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Batticaloa district: ITAK 3, NPP 1, SLMC 1
The Ilakai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) won three seats in the electoral district of Batticaloa after polling 96,975 votes while the National People’s Power (NPP) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) won one seat each.
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Pope Francis’s funeral will take place on Saturday in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican has confirmed, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend.
The head of the Catholic Church died of a stroke on Monday, aged 88, less than 24 hours after leading an Easter address. He had been in poor health after recently battling double pneumonia.
A host of world leaders and royals – including Sir Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, the Prince of Wales, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, home to the biggest Catholic population in the world – have confirmed their attendance.
Thousands of mourners have already flocked to Vatican City, carrying flowers, crosses and candles and reciting prayers.
On Tuesday, the Vatican released further details of the Pope’s final 24 hours.
Francis, who had recently spent five weeks in hospital, was slightly apprehensive about appearing on the balcony on Sunday.
“Do you think I can do this?” the Pope asked his personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti.
Strappetti reassured him and moments later the pontiff appeared on the balcony, blessing the crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square below.
The following morning at around 05:30 local time (03:30 GMT), Francis began to feel unwell. An hour later, he waved at Strappetti before slipping into a coma.
“Those who were near him in those moments say he didn’t suffer,” the Vatican said in a statement. “It was a discreet death.”
Just before the procession, a moment of prayer will be led by the camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is running the Vatican in the wake of the Pope’s death.
The Vatican has released photos of the Pope’s body lying in the chapel at Casa Santa Marta – his residence during his 12-year papacy – dressed in a red robe with the papal mitre on his head and a rosary in his hand.
The general public will be able to visit St Peter’s Basilica from 11:00 to midnight on Wednesday, 07:00 to midnight on Thursday and 07:00 to 19:00 on Friday.
Bucking tradition, there will be no private viewing for cardinals, at Pope Francis’s request. The Pope’s coffin will also not be raised on a pedestal.
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Heat Index at ‘Caution Level’ at some places in Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and Monaragala, and Hambantota districts
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. 22 April 2025, valid for 23 April 2025.
The General public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota districts.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the table below and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
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IPL 2025: Mukesh four-for sets up comfortable win as Delhi Capitals close the gap up top
KL Rahul was unavailable when Delhi Capitals (DC) met Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) earlier in IPL 2025. But coming up against LSG for the first time since they parted ways, Rahul anchored DC’s chase with a half-century and guided them home along with his captain Axar Patel.
DC closed the gap with table-toppers Gujarat Titans, with only net run rate separating the two teams. DC’s win was set up by Mukesh, who claimed career-best IPL figures of 4 for 33 to restrict LSG to 159 for 6 after they were 87 for 0 in the tenth over.
LSG captain Rishabh Pant bizarrely didn’t walk out to bat until his team was five down, with just two balls left in their innings. After stepping out to his first ball and missing, he didn’t connect with a reverse-ramp next ball, and ended up deflecting the ball back on to the stumps off his pads for a duck.
His opposite number, however, had a more productive outing. After having taken the new ball and bowled four tight overs on the trot, Axar cracked an unbeaten 34 off 20 balls from No. 4.
After being asked to bat, LSG had another strong start, passing fifty for the sixth time in nine innings in the powerplay this season. Aiden Markram scored 30 of the 51 runs LSG had scored in the powerplay, including two sixes. Mitchell Marsh was happy to ride in Markram’s slipstream.
Markram also batted with high intent against spin, swatting Axar down the ground for four, and pulling Vipraj Nigam over midwicket for six. Markram went on to bring up his fifty off 30 balls, but when he tried to clear the bigger boundary on the off side, he holed out to sweeper cover for 52 off 33 balls.
It was Dushmantha Chameera who had provided DC with the breakthrough in his first game this season. Axar, meanwhile, had already bowled out by the seventh over, conceding 29 runs in four overs. It allowed him to backload Kuldeep Yadav’s overs. Kuldeep bowled the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th overs, giving away 33 runs in his four overs.
After being on 87 for 0 in the tenth over, LSG could manage only 72 off the last ten. Mukesh led DC’s remarkable fightback with his hard lengths and reverse-swinging yorkers at the death.
In the 14th over, he coaxed a return catch from Abdul Samad, who was promoted to No. 4, and yorked Marsh while conceding just three runs. Then, in the last over of the innings, Ayush Badoni hit him for three fours in a row, but Mukesh bounced back to bowl both him and Pant, keeping LSG to their lowest total this season.
Mitchell Starc also played his part, having bested Nicholas Pooran with a slower bouncer for 9 off five balls. It was the fifth time in seven innings that Starc had dismissed Pooran in T20 cricket.
As for Pant, he batted at No. 7 for the first time in the IPL since 2016, and lasted all of two balls for zero runs. Impact Player Badoni’s 36 off 21 balls gave LSG’s total a modicum of respectability, but it meant that they could not bring in Mayank Yadav during their defence.
IPL owners often summon captains to explain the decisions they make, but it usually happens behind closed doors. Live visuals of the LSG owner giving Rahul a dressing down after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) mowed down 166 in under ten overs went viral last season. LSG did not retain Rahul after that, and when he ran into them at Ekana, he extended his fine form for DC with his third half-century this season.
Rahul also ticked off another landmark: he became the fastest to 5000 IPL runs, getting there in his 130th innings. He then sealed the chase with a six in the 18th over.
Opener Abishek Porel who scored 51 off 36 balls for his first fifty of the season, and Axar, also contributed handsomely with the bat for DC.
After DC had lost Karun Nair early, Rahul steadied the innings along with Porel. He was on 19 off 20 balls at one point, but stepped up a gear when he slog-swept Ravi Bishnoi for six. Rahul went onto bring up his fifty off 40 balls. Axar started in fourth gear, and stayed there, as DC wrapped up the win with eight wickets and 13 balls to spare.
Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 161 for 2 in 17.5 overs (KL Rahul 57*, Abishek Porel 51, Karun Nair 15, Axar Patel 34*; Aiden Markram 2-30) beat Lucknow Super Giants 159 for 6 in 20 overs( Aiden Markram 52, Mitchell Marsh 45, David Miller 14, Ayush Badoni 36; Mitchell Starc 1-25, Mukesh Kumar 4-33, Dushmantha Chameera 1-25) by eight wickets
[Cricinfo]
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