tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9370296176287261612024-03-18T03:24:22.067-07:00Lanka Hot News English NewsLanka Hot News Latest Hot News From Sri Lanka
Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895632811453034577noreply@blogger.comBlogger4255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-61762321120091363162024-03-16T22:23:00.000-07:002024-03-16T22:23:02.276-07:00Sri Lanka’s economy expands for a second straight quarter<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalkwoa_5GuQxYzKsGahB1xDSSwlZJYfZlewzXzFTA4jZEJjVHjkrnjlM22f4kC_aZ5er_Pc0le1oqiE9N1xnAzyZOvMYcv_MaDg7QiRsNVrUlmcSXn9NztbJ1i1eGIZcmw6AEatXIO6mG4vIOLMEX-pBozt5dQLRYBT-oiVUn73sRRevfkNHFge5ulwU/s650/1710579114-economic-growth-sri-lanka-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalkwoa_5GuQxYzKsGahB1xDSSwlZJYfZlewzXzFTA4jZEJjVHjkrnjlM22f4kC_aZ5er_Pc0le1oqiE9N1xnAzyZOvMYcv_MaDg7QiRsNVrUlmcSXn9NztbJ1i1eGIZcmw6AEatXIO6mG4vIOLMEX-pBozt5dQLRYBT-oiVUn73sRRevfkNHFge5ulwU/s320/1710579114-economic-growth-sri-lanka-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Sri Lanka’s economy expanded for a second straight quarter as industrial activity picked up pace, buoyed by an International Monetary Fund bailout and lower interest rates.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Gross domestic product rose 4.5% in the three months to December from a year ago, the Statistics Department said Friday. That’s higher than the median forecast of 3.7% growth in a Bloomberg survey of economists, and compares with a print of 1.6% in the July-September period. For the year, the economy clocked a contraction of 2.3%.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/06/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iQkpvH55ybglfx3a1jtGZ_5N2daCHu-ReK6kXmVIRqzYFYmaLMEOmzMGFys8ynylibISUO3Z5cep5vw6zpt2-aLG6I4GJq-2KLGXxgMjrkyHXQMOjI4JVQapqkWyVe8_hnaZvpX3CX2-UY2ka_hoVEnPA3bql8mU5WohcJyQDRWf1job__737TxD0VA/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The expansion comes as the South Asian nation seeks to win an initial approval for the next tranche of a $3 billion IMF loan program. Authorities are aiming to complete restructuring the nation’s debt by June, a key condition to keep funds from the bailout flowing. Negotiations with dollar bondholders over the terms of recast are underway.</div><div><br /></div><div>Industrial production expanded 7.9% from a year ago, while services sector rose 2.8%, the data showed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lower borrowing costs aided the nation’s recovery. Sri Lanka’s central bank reduced its benchmark rates by a total of 650 basis points in 2023. The monetary authority held rates for the first time in five months in January as inflation started to pick up with the economy’s rebound. While price gains are expected to peak in the coming months, the central bank sees no threat to its 5% target.</div><div><br /></div><div>Increased inflows from tourism and remittances have also helped Sri Lanka’s turnaround. The nation’s leisure sector is seeing a revival to pre-Covid levels, with earnings from visitor arrivals posting the highest value in four years in January. Its local rupee is at the strongest level since June, gaining 6% against the dollar this year.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-37480750097791893372024-03-16T21:42:00.000-07:002024-03-16T21:42:23.977-07:00Govt. to appoint over 2,000 Grama Niladhari officers before end of April<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-5zIELpcOza-yX4D29zyi8ceoAFrcBJfmFbVqscZJwczWewpoWkY07FMZafv3_iDAGkePcIL12tkCIcSE4kxPgCqrapVMGXqhFgvk_h8JlXvqJ2VCf3BNyAnrU86O7WUPqWEmI_9dhu7NB2oai4LdULybIXgZmOcIRyLdGXbc6wfuMP2ged1BF3YQOQ/s650/1710565011-Ashoka-Priyantha-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-5zIELpcOza-yX4D29zyi8ceoAFrcBJfmFbVqscZJwczWewpoWkY07FMZafv3_iDAGkePcIL12tkCIcSE4kxPgCqrapVMGXqhFgvk_h8JlXvqJ2VCf3BNyAnrU86O7WUPqWEmI_9dhu7NB2oai4LdULybIXgZmOcIRyLdGXbc6wfuMP2ged1BF3YQOQ/s320/1710565011-Ashoka-Priyantha-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>State Minister of Home Affairs, Ashoka Priyantha on Friday (March 15) said that interviews for the recruitment of Grama Niladhari officers for a total of 2,002 vacant Grama Niladhari Divisions are currently underway.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The selected candidates will be appointed before the end of April, he added.</div><div><br /></div><div>During a press briefing at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) on the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’, Priyantha emphasized the potential of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s agenda, stating that continued progress along this path could lead to significant improvements in the country’s economy and overall well-being.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/03/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cEbacscXQryxrFYBqBxClYU1vJk_KsnlNorcgmHpXwe8e1ZrSqJVH69ealuOfxNzxcCcb3KIDwyUJWwr4X_kBM-_jQfB_Pk4T-WZGoaspfrqUTU2s4szS9h4-snUSHTxsIoiNllz1miZ-KleTpRaOWFkgI_6uijtmhuYQGxPpznfMDGoOxl8dBDFJ5o/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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State Minister of Home Affairs, Ashoka Priyantha further commented:</div><div><br /></div><div>We are actively fostering economic and social stability by resolving past crises. Our ministry has played a significant role in this endeavour. We have established food safety and nutrition committees at the district level and ensured that 02 million impoverished families receive spectacles. Furthermore, we are working on revitalizing rural development through decentralized budget initiatives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Furthermore, interviews were conducted on the 13th and 14th to hire Grama Niladhari officers for 2002 vacant GN Divisions. Interviews for this will continue today (15). We aim to have the recruited Grama Niladhari officers in place before the end of April.</div><div><br /></div><div>Additionally, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena met with professional associations of Grama Niladhari officers on 14th March to address their current challenges. During the meeting, a proposal was presented concerning travel expenses and office allowances, for which a cabinet paper has already been submitted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Additionally, the Grama Niladhari Constitution, a primary concern for Grama Niladhari officers, has been drafted and presented through a cabinet paper. Once approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, it will proceed for further action. We anticipate a positive outcome regarding this matter soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Moreover, amidst economic and other challenges, it has been our duty and responsibility to restore livelihoods and foster unity in society. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been instrumental in building this trust. Therefore, if we can sustain this trajectory for another two years, we have the potential to transform our country positively by rejuvenating the economy and halting detrimental projects.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-5980402326555442922024-03-16T21:33:00.000-07:002024-03-16T21:33:07.532-07:00Aaqib Javed appointed Sri Lanka’s national fast bowling coach<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0e5UqWKYUU6qm7M7fgdvFSRgc_7uh5WxIoU32G4m5ZMXMwAWkWdHnqehiHJBb2gxfWMDlxCliMtTQ_gJ-dBLhU8olrz8YTNpOC5ZVYfrYI3PPT78Rl3SfD0IOQheAasrVoMzv5yIl8poV-7HHe34g_3h_4OFnbgT8w__RFSUJLhSRDeqlMUzl1Q0q1so/s650/1710570516-Aaqib-Javed-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0e5UqWKYUU6qm7M7fgdvFSRgc_7uh5WxIoU32G4m5ZMXMwAWkWdHnqehiHJBb2gxfWMDlxCliMtTQ_gJ-dBLhU8olrz8YTNpOC5ZVYfrYI3PPT78Rl3SfD0IOQheAasrVoMzv5yIl8poV-7HHe34g_3h_4OFnbgT8w__RFSUJLhSRDeqlMUzl1Q0q1so/s320/1710570516-Aaqib-Javed-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Saturday (March 16) announced the appointment of former Pakistan pace bowler Aaqib Javed as the national team’s ‘fast bowling coach.’<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>He will work with the national team until the completion of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in the West Indies and USA during June 2024.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/02/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7t8TZhyMJtMQhJlLclmjBbVNO0QxTulHKWGJ2eHDPQ6LYdBeOLax1Yi0mhrmv3O0ECenviWRSV1OajdRnQD2NceJw0xEMxOW7nNdRB5FA_axX1NNCAibhpLWQ_4zDd9WeNrIFPT1ZOst43EybsbGTY8zbXuQ6rZqlUO1T1VNdYiBnu0uQV3ySoGDm5I/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Javed, apart from a successful international career where he played 163 ODIs and 22 test matches for Pakistan, captured a tally of 236 international wickets. A member of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning team, Javed has worked for several national teams in different coaching capacities.</div><div><br /></div><div>Among those stints are working as the bowling coach of the Pakistan national team, serving as the coach of the UAE national team, and also working with the Afghanistan national team in a development role.</div><div><br /></div><div>During his tenure as coach, the UAE National Team has obtained ODI and T20I status, made the ICC Men’s 50 Over World Cup in 2015, and also featured in the qualifiers for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2014.</div><div><br /></div><div>The former Pakistan pace bowler also coached the Pakistan U19 team to a World Cup win back in 2004 and served as the bowling coach when Pakistan won the 2009 T20 World Cup in England.</div><div><br /></div><div>Currently, he is serving as the Director of Cricket Operations and Head Coach of the Lahore Qalandars of the Pakistan Premier League.</div><div><br /></div><div>“We warmly welcome Aaqib and believe that his immense international experience, both in playing and coaching, will help our bowlers come into good shape ahead of the upcoming major international competitions, such as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” added Mr. Ashley De Silva, CEO of SLC.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-38012644880722962592024-03-16T21:22:00.000-07:002024-03-16T21:22:06.993-07:00Sri Lanka, India to co-host ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasSjEGoyWkL8zbsLVAzWCzZblrwEKLuvYe3lfIF5qXY-cPr7N8b3wzmsGOap-OabXJVY_Cv-7UNcB6opiyzc19Tf-xjKmeYxsNV9Fxhe9xOWEVOjaRohV7eP6TqneoBWtre4qmKDPoXWZ5QA5D7gliXDRZlMxas92EEjCVpA89UiwZJT_r6fsFUN71lE/s650/1710563074-ICC-Mens-T20-World-Cup-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasSjEGoyWkL8zbsLVAzWCzZblrwEKLuvYe3lfIF5qXY-cPr7N8b3wzmsGOap-OabXJVY_Cv-7UNcB6opiyzc19Tf-xjKmeYxsNV9Fxhe9xOWEVOjaRohV7eP6TqneoBWtre4qmKDPoXWZ5QA5D7gliXDRZlMxas92EEjCVpA89UiwZJT_r6fsFUN71lE/s320/1710563074-ICC-Mens-T20-World-Cup-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The Board of International Cricket Council (ICC) has green-lighted the qualification process for the Men’s T20 World Cup which will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India in 2026.</div><div><br /></div><div>Approval was given at the meeting of the Board convened in Dubai earlier this week.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>ICC said the future structure and context of international bilateral cricket was top of the agenda of this meeting.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/01/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobDCpP3qtwOooEYJVhH4EteLCAR1LfIu3x6Qs_K8kGaEQIdEv8kEmor5tEdbeLvEz3mbEy8s6sp_zQvA5oeUe_LIciKdcsKwu2m1Bm3gDAexzBzKe5v6tzWnkbfVUo3M0trsS3nvWKRgBIAY_31vB6CHZSAMjmwU5Z_RCavN14MeVt-n0NNBMdWfrms4/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The 10th edition of the event will see 12 automatic qualifiers. These will include the joint hosts along with the top 8 teams from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.</div><div><br /></div><div>Being the hosts, India and Sri Lanka will directly qualify for the tournament, while teams finishing in top 8 spots in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will qualify for the next edition as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>If India and Sri Lanka finish in the top 8, six other teams will qualify for the T20 World Cup 2026, if India and Sri Lanka finish at a position lesser than 8th in the 2024 edition, they will qualify along with teams finishing in top eight positions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apart from these eight and the hosts, four other teams will qualify for the 2026 edition of the event based on ICC T20I team rankings as on June 30, 2024. Remaining eight slots will be filled through Regional Qualifiers.</div><div><br /></div><div>The event will be a 20-team affair, similar to that of the 9th edition of the tournament, which will be hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) from 02 - 29 June 2024.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 2024 prestigious tournament will set a new record in cricket as, for the first time in cricket history, 20 teams will be taking part in an international event. Therefore, the apex cricket body is interested in keeping the tournament a 20-team event in 2026 as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>The ICC has also confirmed that the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will have reserve days scheduled for the semi-finals and finals.</div><div><br /></div><div>The apex cricket body also added that a minimum of five overs will be needed to be bowled to a team that is batting second to be considered for a result in the group and the Super Eight stages. However, in knockout matches, a minimum of 10 overs must be bowled in the second innings to constitute a game.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-78869700929196632512024-03-13T22:56:00.000-07:002024-03-13T22:56:06.546-07:00S. Korea assures more higher education opportunities to Sri Lankan students<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunZiglGnSQptXArA8dhVsMRmNJMRdcI4X45f6Jzrk0Op2_EcBC23EEXfk6cjYx9wuHMrMzPayNlLyAMamIa3-0PZgmKEOpNDkVARron9RFtnVDfCGayCZ9WH8-GSyoQc00Ygub0wN8P_DJpzssnkN-Nk1tdWMFJ0UVhAO1p6icdMYqrhT-8rXXB0GS_I/s650/1710323167-lanka-south-korea-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunZiglGnSQptXArA8dhVsMRmNJMRdcI4X45f6Jzrk0Op2_EcBC23EEXfk6cjYx9wuHMrMzPayNlLyAMamIa3-0PZgmKEOpNDkVARron9RFtnVDfCGayCZ9WH8-GSyoQc00Ygub0wN8P_DJpzssnkN-Nk1tdWMFJ0UVhAO1p6icdMYqrhT-8rXXB0GS_I/s320/1710323167-lanka-south-korea-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The Ambassador of South Korea, Miyon Lee who met the Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana recently in Parliament, stated that she hopes to provide more opportunities for Sri Lankan students to pursue higher education in South Korea.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Furthermore, a Korean education exhibition is planned to be held this June with the support of the Ministry of Education and the universities in Sri Lanka, the South Korean envoy assured.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/14/02/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3__UGlrM8M8xZ6K7w8Op2pAWjiJuQJZwXpczAu5DlsIj50G81K4teP8UMtAl-RRM__aW_D9zzjGwPPU0RlP8Tc1JrNVRqZKl4D_L5rVdD6Jzn5B1oNihyh0kmXnTVELk8W_Kt_Wq15yqbDUAYQDYlX4UO7x-5mLvMX1x_lORviHiIPPw7M1_hchmyhn4/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The State Minister of Education A. Aravindh Kumar mentioned during the meeting that it is necessary to increase teaching Korean language in schools in Sri Lanka and requested to be provided with the necessary support required for this. The Ambassador asserted that the necessary support would be provided in the future, the Parliamentary Communications Department said in a statement.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joining the discussion, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa expressed his gratitude for the employment opportunities provided to Sri Lanka by South Korea. He also recalled that his father, the former President, late Ranasinghe Premadasa, followed the methods implemented by Park Chung-hee, who was a Korean president at the time, in preparing the "Gam Udawa" program, the statement added.</div><div><br /></div><div>Moreover, discussions were also held on upcoming elections in South Korea. The Speaker pointed out the need for the South Korean government to organize training programs for Sri Lankans in the future and the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries was discussed extensively.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition, the South Korean Ambassador expressed her gratitude for the support provided by the Sri Lanka - South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Association in various activities, it mentioned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, Chair of the Sri Lanka-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Association MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, Vice President of the Parliamentary Friendship Association and State Minister of Education A. Aravindh Kumar, Treasurer of the Association J. C. Alawathuwala and Acting Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne were present at this occasion, according to the Parliamentary Communications Department.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-32520413282737758282024-03-06T19:29:00.000-08:002024-03-06T19:29:41.571-08:00Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets to level T20 series<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqR6ekW6AqbcfXWWyPZUwjXSWTF5k3DQILnOlwcOOeWd8_Ye6rlym9GMcIZmLpYWzVL2_-5D_csrDBzbTkc4TJhnKTy8eW6CXySZb9H7F5lITtNdjoONzxvIHPEPUcWkzmyocre2M09W8tFwQqd8PIMTCfqeC1dS8ViV_GuyXrttL6X2-5_0e7qQJGrs/s650/1709740503-match3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="650" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqR6ekW6AqbcfXWWyPZUwjXSWTF5k3DQILnOlwcOOeWd8_Ye6rlym9GMcIZmLpYWzVL2_-5D_csrDBzbTkc4TJhnKTy8eW6CXySZb9H7F5lITtNdjoONzxvIHPEPUcWkzmyocre2M09W8tFwQqd8PIMTCfqeC1dS8ViV_GuyXrttL6X2-5_0e7qQJGrs/s320/1709740503-match3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Bangladesh levelled the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka 1 - 1 after winning the second match by 8 wickets, with a score of 170/2.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Chasing down a tricky total, Bangladesh were off to a blistering start with Soumya Sarkar and Litton Das managing to hit the Lankan bowlers all around the park. The duo extracted 63 off the powerplay and went on to add 68 for the first wicket partnership. </div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/07/02/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIC1Gxgdsd5uWFMD2LPtezaVTzaPOVWZzD_GTlq8UxmskNk3u5mb_WkFoh7ufub2EcaNnAtoysO-L7BtrtYZWyypzMm0ts27Dlnfu54PkEZbW6KeAlsGK90yku2dw7gEOKCl5mE7GuhgTmjhxnqYLlazIyS7EtPWP4_bbIKclkvn0PP5oTwHpDe4pIwE/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The Lankans were doing well till a controversial call from the third umpire came to the aid of Soumya Sarkar and he was given not-out on what looked like an edge back to the keeper. The batter took the aggressive route afterward and scored freely. </div><div><br /></div><div>The third-wicket partnership of 87 between Towhid Hridoy and Najmul Hossain Shanto sealed the deal for the hosts. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was the top scorer for the side as he scored 53 and saw his side home, and was subsequently named Player of the Match.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite a decent effort from the visitors’ bowling side, and the target being one they could have put up a better fight for, the arrival of dew too, worked towards Sri Lanka’s disadvantage. </div><div><br /></div><div>Matheesha Pathirana picked up a couple and looked the best of the lot but he was later carried off in the middle of his over with a suspected hamstring issue that comes as a scare for the Lankans.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-91155474109050946962024-03-05T07:28:00.000-08:002024-03-05T07:28:01.062-08:00Sri Lanka’s export earnings record marginal drop in January<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-YfAXGf-juMw91SXy_6q8uYWCLzEenPewb8Xpt25ET22zuK8rRN2tGjwrQA24mOe4lDm7LPlWMmo-36aNPNRcYqOmgBiesDmPgvilBtoRozWykKVPO1zNA5CsK5wZetyUhPJ0FIvpC6uvKYNkynHR28Ztgvu_AenQDOhwdVyeS5qCpZ72AGhyPfwQ44/s650/1709636143-export-earnings-sri-lanka-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-YfAXGf-juMw91SXy_6q8uYWCLzEenPewb8Xpt25ET22zuK8rRN2tGjwrQA24mOe4lDm7LPlWMmo-36aNPNRcYqOmgBiesDmPgvilBtoRozWykKVPO1zNA5CsK5wZetyUhPJ0FIvpC6uvKYNkynHR28Ztgvu_AenQDOhwdVyeS5qCpZ72AGhyPfwQ44/w320-h187/1709636143-export-earnings-sri-lanka-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Sri Lanka’s earnings from merchandise exports in January 2024 amounted to USD 970.7 million, marking a decline of 0.77% as opposed to the corresponding month last year, according to the Export Development Board (EDB).<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Compared to January 2023, agricultural exports have shown a ‘modest increase’ of 3.58%, reaching USD 225.43 million in January 2024, with export earnings from tea, rubber and rubber-furnished products, coconut0-based products showing positive growth, the EDB said in a press release.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtMskZTzofY8yg4Io9rGJZxjdFH_zvn-QbGwbJm9uMWZKdyMfgyuCOCEI5JsQXQCiOhdZJ6Jf3tjU4dp4eulJ9_uPGS5t0ZKOw2uIrKSSH44Q8uLUYhe1vFxG37qPu0i3MXgdhDDjdC-Pep6bYOgFtQBIiN5_mQ7cGt0qbjvXD5X-6e7w_X9EEijlrK4/s140/kiyawanna.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtMskZTzofY8yg4Io9rGJZxjdFH_zvn-QbGwbJm9uMWZKdyMfgyuCOCEI5JsQXQCiOhdZJ6Jf3tjU4dp4eulJ9_uPGS5t0ZKOw2uIrKSSH44Q8uLUYhe1vFxG37qPu0i3MXgdhDDjdC-Pep6bYOgFtQBIiN5_mQ7cGt0qbjvXD5X-6e7w_X9EEijlrK4/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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However, industrial exports have experienced a decline of 2.08% during the same period, dropping to USD 744.77 million, with earnings from apparel and textile, spices and essential oils, electrical and electronic components, diamonds, gems and jewellery witnessing negative growth.</div><div><br /></div><div>With regard to Sri Lanka’s performance in its top 15 major export markets, the EDB said Italy, Germany, and Canada have shown positive growth in January 2024 in comparison to the corresponding month last year.</div><div><br /></div><div>While the USA has continued as a key export destination for Sri Lanka, absorbing 23% of the island’s merchandise exports in 2024, exports to Sri Lanka’s single largest export destination, however, decreased by 13.46 % to USD 220.48 million in January 2024 compared to January 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>Additionally, exports to the United Kingdom have decreased by 12.79% to USD 67.52 million in January 2024 compared to the corresponding month in 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, in January this year, exports Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners India and Pakistan constituted 6.5% of the total merchandise exports, experienced a notable 16.76% decrease, reaching USD 62.03 million compared to January 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>Furthermore, exports to India have gone down by 18.18% USD 56.93 million in January 2024 while exports to Pakistan increased by 3.24% respectively during the month of January 2024 compared to January 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>With respect to Sri Lanka’s performance in regions, the EDB said exports to the European Union (EU), which accounts for 24% of the island’s exports, during the month of January 2024 decreased by 3.41% y-o-y to USD 195.33 million. </div><div><br /></div><div>Exports to the top five EU markets were recoded as; Italy - USD 49.57 million (increased by 7.27%), Germany - USD 49.34 million (increased by 2.54%), the Netherlands - USD 26.02 million (decreased by 2.0%), France USD 17.16 million (decreased by 4.08%) and Belgium USD 15.72 million (decreased by 19.67%) during the month of 2024 in comparison to the corresponding month in 2023</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-82218017214732888592024-03-05T07:20:00.000-08:002024-03-05T07:20:40.377-08:00Deadline for submission of bids for SriLankan extended<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bRMGasyiWvyNAwtS68bKKYlbrQ1W6PGCHzfE9vq9Kg1ioEzq-yKi-eb0feo_fyqIfvcI6DDSfAPz381KsxHCHY_RNZMBSaNBCpjHDCgJExrfPBDzY8lLUgcQn86uOXVovSZnJ5YdemooCWOb0lIqilSpYMC8JVls4Nz7lEfFZTJY-JbFKovgpAcX3WU/s650/1709616824-nimal-siripala-de-silva-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bRMGasyiWvyNAwtS68bKKYlbrQ1W6PGCHzfE9vq9Kg1ioEzq-yKi-eb0feo_fyqIfvcI6DDSfAPz381KsxHCHY_RNZMBSaNBCpjHDCgJExrfPBDzY8lLUgcQn86uOXVovSZnJ5YdemooCWOb0lIqilSpYMC8JVls4Nz7lEfFZTJY-JbFKovgpAcX3WU/s320/1709616824-nimal-siripala-de-silva-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The deadline for submission of bids for SriLankan Airlines has been extended by 45 days, says Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>A live auction was scheduled to take place today (March 05) to choose an investor for the divestment of SriLankan Airlines, as per a comment made by the lawmaker during Ada Derana’s ‘GET REAL’ segment last week.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/05/11/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rFdX68Y61_ZB0a2VfiGKhNBUAKwiIuoh04m_owYThAm300unEYYo0zv8Nv7i4GMPnzaccFqUoz3p3AQXSELEBdsOyAQrmDY6GlggmHl3Ce0FBskq2d6G4XXIYdYoIGM1W_FIGtX_IDEjUK8ujHoO6vVt2fZiuxeQNoH7_cQVI3PGxQmuTcRE2SxK8Fg/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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However, convening a media briefing today, the minister revealed that bids would be called for another 45 days before choosing an investor for the national carrier.</div><div><br /></div><div>Further, the Cabinet of Ministers has green-lighted a proposal for the government to absorb SriLankan Airlines’ outstanding debt to the tune of USD 510 million, the minister added.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition, the Cabinet approval has been given to allocate funds to maintain services of the national carrier for another six months.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-58298555636960651602024-03-04T19:18:00.000-08:002024-03-18T03:23:49.307-07:00Nissanka among nominees for ICC Player of the Month<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1KH_OJXvWv02ogpuuh7EzrppLmtZJIMnET-H6XcMFr0veNfdYZuasfp23dlh1nMdzLQrkshTG-_4BiVmzRZRfvgaqnHbV0hZ2DvJijDZDaYTdh4DpEPoyN_ZEM8WQ4Ii3A-9VawoSZU_37bw6-jgzV0jbh8E54jA8nBgHcrEydjYFkS_MHNvXc4vGDU/s650/1709544613-nissanka-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1KH_OJXvWv02ogpuuh7EzrppLmtZJIMnET-H6XcMFr0veNfdYZuasfp23dlh1nMdzLQrkshTG-_4BiVmzRZRfvgaqnHbV0hZ2DvJijDZDaYTdh4DpEPoyN_ZEM8WQ4Ii3A-9VawoSZU_37bw6-jgzV0jbh8E54jA8nBgHcrEydjYFkS_MHNvXc4vGDU/s320/1709544613-nissanka-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Three top-order batters from India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have made the shortlist for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award for February 2024.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)</div><div><br /></div><div>Pathum Nissanka is a top contender for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February 2024 after he slammed the first ever double century in ODIs by a Sri Lankan. </div><div><br /></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/18/14/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCL2WUcy1y4G2Vbzth0aEFcHLpd5j488qWkJvYmThGwgXdS5ruj8OyI3UkDA4MiUqAmLFEp71_ZkZG6h2FIP-WHtX_qaBmRVcOT2WuelXu7lVub36PM7aMGwOGSTffL4o4Z6iFNGBd_FFb-1-zB3MS-S7rpdNvaA4fqeacEbcAO8Ojz5O-Avj81s24I4/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The 25-year-old blasted 210* off just 139 balls against Afghanistan in Pallekele and then went on to end the series with another terrific hundred (118 off 101 balls).</div><div><br /></div><div>Nissanka beat Sanath Jayasuriya’s 24-year-old record for the highest score by a Sri Lankan in ODIs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jayasuriya had scored 189 against India in Sharjah in 2000. In the last 18 overs, Nissanka slammed 110 runs. He took merely 48 balls to reach his double ton after crossing his century, smashing 20 fours and eight sixes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nissanka carried the form into the T20Is, smashing 25 off 11 to give a riveting start in the second T20I against Afghanistan and then hit 60 off just 30 balls to kickstart a run-chase of 210. However, he retired hurt with the score on 83/2 and Sri Lanka ended up losing by three runs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kane Williamson (New Zealand)</div><div><br /></div><div>Kane Williamson played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s first-ever Test series victory over South Africa. The New Zealand veteran slammed two hundreds in the first Test in Mount Maunganui, and then made 133* to help his team chase down a tricky fourth-innings target in Hamilton to ensure the series victory.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was Williamson’s first instance of scoring two hundreds in a Test match. The impactful series he had ensured that New Zealand would climb up the ICC World Test Championship table, finishing in second position at the end of February with three wins in five Tests.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was in Hamilton, though, that Williamson reserved his best for with the team in trouble. Chasing 267, Williamson walked in at No.3 and struck a 133*, laced with 12 fours and two sixes to guide the Black Caps to a whitewash 2-0 series victory.</div><div><br /></div><div>The chase orchestrated by Williamson was the fourth-highest successful chase in New Zealand by the Black Caps and the fifth-highest overall. Williamson also notched his 32nd Test ton, now the highest among active players. He also claimed the title of the quickest to 32 Test centuries by innings, bettering Steve Smith who accomplished the feat in 174 innings.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)</div><div><br /></div><div>With back-to-back double centuries in the month, Yashasvi Jaiswal is a strong contender for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February 2024. Jaiswal was in top form against England, slamming 2019 in Vizag in the first innings of the second Test and then going on to make a second innings double century in the next Test in Rajkot to help India take a lead in the series.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jaiswal’s knocks helped India fight back from a loss in the first Test of the series. The left-handed opener also rose to the top of the leading run-scorer list in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jaiswal created several records in February, and equalled the long-standing Test record for most sixes in a Test innings (12) during his Rajkot knock. The back-to-back double hundreds at the age of 22 years and 49 days made him the third youngest batter in the world to record two double centuries in Tests after Sir Donald Bradman and Vinod Kambli.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jaiswal ended February with astounding numbers in the three Tests he featured in — 560 runs at an average of 112 including 20 sixes.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-46154885878515072122024-03-04T19:01:00.000-08:002024-03-18T03:15:41.251-07:00Indian companies eye critical minerals mining in Sri Lanka<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KwiX7_VbHgYwxZz1ZbSXU8kaxyshrs8nq__I1QxMLLjbdSAK-uozWhDAkc1owGapG3HgicnBbvrwTAZxdzL9UCmSOI80FKKd6FIGlbEzcpXLfqcTfg4hb9nU-4ZgR95kcEgikiNnfzIXjpSOdR02EI0bQVIzLb2os5YmMCEREb_h3iywb9hw57LzN9s/s650/1709535534-mineral-mining-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KwiX7_VbHgYwxZz1ZbSXU8kaxyshrs8nq__I1QxMLLjbdSAK-uozWhDAkc1owGapG3HgicnBbvrwTAZxdzL9UCmSOI80FKKd6FIGlbEzcpXLfqcTfg4hb9nU-4ZgR95kcEgikiNnfzIXjpSOdR02EI0bQVIzLb2os5YmMCEREb_h3iywb9hw57LzN9s/w320-h171/1709535534-mineral-mining-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>India’s Ministry of Mines hosted two meetings with industry stakeholders in January to discuss opportunities for the mining of critical minerals by Indian companies in Sri Lanka and Australia. These meetings were organised in line with the ministry’s broader push to strengthen India’s critical minerals supply chain through the acquisition of overseas mineral assets.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The ministry met with representatives from companies including Ola Electric, Hindalco Industries, </div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/18/13/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcy8A5hruMQ23mBU4QN2cbQHaFcEoJ-DwGhLyRE0QJ6Dj_OJmu1EWT6o7fPvJIlSoe5yqROCMdrz2FhhcFxnK3XgnX213WEtaVokhW65VfK8XGPBJdycCn6RS9IffCTLoFLNYqdGkANHkCVRWNkQrwSgvie9RJIo4uJvBuipl2H3fc029dhC3B0kJ3ScI/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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and Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation to discuss the prospects of graphite mining in Sri Lanka on January 5. Three days later, it organised a luncheon meeting to explore avenues for mining opportunities in Australia, which was attended by the Indian High Commissioner-designate to Australia, Gopal Bagley, and various industry representatives from companies including Coal India, Steel Authority of India, Vedanta, Tata Steel, Adani Group, and JSW Steel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sri Lanka holds significant reserves of vein graphite, a highly pure form of natural graphite that is only found on the island nation. Graphite is a critical mineral that is extensively used as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries. By weight, graphite is typically the largest component in lithium-ion batteries, with up to 70 kilograms of graphite used in an average electric vehicle (EV).</div><div><br /></div><div>Graphite’s vital application in EVs explains the participation of Ola Electric in the ministry meeting. Ola has previously shown interest in entering the critical minerals supply chain by participating in the ministry’s ongoing first tranche of critical minerals auction. It had also attended a ministry meeting in October on opportunities in Zambia for the mining of copper, which is used as the cathode material in EV batteries.</div><div><br /></div><div>India’s interest in Sri Lanka’s graphite coincides with the Sri Lankan government’s active pursuit of Indian companies for graphite mining in the country. “We have the best graphite in the world. Now, Indian companies will be manufacturing electric vehicles. One of the large components for electric batteries is graphite. We used to have about 30,000 graphite mines. So there’s a lot of opportunity with the expertise and the technology these Indian companies have, I think they should seriously look at Sri Lanka,” the Sri Lankan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said in an interview to ANI on February 22.</div><div><br /></div><div>Graphite mining in Sri Lanka peaked during the two World Wars in the 20th century, hitting over 30,000 tonnes in annual exports. In 2023, however, the country only exported graphite weighing around 2,500 tonnes and valuing roughly $6 million. Sri Lanka has graphite reserves of around 1.3 million tonnes, as per data with the US Geological Survey.</div><div><br /></div><div>Graphite in India is largely concentrated in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Jharkhand, with these three states collectively accounting for 74 per cent of India’s graphite resources. However, only Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and Odisha have graphite reserves, which are measured resources that are economically viable to extract.</div><div><br /></div><div>In FY22, India produced 57,264 tonnes of graphite and imported 54,052 tonnes from countries like China, Madagascar, and Mozambique. As per the National Mineral Inventory, India has graphite reserves of 8.56 million tonnes. In the mines ministry’s second tranche of critical minerals auction, which was announced on February 29, 6 out of 18 blocks up for auction contain graphite, with 3 blocks each in Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.</div><div><br /></div><div>The meeting on mining opportunities in Australia followed a meeting between V L Kantha Rao, the mines secretary, and Philip Green, the Australian High Commissioner to India, on December 12. Australia produces almost half of the world’s lithium and is the second-largest producer of cobalt. Both lithium and cobalt are used in EVs and consumer electronics.</div><div><br /></div><div>In March, 2022, Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), a joint venture company formed by the mines ministry, and Australia’s Critical Minerals Office (CMO) signed an MoU to jointly fund mineral explorations and support potential investments by Indian companies in critical minerals projects in Australia. In March, 2023, KABIL and the CMO identified 2 lithium and 3 cobalt target projects for due diligence studies, which are currently under progress.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Indian Express had previously reported that the mines ministry plans to support central PSUs like Coal India, NTPC, and Steel Authority of India in the acquisition of critical mineral assets overseas by sharing proposals received through partner countries in the US-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), of which Australia is also a part. PM Prasad, the chairperson of Coal India, representatives of which were present in the luncheon meeting in January, shared that a company team has visited mining sites in Australia and that talks are in the “preliminary stage only”, in the Q3FY24 earnings call.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-16737013785084699562024-03-04T18:36:00.000-08:002024-03-16T23:39:46.399-07:00Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 3 runs in first T20<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LXmDmzVyePH9pDmvRAYTJOj0DA-C8b7MLaFQpN59W7IYTpLqG7DbxZitP6qKnj9Z4ax-2XQ75JUrX0Cdh7CTLFfBlmAhFQwtQYzxDuHtsOqOgMtRTCMuCHwIREWtdEfvmMm4luWAVzx3fC7iulVTmZobEpwnrDUWsU2UsnK5Kj-0Ng8NYqy0Ohlqs4Q/s650/1709568762-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LXmDmzVyePH9pDmvRAYTJOj0DA-C8b7MLaFQpN59W7IYTpLqG7DbxZitP6qKnj9Z4ax-2XQ75JUrX0Cdh7CTLFfBlmAhFQwtQYzxDuHtsOqOgMtRTCMuCHwIREWtdEfvmMm4luWAVzx3fC7iulVTmZobEpwnrDUWsU2UsnK5Kj-0Ng8NYqy0Ohlqs4Q/w320-h183/1709568762-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Sri Lanka narrowly beat Bangladesh by three runs in the opening T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.</div><div><br /></div><div>While Sri Lanka dominated the majority of the game, Jaker Ali gave them a scare later on.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Fifties from Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama helped Sri Lanka compile 206/3.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/09/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKRgTncN6pyGpWeUOXyuQ7ry8Pm9gIAm3PTMOKTDcTpk27cdeVKrBJMptxT5bz6OpAMvNpmI3RPUIqC1ukspkjFMWmasKZPgRaR8P3l3r2A0gWu_LhLPvwtJZRFa6U5yfMz6LhIqFNiohkq-yVGX5epDYDHYW0CZXCSrAQvPDlIpAf7HZbq3GIIBYSYU/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Bangladesh were restricted to 203/8 in reply as Mahmudullah and Ali’s efforts went in vain.</div><div><br /></div><div>Brief scores from the first Twenty20 international between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Sylhet on Monday:</div><div><br /></div><div>Sri Lanka 206-3 in 20 overs (S. Samarawickrama 61 not out, K. Mendis 59, C. Asalanka 44 not out; Rishad Hossain 1-32, Taskin Ahmed 1-40) vs Bangladesh 203-8 in 20 overs (Jaker Ali 68, Mahmudullah Riyad 54; A Mathews 2-17, D. Shanaka 2-36)</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-50953449766044241282024-03-04T00:03:00.000-08:002024-03-16T23:29:13.343-07:00CBSL officials summoned to Cabinet over salary hike controversy<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_voMYE2bquD7W_3VxulAC0Ihj1n2uk_FBozadzIjA1i1pQfDMbRkuTN79gMutOx8Z2NVhk9oPJ1uBTRGCq6BVrr_iWB1ld_6db5KmX_jnRuCINQLrnvYUOUlPWNRfKL4hZMm6XgzpV7a4iK0sVJIpPfve64cqPvnuj_K1usWXK3EATIZiDI40QWUS5zY/s650/1709529286-CBSL-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_voMYE2bquD7W_3VxulAC0Ihj1n2uk_FBozadzIjA1i1pQfDMbRkuTN79gMutOx8Z2NVhk9oPJ1uBTRGCq6BVrr_iWB1ld_6db5KmX_jnRuCINQLrnvYUOUlPWNRfKL4hZMm6XgzpV7a4iK0sVJIpPfve64cqPvnuj_K1usWXK3EATIZiDI40QWUS5zY/w320-h183/1709529286-CBSL-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The officials of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) have been summoned to the Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on Tuesday (March 05).<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>There, the CBSL officials will be inquired about the process and rationale behind the recent salary hike given to its employees, with no notice to any responsible parties.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/08/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvrwb31947CcvZivce6ppLwc4_XhJ3WCg4i82oYH1l6B8ZuT_SFWCkcwfwr2njBhIEu6wlK-0bo7LbRDXGQBVGqPXSdbd7YMCprMGw9W2KBSC8ijFoKm0NFSKPlTA6KMd1pALTUvxM0pzTEYvpuBZretDqVbQFVu_yrn_WlnAJyZtoCV_L2qUBVfXlk4/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Recent media reports revealed that the CBSL had increased the salaries of its employees by 70% and the move was heavily criticized by parliamentarians of both the ruling party and the opposition.</div><div><br /></div><div>Earlier this week, the CBSL requested the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, for an opportunity to apprise the Members of Parliament, through an appropriate Parliamentary Committee, of the recent salary increment which came under fire. The request was made in writing by CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.</div><div><br /></div><div>Issuing a release in this regard, the CBSL had explained that the latest revision of remuneration of its employees had been approved by the Governing Board under the triennial Collective Agreement entered into with the Trade Unions covering the period 2024 - 2026.</div><div><br /></div><div>In light of the situation, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe suggested that CBSL officials be summoned before the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), for clarifications pertaining to the matter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thus, the relevant officials have also been summoned to the party leaders’ meeting and the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) which are scheduled to be held tomorrow (05).</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-74402560699192147262024-03-03T19:24:00.000-08:002024-03-16T23:17:27.603-07:00Sri Lanka’s tourism sector sees 122% growth in January, says State Minister<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_2gkfZmTGbcTNor8-frnsT7m8W-Y311_JBj060JPIeZYfgpKh-w0dEpkMebXjmSbdkR4-YXo6X2O405Pyn9E6N5xpe5FbHxe88j4dOa5s2Z_2PWc29NixhDFRtnvPGP5viNNkJs8RsqFmPy7bIKaB9AuM-IplsXFGH8YmEhbgpV14bFdTga8RuQxbQg/s650/1709480481-ranjith-3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="650" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_2gkfZmTGbcTNor8-frnsT7m8W-Y311_JBj060JPIeZYfgpKh-w0dEpkMebXjmSbdkR4-YXo6X2O405Pyn9E6N5xpe5FbHxe88j4dOa5s2Z_2PWc29NixhDFRtnvPGP5viNNkJs8RsqFmPy7bIKaB9AuM-IplsXFGH8YmEhbgpV14bFdTga8RuQxbQg/s320/1709480481-ranjith-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>A Sri Lankan State Minister on Sunday (03 March) said the country’s external sector performance has seen a marked improvement year on year, with tourism fetching $342 million in January 2024, an impressive 122% jump from last year.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking in Ruwanwella, his home constituency, Minister of State for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was delving into the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s external sector indicators issued mid-week.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/07/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK26l3LkKofUTAfzYh0opxysyZfC0Q0TF1cbAYTbuhTurINyRtDl2PpnYW5DWElfSxNsUh_vp_Xkg-4kNponcNySTMlJFVSEGUWBjKpYyM75W_GMTtAsSZNnan7lTS2yydBPlCjbOQw9__9M_mrWcGlJXQ2n-L3qoIGmTReNYHeZfRm9uuYRARzz9voc/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Siyambalapitiya said the bank figures show that receipts from tourism had fetched $342 million, which is a 122% growth in January 2024 year-on-year.</div><div><br /></div><div>The inward remittances from Sri Lankan expats in January 2024 had grown by 5% to $488 million up from $467 million in January 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Sri Lankan rupee, which had seen a massive slump during the unprecedented economic crisis, had appreciated by 14.6% in January of this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>The foreign reserves had increased to $4.5 billion in January, up 114% from $2.1 billion in January 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>The economy recorded positive growth in the third quarter of 2023 after six successive quarters of negative growth, Siyambalapitiya said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sri Lanka, in the second quarter of 2022, had declared bankruptcy, announcing the island’s first-ever sovereign default. Negotiations with the IMF for a bailout began almost immediately and the first tranche of the $2.9 billion facility was released in March 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>The finance ministry officials said the IMF officials are due this week to carry out its second review, after which the third tranche of the facility could be released by around June. </div><div><br /></div><div>The IMF-dictated reforms have proved to be unpopular, with the government resorting to hard economic measures such as high taxes, cost-recovery tariffs for utilities and a programme to sell loss-making state-owned enterprises.</div><div><br /></div><div>The opposition had vowed to renegotiate the IMF bailout to grant economic relief to the public hit by the economic crisis. By the end of the year, the presidential election is due to take place.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-23671187937311496472024-03-03T19:08:00.000-08:002024-03-16T22:10:32.736-07:00Applications open for 2024/25 Presidential Scholarship programme<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzE-hfD8BpEo1Ao0wdN0VXpH2YUjt8yKWvkWiZYC7vNcJzFxJymQU9sXC3VLzYS9H-KXNohBTSYhSlbPR5-fMUSm_Kbq5efXHiITIjIDIm2BbR01HjbHsEGH-PlApJ1EdYKNmwh4BqaK48t4rBNUMIqtLPDFSej8uzKsW0mv4wNHX3lzL7c_Or6SK36rQ/s650/1709451862-schol-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzE-hfD8BpEo1Ao0wdN0VXpH2YUjt8yKWvkWiZYC7vNcJzFxJymQU9sXC3VLzYS9H-KXNohBTSYhSlbPR5-fMUSm_Kbq5efXHiITIjIDIm2BbR01HjbHsEGH-PlApJ1EdYKNmwh4BqaK48t4rBNUMIqtLPDFSej8uzKsW0mv4wNHX3lzL7c_Or6SK36rQ/w320-h185/1709451862-schol-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The application process for the “Presidential Scholarship Program 2024/25” targeting 100,000 school students facing economic difficulties is now open, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Accordingly, in line with the vision of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, applications will be accepted until March 20, 2024.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/05/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcA-_4WveEcfn2t6QYaym6Bip7PhP9ODMLuITR67hy0-7ZeTIO1bQVrCCpjvAsmM6-XOVumuAX47kNNhDPRcvedOwYNawDTo7ePUaNZgDJEdGzn4ur4i__jnIHqVyup4SgnVi-3jVGDPVdy0nzJl5ceAQIFzJaF1m7DCAd7JBXIkIDuxvxLUO4TV99PHA/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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To apply, interested candidates can access the application form, instructions and all the relevant information in Sinhala, Tamil and English through the official Facebook page of the President’s Fund at www.facebook.com/president.fund and the official website www.presidentsfund.gov.lk, and are required to submit their completed applications to their respective school principals before the deadline.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Ministry of Education has issued a special circular to Zonal/Provincial Education Offices and all Principals of the government schools across the island regarding the selection process. Each school’s principal will head a committee responsible for selecting eligible students, with oversight from regional and provincial education authorities. </div><div><br /></div><div>The selection criteria outlined in the circular must be strictly adhered to, ensuring transparency throughout the process.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s important to note that applications should not be sent directly to the President’s Fund. Once the Ministry of Education forwards the list of selected scholarship recipients, along with their applications and details, the President’s Fund is set to disburse the scholarships over the course of 12 months starting from April 2024.</div><div><br /></div><div>The scholarship program aims to support 100,000 students from Grade 1 to Grade 11, spanning across 10,126 schools in Sri Lanka. A budget of Rs 3600 million has been allocated from the President’s Fund for the entire program.</div><div><br /></div><div>President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s vision behind this initiative is to ensure continuous access to education for children across the country. By identifying talented students studying under challenging circumstances and providing them with necessary support, the program aims to invest in the enhancement of Sri Lanka’s human capital.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-3068382383233929722024-03-03T18:49:00.000-08:002024-03-16T22:02:00.607-07:00President instructs to develop grass-root level national program for agri modernization<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkpX5pRpYTl-3jopJJYwIJZSZzJ3bThCfIs_xmYIWQfDf1rFB8CWAYFwkUpg_iquq6TIBv2mXIbrtR4HhyphenhyphenNiyrpB1Zq_PflZ9hbE8BCjKfdUEH20tYgXqJ-ElagdXQqh-WietnCCxhICBHAjF895NiooSsFwOuz-mn_NpHb1yqRMa5T4OO1CiIg-bRVE/s650/1709446454-modern-agri-table-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="650" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkpX5pRpYTl-3jopJJYwIJZSZzJ3bThCfIs_xmYIWQfDf1rFB8CWAYFwkUpg_iquq6TIBv2mXIbrtR4HhyphenhyphenNiyrpB1Zq_PflZ9hbE8BCjKfdUEH20tYgXqJ-ElagdXQqh-WietnCCxhICBHAjF895NiooSsFwOuz-mn_NpHb1yqRMa5T4OO1CiIg-bRVE/s320/1709446454-modern-agri-table-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>President Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed relevant officials to develop a national program integrating public and private sectors for successful agriculture modernization initiative.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The President highlighted that despite annual budget allocations at national, provincial and local levels, the separate operations of public and private institutions have led to delays in achieving desired outcomes. </div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/17/04/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIZd3R5Iceb0PlUx9KosmuzdO0HlcpneyG-pxqEk8wqwo1jmWVA84_X_Exw1jEEIDX6eHm5g85BPmZ0yCVOcqJuGLi1U2bSKg4hh5-Y3CMLvHpaLDb2I2YUm0YaNGAgS7EElodIlWO3XZB20uy06oGP6mPPSLW0y-icYzyG_dTOSvxQERzbUTIOUShcw/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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He underscored the importance of garnering support from both public and private agricultural research institutes, along with the university system, to address the challenges encountered in implementing this program.</div><div><br /></div><div>President Ranil Wickremesinghe conveyed these sentiments during the progress review meeting of the Agriculture Modernization Program, convened at the Presidential Secretariat recently.</div><div><br /></div><div>President Ranil Wickremesinghe also emphasized the necessity of formulating a national program that aligns with government policies and can be effectively implemented at the grass-root level.</div><div><br /></div><div>Furthermore, he instructed the relevant officials to initiate the 26 related projects promptly.</div><div><br /></div><div>The President elaborated that addressing this challenge requires a collaborative effort involving both the public and private sectors, as well as small and medium-scale agricultural entrepreneurs. The President reiterated his ultimate intention to establish an agricultural export economy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Senior Professor Gamini Senanayake briefed the President on the progress of the Agriculture Modernization Project, emphasizing that its implementation should elevate agriculture to a commercial level, safeguard agro-biodiversity and promote land ownership among individuals involved in agricultural activities.</div><div><br /></div><div>He expressed the expectation of establishing a Cabinet Sub-Committee under the Chairmanship of the President to address various obstacles and limitations arising in the implementation of the agriculture modernization program. </div><div><br /></div><div>Senior Professor Gamini Senanayake, noting the commencement of pilot projects in 26 Divisional Secretariats across all 25 districts, mentioned that each Divisional Secretariat has been allocated LKR 25 million for agricultural modernization projects. Furthermore, he highlighted that project proposals have already been received from all the selected divisional secretariats.</div><div><br /></div><div>Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs, Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation, B.L.A.J. Dharmakeerthi, Secretary of the Ministry of Irrigation, Saman Darshana Padikorala, Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries, K.N .Kumari Somaratne, Secretary of the Ministry of Technology, Dr. Dharma Sri Kumaratunga, Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Home Affairs Provincial Councils and Local Government, Pradeep Yasaratne, Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva and others, including heads of line ministries, departments and representatives from the private sector engaged in the agricultural sector including Mr. Dudley Sirisena, participated in this discussion.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-69319221307307978102024-03-03T18:12:00.000-08:002024-03-03T18:12:26.085-08:00Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ready for series with World Cup in mind<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACqdmYiHBvPVg1IwcJ6TySJI7NaSUchHfZCa7qrqCECdNqn2MZycHxcQ53lZL9pobF7r41tqLXL2AF6CigpqS_eo4ebkBh2A34QUiCExa9rph-QxoxrV79w36Hv3vJYfOLlOF9EUNcd4LGTD4CVoiRVggFIC0zHmCYvWze-Y1hgPQJ2nklSE1LOZm4MU/s650/1709486286-shanto3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="650" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACqdmYiHBvPVg1IwcJ6TySJI7NaSUchHfZCa7qrqCECdNqn2MZycHxcQ53lZL9pobF7r41tqLXL2AF6CigpqS_eo4ebkBh2A34QUiCExa9rph-QxoxrV79w36Hv3vJYfOLlOF9EUNcd4LGTD4CVoiRVggFIC0zHmCYvWze-Y1hgPQJ2nklSE1LOZm4MU/s320/1709486286-shanto3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said on Sunday he wanted his team to use the three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka to perfect the format ahead of the World Cup in June.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The series, which opens Monday in Sylhet, marks the start of Sri Lanka’s month-long tour of Bangladesh, which also includes three one-day internationals and two Tests.</div><div><br /></div><div>Najmul said it was critical to “play as a team”, noting that big wins last year were because “everyone contributed”.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/04/01/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnHRm01s8RI9NwqoKMFJG1EkxDvhfF6HcMHE-kJ-GwHe6Fm-x2R95wTZuaeX_2e4FyFt-zG0s9yimGpQolbGq0WiMTAB14p5HzbHXR8ah9B30c-802ptas2atDnehAA4oq-nYITQWiKVEhVe3UTyPfqSAfNnP04t2tyQKzFHq88K1pQjEFUXu32z4uCU/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Bangladesh have never defeated Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 series.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood said he was expecting a “very competitive series between two good sides”.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep the momentum going</div><div><br /></div><div>Bangladesh defeated world champions England 3-0 at home in 2023, and also won series against Ireland and Afghanistan, before drawing a three-match series 1-1 against New Zealand.</div><div><br /></div><div>Najmul said he wanted to keep the momentum going into the World Cup, hosted this year by the United States and the West Indies.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Last year, we did well in T20s, and I think we have improved in T20s,” Najmul told reporters.</div><div><br /></div><div>“If we can improve ... then hopefully we will be able to compete with anyone in any condition.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are both in Group D for the World Cup, along with South Africa, Nepal and the Netherlands.</div><div><br /></div><div>“It is very important that we play eight or 11 matches before going to the World Cup,” Najmul said.</div><div><br /></div><div>“If we take these matches ... and decide how we want to play in the World Cup, then it will be easy to plan,” he said.</div><div><br /></div><div>The World Cup is a key focus of Sri Lanka too.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Obviously, we’re now in the build-up to what is an important competition in the World Cup,” Silverwood said</div><div><br /></div><div>“What we have to do ... is concentrate on what’s in front of us and remember what we’re aiming for.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The second and third T20 matches will be held on March 6 and 9, both also at Sylhet.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-47195798312260352842024-03-01T19:19:00.000-08:002024-03-01T19:19:42.194-08:00Kusal Perera ruled out of Bangladesh T20Is due to ‘respiratory infection’<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSSgSLZLsnTJ0RpM4F_-NaudT6ueag-qdG1tgQpaMJnePTuRhJKE-mtH3o75oCNl1pdzpC22t8hNOa8Yvznum-E9HtTdmiMaEbf47YvcsU0At1jyVy3ufJHVOuKs45knNqkVFtRSPC3-qPfFU3KnzxmojzO1-Mr82S03_gBqtk_87We0m28j91DGXO8U/s650/1709303653-Kusal-Janith-Perera--l.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSSgSLZLsnTJ0RpM4F_-NaudT6ueag-qdG1tgQpaMJnePTuRhJKE-mtH3o75oCNl1pdzpC22t8hNOa8Yvznum-E9HtTdmiMaEbf47YvcsU0At1jyVy3ufJHVOuKs45knNqkVFtRSPC3-qPfFU3KnzxmojzO1-Mr82S03_gBqtk_87We0m28j91DGXO8U/s320/1709303653-Kusal-Janith-Perera--l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Janith Perera has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh due to a “respiratory infection”.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have announced Niroshan Dickwella as Perera’s replacement.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The 30-year-old last played white-ball cricket for Sri Lanka in June 2022, while his last T20I came a year before that against England in Southampton. He recently scored consecutive 50s in the National Super League limited-overs tournament.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/02/02/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIH1VZ0qfev9lQc6cJ6TZ4rZr5FLP0ZQJEG_b-NdkfkXEfeAbEf8k1t9LPfTHIj20fNaRF-j4xCHyeP35ubBhtB0Db1btClh3KxNAUSSq8127T7ji80l0DSj9OI6XPYDsm2OWqCGS8_ojO0mUuk90ayAnMb_I_5PNx_4Tzlgn4vFkXf8B02v_erhf-v4/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The SLC said in a statement:</div><div><br /></div><div>“Kusal Janith Perera, who was included in the T20I squad, will not take part in the series as he is suffering from a respiratory infection. Perera did not join the team, which left for Bangladesh yesterday. The Cricket Selection Committee has named Niroshan Dickwella in place of Kusal Janith Perera. Dickwella will join the team tomorrow.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Perera played just the final of the three T20Is against Afghanistan, where he got out for a duck. Sri Lanka went on to claim the series 2-1.</div><div><br /></div><div>T20I has been Dickwella’s weakest format as he was dropped on poor form following Sri Lanka’s tour of England in 2021. He has 480 runs from 27 innings at an average of 18.46 and a strike rate of 131.14.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Wednesday, it was confirmed that opener Pathum Nissanka would also miss the series due to a hamstring issue. Avishka Fernando took his place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Leg-spin all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has been named as captain for the series. Hasaranga will, however, miss the first two matches due to the ban imposed on him for openly criticizing the umpiring following the last T20I against Afghanistan. Senior batting all-rounder Charith Asalanka will take the captaincy armband in his absence.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first T20I will be played on Monday, March 4 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sri Lanka’s updated T20I squad without Kusal Perera:</div><div><br /></div><div>Wanindu Hasaranga (C), Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Binura Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay and Dilshan Madushanka.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-93072749796926112024-02-29T22:40:00.000-08:002024-02-29T22:40:38.760-08:00Sri Lanka ratifies UN Convention on Int’l Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6haEgldAjjkFJ1EvDO4He-RUmwCGFihxPkKbHt_74gMbUzYyUl8otHMol56HuGSZgIHzS7BoGR_Nv2zsf-lWZ1S4Zhwo0I7UfiVoHBHyX4Z0t27yqQeLZZVosZYWdWL5z0vyDJ-b_D5k0uXD6lUs9LtDp3tPIuF4jBRRsBMhuhzXF_1aDbPT2JaF8CTA/s650/1709264829-Singapore-Convention-on-Mediation-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6haEgldAjjkFJ1EvDO4He-RUmwCGFihxPkKbHt_74gMbUzYyUl8otHMol56HuGSZgIHzS7BoGR_Nv2zsf-lWZ1S4Zhwo0I7UfiVoHBHyX4Z0t27yqQeLZZVosZYWdWL5z0vyDJ-b_D5k0uXD6lUs9LtDp3tPIuF4jBRRsBMhuhzXF_1aDbPT2JaF8CTA/s320/1709264829-Singapore-Convention-on-Mediation-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>With the deposit of the instrument of ratification at the UN Headquarters in New York, Sri Lanka has become the 14th State Party to the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, also known as the “Singapore Convention on Mediation”.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The ratification by Sri Lanka was effected on 28 February 2024, and the Convention will enter into force for Sri Lanka on 28 August 2024.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/01/06/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgZfUvCxVmTAJ2rIr7t9bAYocUleOwQg6IePjNqDVBLl4IB4nFPeR1ynsbyqSVNXPeyBXeCfYlW1BjYiYb8BvNXjV7q00qKs7Dwfog9D_tOgHFp2UyNcu1edfKjo6Zq_LTUTwBPrlGEHPMpsb_yd9a5ztKfqdxOHJ8I1jgvDT4FvGeHuLbEynDfUzPQU/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The Singapore Convention on Mediation facilitates international trade and promotes mediation as an alternative and effective method of resolving commercial disputes by providing an effective mechanism for the enforcement of international settlement agreements resulting from mediation.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Convention is open for signature, ratification, and accession by States and regional economic integration organizations.</div><div><br /></div><div>In total, fifty-six States have signed the Convention since it opened for signature on 7 August 2019. Up-to-date information on the Convention and its status is available on the UNCITRAL website: uncitral.un.org.</div><div><br /></div><div>The UNCITRAL is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. Its mandate is to remove legal obstacles to international trade by progressively modernizing and harmonizing trade law. It prepares legal texts in a number of key areas such as international commercial dispute settlement, electronic commerce, insolvency, international payments, sale of goods, transport law, procurement and infrastructure development.</div><div><br /></div><div>UNCITRAL also provides technical assistance to law reform activities, including assisting Member States to review and assess their law reform needs and to draft the legislation required to implement UNCITRAL texts.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-71362338234955280362024-02-29T18:36:00.000-08:002024-03-14T07:32:50.906-07:00President pledges swift relief to all eligible ‘Aswasuma’ beneficiaries<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fsLyGlNFSejX5xQfRWEzX30oyQGinVVB6DbJ4XLtc5xkpxaBD33O6u-LMtfkPgu7IedmdrLQdxh39WGue3-cMYAn2TzJEWxJD_KoZs4BcTbWqEM8lEocIgB9VYAqSQEjWYVSQm0a9wXcNIQDE_ssrj-H3e6it7XX61E9eoLQ8yBE21eAUWsOGzvk5ag/s650/1709202851-pres-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fsLyGlNFSejX5xQfRWEzX30oyQGinVVB6DbJ4XLtc5xkpxaBD33O6u-LMtfkPgu7IedmdrLQdxh39WGue3-cMYAn2TzJEWxJD_KoZs4BcTbWqEM8lEocIgB9VYAqSQEjWYVSQm0a9wXcNIQDE_ssrj-H3e6it7XX61E9eoLQ8yBE21eAUWsOGzvk5ag/s320/1709202851-pres-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>President Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasized that swift relief would be provided to all eligible “Aswasuma” beneficiaries while stressing the importance of government officials’ support in effectively delivering the “Aswasuma” and “Urumaya” benefits to the people. <span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Furthermore, President Wickremesinghe commended all Grama Niladhari Officers for their unwavering commitment to supporting the government’s successful implementation of these two programs despite facing hardships.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ikman.lankahotnews.com/2024/03/google-terminates-suspects-youtube.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2okNPKLtKg8uFgVi_m3mw3Alt8b0S6JECpnu6ej0-20xZwH5-3HhPqoRHi2kKtF6yHr_h6Zd5kM0lGC5cJlx6PdPrup9LPNN-woSi2ZOwEai6N2TSe_XoNlgpV2NI-UoLS2Y0B4N-lUqituanmTkfZ1-fGmX_ttavYWVPMCgOSfWhQ054k5uMn0NvtM/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Wickremesinghe also promised to consider their proposals and address their issues, the PMD mentioned.</div><div><br /></div><div>He made these observations during a meeting at the Matale Wilgamuwa Divisional Secretariat on the “Aswasuma” program implementation today (29).</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile the President also made a visit to Wilgamuwa Pallegama Madhya Maha Vidyalaya today (Feb. 29), to assess the educational activities of the students.</div><div><br /></div><div>The President’s visit coincided with his attendance at a discussion held at the Wilgamuwa Divisional Secretariat auditorium regarding the “Aswasuma” program, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, on his way to the auditorium, President Wickremesinghe spotted students at the Pallegama Madhya Maha Vidyalaya stadium and took the opportunity to engage with them in a friendly conversation, inquiring about their educational pursuits, it added.</div><div><br /></div><div>During his visit, President Wickremesinghe also conversed with the teachers at the school, discussing both the students’ academic endeavours and any identified shortcomings within the educational system. Drawing attention to some of the issues raised during his interaction, the President assured the students of his commitment to addressing them promptly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Additionally, he offered his blessings for their future educational activities, encouraging them to strive for excellence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Amidst his engagement with the students and school, President Wickremesinghe did not overlook the importance of involving parents and residents in discussions about the school’s welfare, the PMD said.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-58676608113205061562024-02-27T23:40:00.000-08:002024-03-13T23:09:05.696-07:00India to push rupee investments in Sri Lanka - report<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06SfT_rOQaf7FVa1qH171jQVWumSDjJx47h5jY4IFYJU0l4ZWkFbIGmw6TsE7mue1CgI8dZ4bVNk931v2UffjSbKb1yTsd6hc-YzCr3oqh1lzwlcDotM7fSwuI2vRRaFL_xHSNHMuOXFeF40Pf9OEvXOqidfQJQdq80KtQ0V9XHnEXrP_HbPtS_Sjrpw/s650/1709040381-indian-rupee-sri-lanka.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="650" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06SfT_rOQaf7FVa1qH171jQVWumSDjJx47h5jY4IFYJU0l4ZWkFbIGmw6TsE7mue1CgI8dZ4bVNk931v2UffjSbKb1yTsd6hc-YzCr3oqh1lzwlcDotM7fSwuI2vRRaFL_xHSNHMuOXFeF40Pf9OEvXOqidfQJQdq80KtQ0V9XHnEXrP_HbPtS_Sjrpw/s320/1709040381-indian-rupee-sri-lanka.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The Indian government is working on operationalizing Rupee investments in Sri Lanka in a move to boost Indian investments in its southern neighbour, two people aware of the matter told Mint.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Rupee investments will ease the way for Indian firms to enter the Sri Lankan markets, the people mentioned above said, speaking under the condition of anonymity.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/14/03/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwVsLEl7_SQViV77esTE8c5AdPjqw2gOWjId9RX1kYp9hnhufRxxGL7mzjUSjju6T4D_LdzaNA85s_nwzxolzQxJHES6XHvpQ8cBam7Sa6kp0IQEt8L2IgQ1P7tn8Fv7Yh-bD0qpxJpBqnz5_JY1MaLacNmVKpwY2a8wSEgIdR4taKMLqx265dwRd4FY/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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During FY 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed invoicing and payments for international trade in the Indian Rupee.</div><div><br /></div><div>This allowed exports and imports to be denominated and invoiced in Indian rupees, with the settlement of trade transactions taking place in the currency.</div><div><br /></div><div>The RBI’s decision is aimed at promoting the growth of global trade, especially Indian exports, apart from systematically internationalizing the currency. India wants the Indian Rupee to be a hard currency in the future, the second person mentioned above said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last year, Sri Lanka notified the Indian Rupee as a designated currency, which enabled trade between the two countries to be settled in the currency and also allowed tourists visiting the island-nation to use the currency for transactions.</div><div><br /></div><div>India now hopes to work with Sri Lankan to make it easier for Indian firms to invest in the island nation.</div><div><br /></div><div>“At present, Indian investors invest in the country through international currencies like the dollar, which is more cumbersome and involves conversion costs,” said one of the persons cited above.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Rupee investments will ease the way for Indian firms to enter the Sri Lankan markets. The ministry of external affairs (MEA), in particular, is learnt to be pushing for this change,” the person added.</div><div><br /></div><div>Spokespersons of India’s MEA, finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) didn’t respond to emailed queries.</div><div><br /></div><div>India has built a closer economic relationship with Sri Lanka in recent years.</div><div><br /></div><div>India is a key partner of Sri Lanka, playing a pivotal role in its recovery from the economic crisis that started in 2019 and threatened to derail the economy of the South Asian nation.</div><div><br /></div><div>The crisis that peaked in 2022-23 saw spiralling inflation, emptying of foreign exchange reserves, and shortages of basic commodities.</div><div><br /></div><div>While the IMF extended assistance of $3 billion, India gave an assistance of over $4 billion to Sri Lanka aiding its economic recovery.</div><div><br /></div><div>India’s financial assistance included credit lines, a currency swap arrangement and deferred import payments.</div><div><br /></div><div>India and Sri Lanka also unveiled a slew of connectivity initiatives during President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to India last July. These include proposals for a petroleum pipeline, power grid linkages, a land bridge and a comprehensive Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA).</div><div><br /></div><div>On 19 February, Mint reported that the ETCA deal is expected to be finalized in FY25, with negotiations in advanced stages.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Pushing for rupee investments will also aid Indian firms, which have made high-profile investments in Sri Lanka,” the person mentioned above said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Major Indian corporate houses have invested in Sri Lanka. For instance, the Adani Group is developing the West Container Terminal in Colombo Port, for which it received $553 million from the US government’s Development Finance Corporation (DFC).</div><div><br /></div><div>The group is also considering a $750 million initial investment in Sri Lanka’s power sector, according to reports.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a vision to make Indian currency into a hard currency in the coming years, which will enable it to become a part of the IMF’s SDR (special drawing rights) basket, and allow it to be held as a foreign exchange reserve, the second person said.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-24851034945604911342024-02-26T18:11:00.000-08:002024-03-12T00:42:15.730-07:00United Petroleum Australia enters Sri Lanka’s retail fuel market<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPVYrbrp7QMn0Nj3a9_8p08OSeKAkFWN971nnXp1fP3rickxLAN9IhWuclKLYF9uHHKjmyi7VdJrZG0J2xnfIXXs9sgW-SRL2lc2mJ21UDwz2DejXI5JGUjHfFWKm-53Z-_fwu0eNZiuLaUF5WxqKciLFkbbuYpnRzySkNKyVbuIloo4bXYknWr5ncEE/s650/1708929216-UNITED-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="650" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPVYrbrp7QMn0Nj3a9_8p08OSeKAkFWN971nnXp1fP3rickxLAN9IhWuclKLYF9uHHKjmyi7VdJrZG0J2xnfIXXs9sgW-SRL2lc2mJ21UDwz2DejXI5JGUjHfFWKm-53Z-_fwu0eNZiuLaUF5WxqKciLFkbbuYpnRzySkNKyVbuIloo4bXYknWr5ncEE/s320/1708929216-UNITED-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>United Petroleum Australia Pty Ltd has entered into a contract with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Power and Energy to supply petroleum products into the local market.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The agreement was signed on 22 February by Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, and Eddie Hirsch, on behalf of United Petroleum Australia, in his capacity as the owner of the company.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/12/03/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJSpSKDXzVc0UO3jZBKoV0Gt7f-WQmiEhP7mEXDcvxf5c4gm3LY2xYmhl45TbEzScyflQBdzgrAd1d0we4yX7ytiuj38cBIaDxaE3LT9o7BOIoRWcpRJYxTBJKvAFVNeDurOOcV6Lasj3_blfuM-vnFyhe221r60MvWHruZFWszi3y0mcTtczE6BAhr4/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The Australian-owned petroleum retailer and importer has been assigned 150 fuel stations across Sri Lanka, and has also been given the right to build 50 new fuel stations.</div><div><br /></div><div>Accordingly, United Petroleum Australia incorporated a company in Sri Lanka under the name ‘United Petroleum Lanka Pvt. Ltd.’, to carry out operations within the country, with former Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO) Board Member Dr. Prabath Samarasinghe having been appointed as the Director and CEO of the company.</div><div><br /></div><div>This marks the first expansion of the Australian company’s expansion of its retail petroleum outside of Australia, with the company owning over 500 fuel stations across Australia.</div><div><br /></div><div>Issuing a statement on the expansion, Director of United Petroleum Lanka stated “United is a billion-dollar company with focus on quality, safety and environment. Owners of the company believe that they should be able to benchmark good practices to Sri Lankan retail petroleum market and enhance the quality of products and services to its customers”.</div><div><br /></div><div>In March 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers gave the nod to award licenses to China’s Sinopec, Australia’s United Petroleum and RM Parks of the USA, in collaboration with multinational oil and gas company - Shell PLC, to enter the fuel retail market in Sri Lanka</div><div><br /></div><div>In 2022, the Sri Lankan government decided to open up Sri Lanka’s fuel import and retail sales market to companies from oil-producing nations in a bid to address the foreign exchange crisis. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Petroleum Products (Special Provisions) Bill also received the approval of ministerial consultative committee on power & energy, paving the way for new suppliers to enter the local fuel market as importers, distributors, and retail operators for petroleum products.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-77005431521254827232024-02-26T18:10:00.000-08:002024-03-12T00:14:08.940-07:00Inaugural T10 League to get underway in December<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI0cCQ6oASqsYN7ekOnfAvDExHQAqn1JWtA3CAqM-4vHott41BYFTffW57b2UowVeL1ZoQbKvLXzM_JDlOFs_V2yrx7jzE8D9vR62yBPkVAIX0OQ6GwaerswUCyfNgjKfSagS_teA5z_OaKLOu4rymENCjMIkMnsh_UlyH_5OfMOpmFuA31wXw_fh_dM/s650/1708946366-t10-3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="650" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI0cCQ6oASqsYN7ekOnfAvDExHQAqn1JWtA3CAqM-4vHott41BYFTffW57b2UowVeL1ZoQbKvLXzM_JDlOFs_V2yrx7jzE8D9vR62yBPkVAIX0OQ6GwaerswUCyfNgjKfSagS_teA5z_OaKLOu4rymENCjMIkMnsh_UlyH_5OfMOpmFuA31wXw_fh_dM/w320-h199/1708946366-t10-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The inaugural edition of the Lanka T10 League is scheduled to be held from 12 – 22 December, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Monday (26 Feb.).<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The tournament, which was initially planned to be held in June 2023, was later shifted to December 2023, and now December 2024, as SLC deemed the ‘December window’ the most appropriate to conduct the league successfully.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/12/02/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrP3z_BTzrAIJXcgrvukJc0jrLVhkFY7pAznJLQ3WHq-NYRsFqniRhocAZbdKktD3yVrH1IV_9v7EKdq_jTCUwQrAWIwnZO9avQz163P2Zxp-0kT6HAbX_OuTWrsOc4xBvg7N87GwPSxTJbuWwknAYCVJFrqoXGffxOvn8iRv7kFn1DXD3-870ShGYUI/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Lanka T10 League, Sri Lanka’s newest addition to its annual cricket calendar, will feature some of the finest international stars along with Sri Lanka’s top international stars, with six men’s teams of 16 players each, including six foreign players per team.</div><div><br /></div><div>The action-packed competition will also provide opportunities for the brightest young talents in the country to mix, mingle, and play along with international stars. </div><div><br /></div><div>“I have full confidence that this tournament will be a resounding success, contributing to Sri Lanka Cricket’s ability to stay current with the evolving trends in the game”, SLC President Shammi Silva opined.</div><div><br /></div><div>Adding more thoughts on the Lanka T10 December tournament, Silva said, “We foresee that this event will not solely captivate cricket enthusiasts, but also serve as a catalyst for popularizing the tournament broadly.” </div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, Anil Mohan, the Founder and CEO of the Innovative Production Group FZE </div><div>(IPG) Group and one of the constituent members of the consortium holding the event rights for the Lanka T10 League said, “This is a great stepping stone for us as we get to organise another exciting chapter in Sri Lankan Cricket. Our league unites the top international stars and local talent on an exciting platform for cricket enthusiasts worldwide. Together, we aim to make history and elevate the game with every thrilling match.”</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-22480759593083637532024-02-22T18:51:00.000-08:002024-03-11T19:55:39.087-07:00Vietnam to share digital agriculture expertise with Sri Lanka<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Xz_qVSDljFoQXS-CNAdH42CYoQMTpVfR5kPb1OIA27Wv9zAoQcrcg3XvNUjiVEac_0UieiWF0VH09mJhWN3CKdXVxKsut0nzfVIHHjEAZ4pF68ERg4-Pc6MMki1prZ-AAgFeFyqLlkoy69bbI9UkqN6YF_0g6e52hsRqLx2AWfH-mJahakxllY5tVmQ/s650/1708588574-digital-agriculture-l.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Xz_qVSDljFoQXS-CNAdH42CYoQMTpVfR5kPb1OIA27Wv9zAoQcrcg3XvNUjiVEac_0UieiWF0VH09mJhWN3CKdXVxKsut0nzfVIHHjEAZ4pF68ERg4-Pc6MMki1prZ-AAgFeFyqLlkoy69bbI9UkqN6YF_0g6e52hsRqLx2AWfH-mJahakxllY5tVmQ/s320/1708588574-digital-agriculture-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Vietnam’s Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Minh Hoan Le called on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at Temple Trees in Colombo on Wednesday (Feb.21).<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>They have discussed close bilateral ties and ways and means of enhancing cooperation in many spheres, especially on rural development and social empowerment, according to the PM’s Office.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/12/01/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTUsLnC2NipxR09e1ikPUlIpLbXXmtocOJyFkHCi4L3c45dBKaEqlZJP5eHlpHZtFbjPNzlSq0Tmaww_eZ6yzXRs40RkiLfgvDWAKjNfDbGcR1MRzfgXecRMiGQ1KonWJlwo2x6-L1G6cBo2WPwLtfkiwuwobNZZ9OV3JIyg2d3DikI6OnDgOlgydB28/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Vietnamese Minister thanked Sri Lanka for the support extended during the Vietnamese liberation movement. He said Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to recognize Vietnam immediately after its independence and unification.</div><div><br /></div><div>PM Gunawardena congratulated Vietnam for the success of rapid economic development after gaining independence after a valiant freedom struggle. He praised the innovative methods adopted by Vietnam to successfully attract foreign investments and requested to share its experience with Sri Lanka for modernization of agriculture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Minister Minh Hoan Le acceded to the Prime Minister’s request and added that Vietnam considers Sri Lanka as a special friend and his country cold share expertise in digital agriculture and smart agriculture.</div><div><br /></div><div>He said both countries with rich backgrounds of Buddhism and socialism have a similar approach to people-oriented development. As such, both countries emphasize on uplifting rural communities through agriculture development, he said.</div><div><br /></div><div>The high-level Vietnam delegation included Ambassador Ho Thi Thanh Truc, Director Generals, Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Le Trung Quan, Nguyen Nhu Cuong, Huynh Tan Dat and Le Duc Thinh.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-50390775623006074142024-02-21T20:31:00.000-08:002024-02-21T21:59:24.990-08:00EU to brief Sri Lanka on new GSP Regulation today<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibia3yQfQA7wcZTW-oZIIALQyDeUV_9o9UZV7kONmjuwfDDFHbr80pEs2VIICmbNWpqTk4UJ9y6-U2yqaBoMdCk9w5fVEIiZjGohTY1EsRt0C1JS1jjjgy-gqu8OOm7WdWHs9h_KnHh8JVfuVuc7msD4R3GQ4_k2UqspUoke2dU4iBdpNfnkxiT6I5Dlw/s650/1708575692-European-Union-Sri-Lanka-L.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibia3yQfQA7wcZTW-oZIIALQyDeUV_9o9UZV7kONmjuwfDDFHbr80pEs2VIICmbNWpqTk4UJ9y6-U2yqaBoMdCk9w5fVEIiZjGohTY1EsRt0C1JS1jjjgy-gqu8OOm7WdWHs9h_KnHh8JVfuVuc7msD4R3GQ4_k2UqspUoke2dU4iBdpNfnkxiT6I5Dlw/s320/1708575692-European-Union-Sri-Lanka-L.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The 26th session of the Joint Commission between Sri Lanka and the European Union (EU) will be convened today (Feb.22) in Brussels.</div><div><br /></div><div>The meeting will be co-chaired by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary, Aruni Wijewardane and EU European External Action Service Deputy Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Paola Pampaloni.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Sri Lanka delegation to the Joint Commission comprises senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attorney General’s Department and Ministry of Finance.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ikman.lankahotnews.com/2024/02/king-charles.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabg15N5PguiyQ-9Lhq2Y_xaqdM5L8L7Cglc0cdfkJSbYj6cZcVzHOkssMJfyN8w14-CJJDHQbDvfiqjJcFSR6fCjSa1Y6VVvnVJcssvT_UKuqxvE2-1TdXHZGnhyphenhyphenvfQdW94bEOH8VxXWpxD6oLd2m4sSC30dKI9leFi-rkDAP_T0SnmxQGyZnD8Gmen8/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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The EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission serves as a platform for dialogue and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the European Union, covering a broad range of bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest inter alia trade and investments, development assistance, fisheries, education, counter-terrorism, governance and human rights, Indo-pacific and maritime security and environment.</div><div><br /></div><div>The outcome of the three Working Groups which reports to the Joint Commission, Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights, Trade and Economic Cooperation, and Development Cooperation will be presented to the Joint Commission.</div><div><br /></div><div>The European Union will also brief on the current developments in the EU including an update on the new GSP Regulation and the new cycle of the EU GSP+ concessions.</div><div><br /></div><div>The previous session of the Joint Commission meeting was held in May 2023 in Colombo.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937029617628726161.post-50035837625950200012024-02-21T19:28:00.000-08:002024-03-06T22:44:33.347-08:00CEB to submit electricity tariff reduction proposal to PUCSL today<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qL-X54SnMq1f_wyqsm8mjl15_nuQVwLvNiH9Qw-rTg4t1Ogct3cZ6Ahmdi1PsjOXPWOL4KeVkqiPficeOgxgkds61cl85BfXxqf7OQRwrABOuk9nONJz5wDY1kuBryExKEjPE6bOxELoOMTaEGHFllGNGS8cG5xPnLhm7h8shGHQKyNk4l60SUYEmyA/s650/1708572150-sri-lanka-electricity-bills-l.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qL-X54SnMq1f_wyqsm8mjl15_nuQVwLvNiH9Qw-rTg4t1Ogct3cZ6Ahmdi1PsjOXPWOL4KeVkqiPficeOgxgkds61cl85BfXxqf7OQRwrABOuk9nONJz5wDY1kuBryExKEjPE6bOxELoOMTaEGHFllGNGS8cG5xPnLhm7h8shGHQKyNk4l60SUYEmyA/w320-h187/1708572150-sri-lanka-electricity-bills-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The proposal seeking to reduce electricity tariffs will be handed over to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) during the course of the day, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) says.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>CEB Spokesperson, Eng. Noel Priyantha said the state-owned electricity supplier intends to provide the benefits of the profits it earned to the consumers through this tariff revision.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://biz.worldbnews.com/biz/07/09/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="20" data-original-width="140" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycazOKIP_mc0UWX4CwImHcQm6SQxBnJiyuOJ0871ni6XwKvt_bJmrSmGor4ziqbh5CIJtztJ4J0KrN_kYkwG4FWi0FEBCzLPSeWrrt0EB70V3Lz667h18e6tzo4cgbKKKGd1j2bRdCwzk__d_VBXXSHfu1Kb2NvmZ8xZZESLhONw9_HbSc0X241HnBfE/s1600/kiyawanna.gif" width="140" /></a></div></div><div>
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Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera told the Parliament yesterday (Feb.22) that the CEB expects to reduce the rates by at least the same rates and percentages as was increased in October 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>In October last year, the electricity tariffs were raised by 18% for domestic and religious places of worship, by 12% for industries and hotels and by 24% for government institutions.</div></div>Gossip Lanka Hot Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674847943297945950noreply@blogger.com0