decision had been taken following landslides, minor flood situations and heavy rain been reported from several parts of the island.

Extreme weather: Landslide warning as heavy rains lash island

Meteorology Department officials warned of incessant rain and thundershowers throughout the country today as well due to a low pressure area developed in the vicinity of Sri Lanka.

The Department duty forecaster said the low pressure area, located over Batticaloa coast yesterday was likely to intensify further in to a depression.

However it is expected to move away from Sri Lanka by today towards India.


Four spill gates of Upper Kothmale opened automatically following heavy rains yesterday. Picture by Asela Kuruluwansa
Heavy rains lashed throughout the country yesterday and many roads were inundated. The National Building Research Organisation  (NBRO) issued landslide warning for several areas in eight districts due to the inclement weather conditions.

The eight districts are Badulla, Monaragala, Kandy, Ratnapura, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle and Matale.

Irrigation Department officials said five spill gates of Daduru Oya and four spill gates of Weheragala resovoires were opened due to incessant rains. The people living down stream were advised to be vigilant over the rising water levels.

The highest rainfall of 145.8mm for the 24 hours ending yesterday noon was recorded from Pottuvil while Colombo received a rainfall of 76.4mm and Trincomalee 90.2mm.

Meanwhile, motorists using the Hatton-Nuwara Eliya road are advised to drive cautiously due to the heavy mist.

“Cloudy skies and showers or thundershowers are expected over most parts of the island. Very heavy falls (around 150 mm) are also likely at some places. There may be temporary localised strong winds during thundershowers. The public is requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by lightning activity,” the weather forecast issued by the Meteorology Department stated.

It further said sudden roughness of the sea areas associated with sudden increase of wind speed (up to 70-80 kmph) could be expected over the surrounding sea areas of the island. “Intermittent showers or thundershowers will occur in the surrounding sea areas of the island, particularly in the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Gulf of Mannar sea areas. Winds will be North-westerly to Westerly along the sea areas extending from Kankasanthurai to Hambantota via Puttalam and Galle, andSouth-westerly to South-easterly elsewhere. The wind speed will be 40-50 kmph and can be strengthen up to 70 kmph at times,” it stated. Two people have gone missing and over 7,000 are affected due to the torrential rains experienced due to a atmospheric disturbance. Two people bathing down stream are reported missing after a private power generation facility in Kegalle had reportedly opened gates of a tank located in Gurugoda Oya.

Wariyapola youth abducted for ransom rescued by police

A youth who was abducted for ransom in Wariyapola was found abandoned near a clock tower in Nikaweratiya early Sunday morning.

According to the Kurunegala SSP, S.W.Mahesh Senaratne two suspects were arrested in connection with the abduction, as details of the other suspects involved had come into light upon investigation.

Police added that the youth, a son of a businessman, was abducted by a group who came by car on Saturday night. A complaint was lodged with the police regarding the incident. Police have begun  to arrest the remaining suspects.

The captors were demanding a ransom of Rs.20 million for the youth.

Rajagiriya Flyover project to reduce traffic in Colombo

Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva said that the work on Rajagiriya Flyover, a major project in reducing traffic in Colombo, will begin in July 2016.

Updating a Facebook status, he added that the work is planned to be finished by January 2018.

The project is financed via a soft loan from the Government of Spain, he also said.

"Soil testing has already begun. Soon the detours will be announced." De Silva also said.

The Rajagiriya junction is a major bottleneck of traffic. The vehicle volume on a typical day in 90,000.

It is expected that the travel time from Battaramulla to Nelum Pokuna will be reduced by half after the flyover is constructed.

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Wasim Thajudeen murder: Arrested OIC to make confession before Magistrate

Former Narahenpita Crimes OIC Sumith Champika Perera arrested for allegedly covering up evidence in connection with the murder of Wasim Thajudeen yesterday informed Court through his lawyer that he is ready to make a confession before the Magistrate over the incident.

Senior Counsel Ajith Pathirana appearing on behalf of the former Crimes OIC told Colombo Additional Magistrate that his client would reveal everything he knew about the incident before the Magistrate. 

Defence Counsel Ajith Pathirana informed Court that the Magistrate has jurisdiction to record a statement being a confession in accordance with the Section 127 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The Defence Counsel further told Court his client had  acted as per the instructions given by then senior police officers. Defence counsel moved Court that his client be released on bail on whatever bail condition the Court may deem fit.

However, Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris ordered that the suspect be further remanded till May 26 because the CID are yet to conclude their preliminary investigations into the incident.

Meanwhile, the Additional Magistrate issued an order directing the Mobitel mobile service providing company that telephone call conversation details pertaining to the investigation be handed over to the CID for further investigations.

Senior State Counsel Dilan Ratnayake appearing on behalf of the Attorney General submitted to Court that the CID has recorded statements from 20 police officers regarding the investigations over covering up evidence in connection with the murder of Wasim Thajudeen. He further said it will take a long time to conclude the investigation due to its complexity.

On July 27, 2015 the CID submitted to Court that the death of Thajudeen was not an accident but a murder.

While delivering the verdict, Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris on February 25 this year ruled that the death appeared to be a murder and ordered the CID Director to immediately arrest all suspects involved in the incident and produce them before Courts. Thajudeen was killed, apparently, in a road accident in Colombo in May 2012.

The CID had informed court that investigations conducted so far had revealed that Thajudeen’s teeth had been broken, the bones in the pelvic region also broken and his neck pierced with a sharp instrument prior to his death.

The CID added that muscles in his legs had been cut with a piece of a broken class. Earlier, police maintained that Thajudeen was driving to the airport and had lost control of his car and crashed into the wall of Shalika Grounds at Park Road, Narahenpita, and that his vehicle had exploded within seconds of the crash.





Missing body parts :SLMC files charge sheets against former JMO 

Lakmal Sooriyagoda

Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) yesterday informed Court that the SLMC has filed charge sheets against former Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer Prof. Ananda Samarasekara and two other Medical Officers, over the missing of several bones and other body parts of former Rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.

Counsel Chathura Galhena appearing on behalf of the SLMC told Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris that the penal of the JMO including Prof. Ananda Samarasekara had been summoned for a disciplinary inquiry and the SLMC was in its final stage to conclude the inquiry.

“The SLMC has gathered prima facie evidence against the panel of doctors who were involved in performing the first postmortem inquiry into the body of Wasim Thajudeen,” Mr. Galhena added.

Taking into consideration the facts, the Additional Magistrate ordered the Registrar of Sri Lanka Medical Council that the full report pertaining to the disciplinary inquiry against the JMO panel be submitted in Court before next hearing date. The prosecutors alleged that the conduct of the former Colombo JMO and other officials were not at a satisfactory level and they have neglected their duties.

On a previous occasion, former Chief JMO Prof. Ananda Samarasekara had informed Court that several bone parts of Wasim Thajudeen’s body had gone missing and unable to be located in the deep freezer or the mortuary coolers at the Colombo JMO’s office.

He said he instructed two minor staff members to store the body parts in the deep freezer. However, two minor staff members had denied the facts that the body parts were entrusted to them by Prof. Samarasekara.