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Tag: Sri Lanka

  • Abdullah Shafique shines as Pakistan completes record run-chase, beating Sri Lanka in 1st Test

    Abdullah Shafique shines as Pakistan completes record run-chase, beating Sri Lanka in 1st Test

    Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 160 as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in the first Test on Wednesday in Galle, chasing down a record mark of 342.

    To take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, the visitors won the game in the final session on the fifth day of competition.

    The most successful fourth-innings chase at Galle previously occurred in 2019 when Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by a score of 268.

    For the hosts, left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya got four wickets and is on the verge of a record-breaking four consecutive five-wicket hauls in his first two Tests.

    In a series-leveling Test victory against Australia last week at the same location, he grabbed 12 wickets on his debut, six in each innings.

    As soon as Sri Lanka used up their final two umpire reviews, which both featured Jayasuriya, Pakistan started the day on 222-3.

    Mohammad Rizwan began the day with a boundary off Ramesh Mendis and maintained his optimism by taking singles and twos before being bowled out for 40 by Jayasuriya.

    Rizwan, a wicketkeeper-batsman who entered the two-match series following a successful stay with English county Sussex, was not saved by a review.

    Shafique has so far maintained his composure and performed the anchor job flawlessly, scoring his second Test century on day four to put the pursuit in front.

  • Crisis-hit Sri Lanka has enough petrol left for one day, PM warns

    Crisis-hit Sri Lanka has enough petrol left for one day, PM warns

    As the country suffers its greatest economic crisis in more than 70 years, Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister (PM) declared that the country is headed to its last day of petrol stock.

    PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said the country urgently needed $75 million in foreign currency to pay for crucial imports in a televised address. In order to pay government salaries, he claims the central bank will have to print money.

    Sri Lankan Airlines, which is owned by the government, may be privatised, according to PM Wickremesinghe.

    The pandemic, soaring energy prices, and populist tax cuts have all wreaked havoc on the island nation’s economy. Medicines, fuel, and other essentials were in low supply due to a chronic shortage of foreign cash and rising inflation.

    Auto rickshaws, the city’s most popular mode of transportation, and other vehicles have been queuing at gas stations in Colombo.

    The country has enough petrol for one day at the time. Mr Wickremesinghe, who was appointed Prime Minister last week, cautioned that the next few months will be the hardest of our lives.

    He noted that shipments of petrol and diesel using an Indian credit line could provide fuel supplies in the coming days.

    Mr Wickremesinghe stated that the nation’s central bank will have to print money to assist the government in meeting its salary bill and other obligations.

    The PM stated that he is forced to allow the printing of money against his will in order to pay state employees and purchase vital products and services. However, the nation must keep in mind that printing money causes the local currency to depreciate.

    Read more: CNG prices pushed to Rs140 per kg for sales tax collection

    As part of his efforts to stabilise the country’s finances, he advocated selling out Sri Lankan Airlines. In the fiscal year ended March 2021, the airline lost 45 billion rupees ($129.5 million; £105 million).

  • Fact Check: Sri Lankan ministers were not stripped and interrogated

    Fact Check: Sri Lankan ministers were not stripped and interrogated

    Claim: Sri Lankan ministers were stripped down, beaten and harassed by the public.

    Fact: This video shows Sri Lankan inmates of an open prison who are being interrogated for allegedly attacking protesters

    On May 13, 2022 several social media users in Pakistan tweeted a video showing a group of half-naked men pleading a larger crowd as the people making the video seemed to be humiliating them. This video was shared extensively on WhatsApp. Some of these posts and tweets on social media can be seen here, here, here, here and here.

    However, The Current Check observed that this video was being used out of context, with the caption that it depicts Sri Lankan ministers being humiliated by the public for participating in widespread corruption.

    Through a reverse image search of six different keyframes of the video, we discovered that it was first tweeted on May 10, 2022 by Sri Lankan Twitter users claiming that this was a video of prisoners who attacked the protesters at Gota Go Gama. Soon after the video was first posted on Twitter, several Sri Lankan news channels including Daily Mirror, News First and others such as NDTV also started covering it and reporting it to belong to an instance of interrogating prisoners who attacked protesters. According to a translation of the video shared by India Today it becomes clear that these prisoners were from Watareka Open Prison Camp and a jailer had taken them to the protest site. This was a protest against former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who along with his family is on the run as Sri Lanka slips deeper into economic downfall and political turmoil.

    VERDICT: FALSE [OUT OF CONTEXT]

  • ‘Don’t want to hand over government vehicles and houses to thieves’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘Don’t want to hand over government vehicles and houses to thieves’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry was recently asked about the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members who resigned but have yet to hand over government vehicles and houses back to the administration.

    While talking to the media, Fawad responded, “[We] did not want to hand over government vehicles and houses to thieves.”

    Fawad was also asked about the possible arrest of the PTI chairperson Imran Khan, and Chaudhry said that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah would be mad if he arrested Imran Khan. “Whoever will arrest Imran Khan, it will be difficult for him to stay in Pakistan.”

    Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Sunday warned that if Imran Khan is arrested, Pakistan will turn into Sri Lanka.

    Rasheed said that if Khan is arrested, PTI has already devised a strategy to deal with the situation, adding that the country would plunge into a political crisis and would witness a situation like the one in Sri Lanka. 

  • Protesters put former Sri Lankan PM’s ancestral house on fire

    Protesters put former Sri Lankan PM’s ancestral house on fire

    The ancestral home of Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa in the southern district of Hambantota, was set on fire after his resignation on Monday.

    Video footage showed the entire house burning. Later, the police were forced to use tear gas to disperse protesters. Not only this, the protestors also attacked the homes of at least 31 politicians.

    The country is facing months of street protests because of inflation and mismanagement of government finances which has left the nation with as little as $50 million of useable foreign reserves.

    On Monday, Rajapaksa resigned amid mass protests because of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

    Sri Lanka gave emergency powers to its military and police to detain people without warrants. A recent clash in the country resulted in the killing of eight people and injured more than 200. Ruling party parliamentarian Amarakeerthi Athukorala died after a standoff with anti-government protesters in the town of Nittambuwa near Colombo.

  • Pakistan to host Cricket World Cup for veteran players in 2023

    Pakistan will host Cricket World Cup for veteran players in the next year 2023. The age limit for players to play in the tournament would be 40 and above.

    According to Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), 12 teams will play in the tournament which will commence on September 23, 2023, at six venues in Karachi while the final match will be played on October 8.

    Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman PVCA told the media: “Pakistan will be joined in the World Cup by old rivals – India, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada, USA, Zimbabwe, Wales, UAE, and Namibia.”

    He added, “It is going to be a major event and we will take all steps to make sure that we host it successfully.”

    “We have a number of leading cricketers who would be eligible to compete in the World Cup. We are hoping that top players like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, and Mohammad Hafeez will play for Pakistan. We are going to field a very strong team and will be the favorites to win the World Cup,” he further said.

    There is a new concept that will give an opportunity to former cricketers to play on the fields again while young audiences and players will also get another chance to see their seniors playing on the grounds.

    Every match will be of 45 overs and local TV channels will broadcast the matches of Pakistan including the semi-finals and finals live.

    The Veterans World Cup, aged above 50, was first launched in Australia in 2018. However, its second edition was canceled due to a covid pandemic.

  • Six sentenced to death in Sialkot Sri Lankan’s mob lynching

    Six sentenced to death in Sialkot Sri Lankan’s mob lynching

    An anti-terrorism court on Monday sentenced to death six accused involved in Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lankan national working in Pakistan who was lynched by a mob in Sialkot on Dec 3, 2021 .

    The ATC also handed down life imprisonment to nine co-accused persons each, jailed one co-accused for five years and sentenced to two years in prison each 72 other co-accused persons.

    “The prosecution team testified a total of 43 witnesses in the court to prove the crime against the suspects,” Punjab Prosecution Department Secretary Nadeem Sarwar informed media persons during a press conference.

    “In less than a month, the prosecution completed the testimonies of witnesses. After that, the court gave them a full chance to defend themselves. Today, the ATC Gujranwala, upon the crime being proven, has punished 88 accused while one has been acquitted”, he informed.

    Read more- Priyantha Kumara lynching trial case shifts to Lahore Kot Lakhpat Jail

    In December, last year, 49-year-old Priyantha Kumara was tortured to death on the alleged charges of blasphemy by an angry mob. He was working as a manager at a private sportswear manufacturing factory in Sialkot.

  • Team Pakistan, Sri Lanka set to play Test & ODIs during July series

    Team Pakistan, Sri Lanka set to play Test & ODIs during July series

    Pakistan cricket team is set to tour Sri Lanka for test and ODIs series which will begin from July to August this year. Pakistan will play two Tests and five One Day International (ODIs) matches against Sri Lanka. Pakistan recently successfully hosted Australia for a full series after 24 long years … 3 tests, three ODIs, and a T20.

    Both Cricket Boards will announce venues and dates for the matches after mutual consultation. Pakistan will prolong its tour in Sri Lanka for the T20 Asia Cup, which will end in September.

    Before touring Sri Lanka, the West Indies team is visiting Pakistan in the month of June to play three ODI matches with Pakistan.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to remove covid restrictions and bio-secure bubble during the Pakistan-West Indies series as the infection rate has significantly dropped in the country.

    England is scheduled to tour Pakistan for seven T20I matches after the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series.

  • Amid spiralling out crisis: Sri Lankan opp threatens govt of no-confidence motion

    Amid spiralling out crisis: Sri Lankan opp threatens govt of no-confidence motion

    The main Opposition party in Sri Lankan parliament on Friday asked the government to resolve the raging economic crisis or face a no-confidence motion, as leaders of businesses from garments to tea and other industries warned that exports could fall up to 30% this year.

    The heavily indebted country has little money left to pay for imports, which has led to crippling shortages of fuel, power, food, and increasingly, medicine. Street protests have gone on nearly non-stop for more than a month, despite a five-day state of emergency and a two-day curfew.

    Timeline of a crisis

    President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is running his administration with only a handful of ministers after his entire cabinet resigned this week, while the opposition and even some coalition partners rejected calls for a unity government to deal with the worst crisis in decades.

    At least 41 lawmakers have walked out of the ruling coalition to become independents, though the government says it still has a majority in parliament.

    “The government needs to address the financial crisis and work to improve governance, or we will move a no-confidence motion,” Sajith Premadasa, leader of Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition group, said in parliament.

    “It is imperative that Sri Lanka must avoid a disorderly debt default. The government must work to suspend debt and appoint financial advisers to start off the process of restructuring debt.”

    Parliament proceedings were suspended twice in the morning as rivals heckled each other, with two members temporarily removed from the chamber on the orders of the speaker.

    Nearly two dozen associations, representing industries that collectively employ a fifth of the country’s 22 million people, together urged the government to quickly seek financial help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

    “We need a solution within weeks or the country will fall off the precipice,” Rohan Masakorala, director-general of the Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers And Exporters of Rubber Products, told a news conference.

    RESERVES PLUNGE

    Rajapaksa is struggling to find a new finance minister to hold talks this month with the IMF for emergency loans, after Ali Sabry submitted his resignation having spent just a day in office. A ruling party lawmaker said Rajapaksa had yet to accept Sabry’s resignation.

    “We are pushing the government and opposition to establish political stability as soon as possible and give us a way forward,” Masakorala said. “IMF should have happened yesterday.”

  • Amna Ilyas oozes fashion statements on Sri Lankan vacation, Netizens react

    Amna Ilyas oozes fashion statements on Sri Lankan vacation, Netizens react

    Actor and model Amna Ilyas is currently vacationing in Sri Lanka with her best friend. The Zinda Bhaag diva took to her Instagram handle to share her special moments from her getaway.

    The Baaji star taking to Instagram posted a stunning photo while posing in the sea.

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    She captioned the post, “Scars are tattoos with better stories #colombo.”

    The netizens were quick to express polarising comments on Amna’s swimsuit pictures. While some deemed it as too bold, others said that she is enjoying her life.

    The Janam Jali diva turned to her Instagram a few days back and posted a portrait of herself all glammed up in a black outfit with a beverage in her hand and took her bluntness to another level with a bold caption.

    “If someone drunk texts you, appreciate it, they are thinking of you when they can barely think straight,” she wrote.

    This controversial caption sparked criticism among the netizens and they started flaking her with harsh comments.  

    ALSO READ: Netizens grill Amna Ilyas for her ‘drunk’ statement

    ALSO READ: Amna Ilyas jokingly clarifies about sexual orientation on Wajahat Rauf’s show