Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit India in the next few days to sign agreements to obtain financial assistance from India
External Affairs Minister GL Peiris said that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit India in the next few days to sign agreements to obtain financial assistance from India. Accordingly, an agreement to obtain a loan facility of one billion dollars will be signed there, he said. The Minister said that the money will be given to the people of this country to get the food, food and essential items they need. He said that the recent visit of the Minister of Finance to India was a great success and he was able to obtain a loan facility of US $ 2.4 billion and this billion is the first phase of it.
The third match of the T-20 series between Sri Lanka and Australia is tomorrow
The third match of the Twenty20 Cricket Tournament between the touring Sri Lanka Cricket team and the host Australian team will be played in Canberra tomorrow. Australia won the match between the two teams yesterday. Both teams drew level and a super over was put into action to decide the victory. Australia scored 9 off 3 balls in reply to Sri Lanka’s 5. Australia, who have won the first two matches of the five-match Twenty20 series, are two points ahead.
An employee of a hotel in the Lindula area in Nuwara Eliya was killed in a fire that broke out this morning
An employee of a hotel in the Lindula area in Nuwara Eliya was killed in a fire that broke out this morning. Police said that while cooking in the kitchen of the hotel, his clothes caught fire and he died on the spot. The cause of the fire has not been revealed yet. The deceased has been identified as a 72 year old resident of Nuwara Eliya
Journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema’s house attacked by thugs
An unidentified group has attacked the house of journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema this morning. Four persons who had arrived at the Cambridge Court housing complex in Piliyandala where he was staying in a white van had first forcibly opened the main entrance gate of the housing scheme. It is said that the security forces who were there later aimed a pistol at the employee’s head and threatened him and came to the journalist’s house. The unidentified persons who had entered the housing complex had hurled stones at the house of Chamuditha Samarawickrema and caused severe damage to his house. Meanwhile, the Journalists’ Association of Sri Lanka has condemned the attack on journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema. The union says that if any group tries to silence journalists by carrying out thug attacks, the relevant authorities should take immediate action against it as well as prevent such heinous media repression. Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa stated that three police teams have launched investigations into the incident.
Sarangi de Silva sets a new Sri Lankan record in the long jump
Yesterday is the last day of the National Athletics Selection Tournament to be held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sportsmen and sportswomen still set many Sri Lankan records today. Sarangi de Silva of the Sri Lanka Army set a new Sri Lankan record in the women’s long jump. The efficiency is 6 m -6 5m. Her distance is enough to win a medal at the Asian Games.
Russia will face a repercussions if Ukraine invades – US President warns
US President Joe Biden has warned that Russia will face a decisive response if it invades Ukraine. That was during a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US President has emphasized that the West is watching Russia’s decisions regarding Ukraine. He said that if Russia made a decision like invading Ukraine, Russia would even become an isolated state. However, there is no official record of the Russian president’s response to this video call with the US president. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken accused the United States of carrying out a “propaganda campaign” against Russia.
99% of covid infections found in the country is Omicron – Ministry of Health
According to the Ministry of Health, 98% or 99% of the cases reported these days are from those infected with the omicchron virus. A senior official said the Delta variety was on the verge of extinction and a research conducted by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura has revealed this. The Ministry of Health stated that there is a sufficient number of beds for the admission of corona infected people. The Ministry of Health said that although some people claimed that there was a shortage of intensive care beds, it was untrue. Although there is some congestion at Homagama and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, there are adequate facilities at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital and the Corona wards of the Colombo National Hospital, he said.
The second 20-20 match between Sri Lanka and Australia today
The second match of the 20 overs cricket tournament between Sri Lanka and Australia will be played today (13). Reports from Australia say there is no difference between the two groups. Australia won the first match of the five-match series by 20 points. Today’s match is scheduled to start at 1.40 pm local time at the Sydney Stadium.
Reservoir water shortage: Will there be a power cut? – An explanation from the Public Utilities Commission
The Public Utilities Commission says that water in some reservoirs will remain in place for another two weeks or a month to generate electricity from water. Its chairman Janaka Ratnayake stated that this was revealed at a discussion held at the Public Utilities Commission yesterday (12) on how to provide electricity to the people without disconnection. Janaka Ratnayake said that if the consumption of electricity is not restricted, there will be a definite power cut in the future. Janaka Ratnayake also said that steps will be taken to reduce the supply of electricity to business premises and provide that electricity to the public in the future. He noted that power generation in private companies should be done by generators. Meanwhile, power generation at the Kerawalapitiya power plant has come to a complete standstill. The General Manager of the Ceylon Electricity Board, Dr. Rohantha Abeysekera stated that this situation has arisen due to a technical fault. He urged the people to use electricity sparingly considering the current situation.
The Paddy Marketing Board is buying paddy for higher prices
The Paddy Marketing Board has so far purchased 31,600 metric tons of paddy. Its Chairman Neil de Alwis stated that paddy has been purchased from Ampara, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Anuradhapura. One kilogram of Nadu paddy costs Rs. 90, a kilogram of Samba paddy Rs. 92 and a kilogram of Kiri Samba paddy Rs. 95, the Chairman said. Mr. Neil de Alwis said that if paddy is delivered to the Paddy Marketing Board branches, a kilo of Nadu paddy will be bought at Rs. 92, a kilo of Samba paddy at Rs. 94 and a kilo of Kirisamba paddy at Rs. 97.