One dead after explosion in Germany

At least one person has been killed and nine others injured after an explosion struck a restaurant in the south German city of Ansbach, Bavaria, local media reported. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but a possible gas leak is suspected.

The incident took place in the central part of the city, close to an area in which a music festival took place at the weekend, Suddeutsche Zeitung reported. Police have cordoned off the area around the restaurant and are conducting a crime scene investigation.

As the investigation continues, Bild reports that the possible explosion could have been caused by a gas leak. According to media reports, the explosion occurred in front of a restaurant. A music festival nearby was forced to end as the guests were evacuated. Police and rescue workers are currently engaged in a large-scale operation.

Three people of same family murdered in Batticaloa

A man was arrested in Batticaloa over a triple murder yesterday.

Investigations revealed the man had hacked to death his wife, father-in-law and child at Kakachchiveddai village, Vellaveli, Batticaloa. The deceased were identified as Perinpam Vijitha, 24, Prasanthan Sasnika, 18, and Kandaiyah Perinpam, 56.

The woman and the infant had been murdered at 1.00 a.m. and their bodies dumped into a well.

Perinpam living in a neigbouring house who heard his daughter screaming had rushed to her house when he was attacked by the man. He died on admission to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, investigations revealed.

The suspect was arrested later. The couple had been summoned to the Police to settle a family dispute on Friday. The man had complained to the Police that the child was not his. Vellaveli Police conducting investigations revealed this would have led to the dispute.

Mysterious female GHOST following a man into a taxi

Chilling footage appears to show a 'spirit' gliding into a cab after a male passenger in a quiet Japanese town.The man can be seen striding up to a taxi rank as a white car rolls in.

But as he walks towards the cab a black shape can be seen moving behind him, following him to the vehicle. 

As it heads towards the open door it seems to acquire more substance, looking more like a woman in a long robe and a dark hood - yet unmistakably still not human.

It slides along the floor closer to the car as the man clambers in and almost appears to get in after him before the door closes - seemingly sweeping right through the mysterious figure as it shuts.

The taxi drives off as normal and the taxi rank is left deserted.

While many netizens are fascinated with the potentially supernatural apparition others see the funnier side, joking that perhaps the ghost was tired and wanted to sit down or was in love with the man.

But others simply see the spirit as a clever camera trick - the result of careful editing.

However, ghost passenger sightings are not an entirely rare phenomenon in Japan. 

Taxi drivers working in one of the areas worst affected by the 2011 earthquake disaster have reported picking up 'ghost customers,' it was revealed in January of this year.

Cab drivers in Ishinomaki, where 6,000 people died when a tsunami hit the town after an earthquake, said they have taken fares from people who have then vanished during the ride.

Emirates Airlines apologises to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has lodged a formal complaint with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador in Colombo, expressing his displeasure at being offloaded from an Emirates Airlines flight from Colombo to Singapore minutes before the flight took off.

A close family member said that soon after the complaint, the UAE Ambassador had called senior Emirates Airlines officials and asked them to apologise to Mr. Jayasuirya. Meanwhile the Airline in response to a query by the Sunday Times said: “Emirates is aware of the concerns expressed by Mr. Jayasuriya and his family.

“Our cabin crew are trained first responders whose role is to assess the situation, offer assistance, and where necessary consult a doctor via Emirates’ Medlink system to evaluate passengers’ fitness to fly. On this occasion, due to the information we were provided about the passenger’s medical condition, a doctor was consulted through Medlink and it was decided, as a precaution, not to allow him to take the flight to Singapore.”

The airline while apologising to the family for any inconvenience caused said its decision was made in the interest of the passenger’s health and wellbeing. “The safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance and will not be compromised,” it said. Mr. Jayasuirya had boarded an Emirates flight on July 12 to seek medical attention in Singapore for what was suspected to be a heart ailment. He was accompanied by his daughter Lanka Dissanayake, a doctor attached to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

A team of doctors who had treated him at a private hospital in Colombo had advised that he should go to Singapore for advanced treatment there. The Colombo hospital had contacted a Singapore hospital, briefed it on the requirements and urged a medical team to standby at the airport.

Speaker Jayasuriya is due back in the country over the weekend. Doctors in Singapore have diagnosed the ailment as a bug he had contracted during foreign travel and was not directly related to a heart condition.

One Million Participants At Jana Satana Protest Rally

UPFA MP Dallas Alahapperuma said that the 'Joint Opposition' wants to see one million people on the streets of Colombo on August 1, taking part in the 'Jana Satana Pada Yatra' rally.

Speaking at an awareness meeting in Polonnaruwa yesterday, he said that the government has a two thirds majority in Parliament, which makes it difficult for the opposition to oppose it inside the Parliament.

Therefore, the struggle against the government must come out of the confines of the Parliament on to the streets, he added.

The Pada Yatra or the protest march will begin on July 28 in Kandy and arrive in Colombo on August 1, culminating with a rally.

Minuwangoda District Court Judge interdicted

I. M. Dhammika Ilangasinghe, Gampaha District Judge who also served as the Chief Magistrate of Minuwangoda was interdicted on Saturday (23) by the Judicial Service Commission following an inquiry.

An inquiry was launched by the Commission following several complaints. Sources at the Magistrate’s Court said officials from the Commission had visited the Court on Friday (22) and met the staff for further inquiries.
Several case proceeding books were also taken by the officials, sources said. Ms. Ilangasinghe has left her official residence after the interdiction.

Actress Piumi Botheju celebrates 1st anniversary of her wedding

Actress Piumi Botheju celebrated the first anniversary of her wedding at a hotel in Arangala today (24), reports say.This is her second marriage.

She is married to urban councilor Suneth Attidiya.The couple had made elaborate arrangements since several weeks ago to mark the occasion.

They also posed for pictures, dressed as bride and bridegroom, at a hotel in Koggala.Pictures and Video below were taken from on that occasion.

Piumi & Suneth 1st Anniversary Pree Shoot

Piyumi Botheju 1st Wedding Anniversary on Photo GalleryPix by - Dammika De Alwis Photography | Hair And Makeup - Darshana perera

Upeksha Swarnamali to be a mother soon

Former parliamentarian and actress - Upeksha Swarnamali better known as 'Paba', is anticipating the bliss of motherhood, reports say. 

Upeksha who is currently married to Samantha Perera, says that their child will be born in another five months time. She adds that Samantha has made her complete.