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De Silva, Kamindu and Fernando push Bangladesh to the brink
Kamindu Mendis (164) and Dhananjaya de Silva (108) produced their respective second tons in the match while Vishwa Fernando (3-13) led a flurry of late strikes with the ball to push Bangladesh closer to a mammoth defeat on day three of the first Test in Sylhet. Set a humongous target of 511, Bangladesh were tottering at 47/5 at stumps on the third day.
Resuming the day at 119/5, Sri Lanka lost nightwatch Fernando with just seven runs added to the overnight score. At 126/6, Bangladesh would have fancied their chances of limiting Sri Lanka’s score to a manageable one. However, just like in the first innings, de Silva and Kamindu got together to produce a rearguard. The pair added 173 runs for the seventh wicket at a brisk rate to flatten Bangladesh’s morale. As the stand developed, the hosts started to lose their discipline with the ball and leaked easy runs. De Silva became the first Sri Lankan captain to produce twin tons in a Test match while Kamindu became the fastest to achieve the feat for the country.
By the time de Silva was dismissed, the lead had inched closer to the 400-run mark. Kamindu ensured that the misery continued to pile on Bangladesh as he added a 67-run stand with Prabath Jayasuriya to stretch the lead past the 500-run mark. It was hard work for all of Bangladesh’s bowlers as they struggled to create the kind of pressure they managed in the first innings. Only Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4-74) managed respectability with disciplined spells.
With a huge target to chase, the hosts would have wanted to get to stumps with minimal loss of wickets. Instead, Fernando set the tone by dislodging Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the first over of the innings to inflict a collapse. He also took the wickets of Shahadat Hossain and Litton Das while Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara picked up a wicket apiece.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 280 and 418 (Kamindu Mendis 164, Dhananjaya de Silva 108; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4-74) lead Bangladesh 188 and 47/5 (Vishwa Fernando 3-13) by 464 runs
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed.
The visit comes just weeks after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was seized in Caracas by US forces. But Trump declined to endorse Machado, whose movement claimed victory in 2024’s widely contested elections, as its new leader.
The US instead backed Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president.
Machado said last week she hoped to thank Trump personally for the action against Maduro and would like to give the Nobel Prize to him. Trump called it “a great honour”, but the Nobel Committee later clarified that it was not transferable.
Earlier, Trump had expressed displeasure over Machado’s decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, an honour the president has long coveted.
Asked on Friday whether receiving Machado’s prize might change his view of her role in Venezuela, the president said: “She might be involved in some aspect of it.”
“I will have to speak to her. I think it’s very nice that she wants to come in. And that’s what I understand the reason is,” he said.
Earlier this month, after Maduro’s ouster, Trump had said Machado “doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within, the country”. “She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect,” he said.
The US has so far backed Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela’s interim president.
Trump describes Rodríguez as an “ally”, and she has not been charged by US officials with any crimes.
“Delcy Rodríguez and her team have been very cooperative with the United States,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
But Machado has maintained that her coalition should “absolutely” be in charge of the country.
Machado has said nobody trusted Rodríguez, telling CBS that the interim leader was “one of the main architects… of repression for innocent people” in the South American country.
“Everybody in Venezuela and abroad knows perfectly who she is and the role she has played,” Machado said.
The former legislator, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, described US military action in Venezuela as “a major step towards restoring prosperity and rule of law and democracy in Venezuela”.
Rodríguez has rebuffed claims by Trump that the US was in charge of Venezuela.
“The Venezuelan government rules our country, and no-one else does,” she said in a televised speech. “There is no external agent governing Venezuela.”
[BBC]
In terms of the provisions of the Establishments Code on payment of festival advance to government officers, there’s a possibility of obtaining rupees 10,000/- as an advance for celebrating festivals of Theipongal, Ramazan, Sinhala and Hindu New Year, Wesak, Deepavali, and Christmas as well as for pilgrimages (Sri Paada pilgrimage and Hajj pilgrimage).
Provisions have been given to recover the said advance in 08 installments or if required earlier without interest. It has been proposed by the Budget 2026 to increase the said festival advance up to rupees 15,000/-.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local governments to revise the relevant provisions so that the festival advance can be increased up to rupees 15,000/- .
The drafting of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy has commenced with the objective of equitable distribution of the benefits of the fisheries industry and the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture. This policy has been updated from time to time according to current requirements. However, steps have not been taken to obtain the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for that purpose.
According to the policy declaration of the present government, ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor’ the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy has been redrafted, updating the aforementioned policy in line with the economic and development objectives of the government.
The recommendations of the Department of National Planning have been received for the drafted policy.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Marine
Resources to implement the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, integrating it with other relevant policies.
Trump to meet Venezuelan opposition leader Machado at the White House
Festival advance for government officers to be increased
Providing underutilized lands/properties to suitable investors for optimal utilization.
Implementation of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy
Expressions of Interest called to develop selected locations within the Pelawatte Sugar Factory premises
Minimum purchasing price of Samba and Kiri Samba paddy increased
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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