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Pro-Russia paramilitary leader killed in Moscow blast

Published

12 months ago

2025/02/4

Priyan

Armen Sargsyan was taken to hospital by helicopter but died of his injuries following the blast [BBC]

The leader of a pro-Russian paramilitary group in eastern Ukraine has died in hospital after being injured in an explosion in Moscow on Monday morning, Russian media have said.

Armen Sargsyan, the leader of the “Arbat” battalion, was severely injured following a blast in the entrance hall of a residential building in north-west Moscow, 12km (7 miles) from the Kremlin.

He was evacuated to a hospital by helicopter and placed in intensive care after the explosion, but eventually succumbed to his injuries, according to usually reliable Telegram sources.

Others – including one of Armen Sargsyan’s bodyguards – were also reportedly seriously injured, with some sources saying one other person had died.

Ukraine has not yet commented on the blast.

In December, the Ukrainian security service SBU said “crime boss” Mr Sargsyan was a suspect in “recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine” and added that he had been on an international wanted list since May 2014 for his involvement in murders carried out in the centre of Kyiv.

The SBU added that Mr Sargsyan was part of the inner circle of fugitive former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

“The assassination attempt on Sarkisyan was carefully planned and was ordered. Investigators are currently identifying those who ordered the crime,” TASS quoted a law enforcement official as saying.

Images shared on social media show rubble and plaster strewn across a heavily damaged entrance hall with blown-out windows and doorways.

Olga Voronova, a 36-year-old mother of three who lived in the building next door to the explosion, told AFP news agency that she was “very scared” and did not understand how the blast could’ve happened.

“We have quite serious security guards, they ask every car at the checkpoints, we order passes for guests, even for family members,” she said.

Mr Sargsyan was born in Horlivka, a city in Ukraine’s Donetsk region which has been occupied by Russia since 2014.

In a Telegram post confirming his death, the town’s mayor, Ivan Prikhodko, said Mr Sargsyan’s “most significant achievement was the creation and leadership of a separate special forces battalion”.

Mr Prikhodko said Mr Sargsyan was also the head of the Boxing Federation of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.

The “Arbat” battalion has been known to operate in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops are still present after they launched a surprise offensive in August.

There have been a number of attacks on high profile supporters of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Moscow and in occupied areas.

Senior Russian naval officer Valery Trankovsky and Russian prison boss Sergei Yevsyukov died after car bombs exploded in Russian-occupied Ukraine in late 2024.

And in December, a high-ranking general in the Russian armed forces and his assistant were killed in Moscow by Ukraine’s security service, a Ukrainian source told the BBC.

[BBC]

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New integrated framework to bring all stakeholders together to safeguard and rebuild Central highlands – President

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/22

Priyan

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the isolated functioning of institutions responsible for construction and land management, agriculture, livestock and environmental conservation has posed challenges in restoring the Central Highlands, which were devastated by Cyclone Ditwah. The President further noted that efforts are underway to establish a new integrated framework, bringing together all relevant parties to swiftly safeguard and rebuild the Central Highlands

The President made these remarks during a discussion held on Wednesday (21) at the Presidential Secretariat with representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and relevant government and private sector institutions, focusing on securing the Central Highlands and restoring forest plantations.

It was emphasized that nearly 4,000 landslides have occurred in the Central Highlands due to Cyclone Ditwa and that prolonged unauthorized construction, cultivation activities and lack of proper maintenance have contributed to this situation. The discussion also stressed the urgent need for a national policy to secure the Central Highlands and ensure its preservation for future generations.

The discussion also addressed the need for an Authority empowered under the relevant legislation to oversee these activities and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed officials to expedite the implementation.

Representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) emphasized the necessity of maintaining a dedicated financial fund for these initiatives and confirmed their full support to Sri Lanka for the restoration of the Central Highlands.

Representatives who attended included Country Operations Head, ADB Sri Lanka Resident Mission, Cholpon Mambetova, Senior Agricultural and Natural Resources Specialist at the ADB Sumith Pokhrel and Assistant Project Officer Krishanthi Dabare, UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Azusa Kubota and programme representatives Wageesha Gunasekara and Sugandhi Samarasinghe.

Also participating were Commissioner-General of Essential Services and Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, Engineer L. Kumudu Lal Bogahawatta along with senior officials from the relevant Ministries and heads of other government and private institutions.

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ICC T20 World Cup Trophy tour in Sri Lanka launched under President’s patronage

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/22

Priyan

The official tour showcasing the ICC T20 World Cup trophy, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026, was formally inaugurated on Wednesday (21) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The trophy will be displayed in several major cities across the island from Wednesday 21st until Saturday 24th, over a period of four days. Cricket fans will have the opportunity to see the golden trophy up close during the Sri Lanka vs England One-Day International match at the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo.

Subsequently, plans are in place to take the trophy to the cities of Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna, providing cricket enthusiasts in those regions as well with the opportunity to take commemorative photographs with the World Cup trophy and view it. The primary aim of this tour is to generate excitement and build spectator interest in the lead-up to hosting a World Cup tournament in the country.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held from 7th February to 8th March 2026 co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India. This World Cup is the largest tournament Sri Lanka will host since the T20 World Cup held in 2012.

The tournament schedule was revealed on 25th November 2025 in India, where the International Cricket Council (ICC) selected the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, the Pallekele International Stadium and the Colombo SSC Ground as the venues for matches in Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, 8 matches are scheduled at the R. Premadasa International Stadium, 5 matches at the Colombo SSC Ground and 7 matches at the Pallekele International Stadium.

Twenty countries are set to participate in this tournament. Twenty matches of the tournament are scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, with all matches involving the Pakistan team to be played in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, a special feature is that if the Pakistan team qualifies for the semi-finals and the final, Sri Lanka will also host those two matches.

In that event, the final will be held at the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, increasing the number of matches scheduled for Sri Lanka to 22.

Apart from the host nations Sri Lanka and India, Test-playing nations England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will be represented in this tournament. Additionally, the United States of America, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Namibia, Nepal, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are the other contributing countries.

The T20 World Cup to be held in Sri Lanka at the beginning of 2026 can be considered an excellent opportunity to deliver effective value to the country’s economy, tourism industry, sports development, international promotion and society.

In particular, the arrival of teams, media groups and thousands of spectators, including foreign tourists, will generate significant foreign exchange earnings for the country. It is also expected to create short and long-term employment opportunities in various sectors including hotel and food & beverage businesses, transport services and technical and operational services.

By Sri Lanka hosting this tournament, long-term benefits such as increased opportunities for new investments as Sri Lanka is recognised worldwide as a tourist destination, the identification of Sri Lanka as a year-round sports tourism hub and the strengthening of Sri Lanka’s international profile leading to an enhancement of the country’s value, will be attained.

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Gamage, Deputy Minister of Sports, Sugath Tilakaratne, Director General of Sports, S. Achchudan, Sri Lanka Cricket President, Shammi Silva along with the Executive Committee and a group including Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team captain Dasun Shanaka and Head Coach, Sanath Jayasuriya were also present at the occasion.

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Rasooli, Atal and Mujeeb seal Afghanistan series win

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/22

Priyan

Mujeeb Ur Rahman's 4 for 21 included his maiden T20I hat-trick [ACB]

A third successive T20I half-century from Darwish Rasooli, an anchoring fifty from Sediqullah Atal and a maiden T20I hat-trick from Mujeeb Ur Rahman helped Afghanistan take an unassailable 2-0 lead over West Indies in the three match series.

Mujeeb grabbed four wickets in five deliveries spread across two different overs – and spells – to wreck West Indies’ pursuit of 190, and their downfall was swift thereafter. They were eventually bowled out for 150.

Before Mujeeb’s 4 for 21, Rasooli and Atal enjoyed a 115-run third-wicket stand to hold Afghanistan’s batting innings together. A late cameo from Azmatullah Omarzai on a turning surface made the total even more daunting.

The win made it a hat-trick of T20I series wins for Afghanistan. The two teams meet again on Thursday for what will be Afghanistan’s final T20I before the T20 World Cup. West Indies will seek a consolation win before their tour of South Africa.

West Indies’ chase started poorly. They lost newly promoted opener Alick Athanaze to a direct hit in the third over, and they could score only 29 in the powerplay, squeezed by Fazalhaq Farooqi’s opening spell.

Mujeeb, who bowled two overs in the powerplay, then returned in the eighth and went around the wicket to skid one straight through and hit No. 3 Evin Lewis’ pad before he could bring out a shot.

When right-hander Johnson Charles walked in next, Mujeeb came over the stumps and got a delivery to drift in beautifully from outside off and through the gate to peg back off stump as the batter drove away from his body. West Indies were 38 for 3.

But they were not going down without a fight, and Shimron Hetmyer’s assault on Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad kept West Indies in the game. Hetmyer pumped six sixes in a 17-ball 46. Farooqi, however, dismissed him in the 14th over, and Rashid brought Mujeeb back for his third, with West Indies needing 68 runs in five overs.

Mujeeb kept his length back, and with West Indies desperate for big shots, Brandon King (50) came down the track and miscued the hat-trick ball down to long on. Mujeeb wheeled away in celebration, having become the third Afghanistan bowler to achieve the feat after Rashid and Karim Janat. Two balls later, T20I newbie Quentin Sampson failed to put bat on a googly, and Mujeeb had his fourth.

The lower order offered little resistance, as West Indies lost their last five wickets for 27 runs.

On Monday, Rasooli had smashed 84 in a 162-run stand with Ibrahim Zadran to set up Afghanistan’s series-opening win, and on Wednesday he combined just as effectively with Atal.

As in the first game, Afghanistan lost both openers inside the powerplay, and Rasooli ensured there were no stutters by taking the aggressive route with his square cuts, drives through the off side and flat-batted shots down the ground.

Helped by let-offs from the West Indies fielders, Rasooli reached his fifty in 22 balls – his third in a row for Afghanistan – while Atal was more watchful.

Rasooli powered along through the middle overs, taking down Khary Pierre and Gudakesh Motie. Atal and Rasooli fell in the 17th and 18th overs respectively, but with the big-hitting Mohammad Nabi and Omarzai walking in next, there was no respite for West Indies. Motie, left to bowl the 20th over, conceded 19 with Omarzai hitting him for back-to-back sixes, and Afghanistan posted 189 for 4.

Brief scores:
Afghanistan 189 for 4 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 22, Darwish Rasooli 68, Sediqullah Atal 53, Azmatullah Omarzai 26*; Maththw Forde 2-25, Shamar Joseph 1-35, Ramon Simmonds 1-39) beat West Indies 150 in 18.5 overs (Brandon King 50, Evin Lewis 13, Shimron Hetmyer 46, Khary Pierre 11; Fazalhqu Farooki 2-28, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4-21, Azmatullah Omarzai 2-20, Rashid Khan 1-19) by 39 runs

[Cricinfo]