News

Talks held over SL – Myanmar direct air connectivity

Published

1 year ago

May 15, 2023

editor

Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Myanmar Janaka Bandara held a meeting with the top management of Myanmar Airways International on 12 May 2023, with the view of establishing direct air connectivity between Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Chairman Aung Aung Zaw and Chief Commercial Officer Tanes Kumar represented Myanmar Airways International in the discussion.

The Ambassador highlighted the significance of direct air connectivity in promoting the tourism industries of both destinations. It was underlined that travelers between the two countries were wasting considerable time at transits while the flight time is just less than three hours. The Ambassador assured that there would be a sizeable traffic up and down between these two significant destinations underpinned by historical, cultural and religious affinities.

In this discussion, the Ambassador requested to establish a regular charter flight between Yangon and Colombo and proposed to extend the Yangon – Chennai flight up to Colombo.

The Ambassador further suggested exploring the feasibility of having a circuit connecting Colombo – Yangon – Bodhgaya or Colombo – Yangon – Kathmandu with the view of gaining economic benefit out of the religious significance of these countries.

The CCO was positive towards the suggestions and agreed to work on them. He further agreed to see the possibility of arranging charter flights between Yangon and Colombo during the month of August, enabling the Myanmar pilgrims to go to Kandy to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic Temple “Sri Dalada Maligawa” and see “Asela Perahera” cultural pageant.

The proposal to establish direct air connectivity between Sri Lanka and Myanmar had been discussed at many high level forums in both countries.

News

Tanzania lifts visa restrictions for Sri Lanka

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2024

editor

Tanzania has lifted visa restrictions for Sri Lanka, marking the end of more than 20-year restrictions.

During the announcement, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Kana Kananathan, emphasized that Sri Lanka is no longer on Tanzania’s visa referral list,VisaGuide.World reports.

Sri Lankan Businessmen & Travelers Can Now Apply for Standard Visas Online to Tanzania

As Kananathan revealed, around 450 Sri Lankan businessmen, along with other travelers, including gem and stone traders, can now apply for standard visas online.

Extensive high-level negotiations with the Tanzanian government led to Sri Lanka’s removal from the referral visa list, facilitating smoother travel for both business and personal purposes.

The High Commission appreciated the Government of Tanzania for this positive change, which underlines the strong bilateral relations between the two countries. He also encouraged Sri Lankans to take advantage of this new opportunity while maintaining high standards of conduct abroad.

As of September 2024, the Tanzanian passport ranks 140th globally according to the VisaGuide Passport Index. Tanzanian passport holders can now travel visa-free to 49 countries and territories. To take advantage of visa-free travel, travelers must ensure their passport is valid for at least six months beyond their departure date and obtain travel health insurance as required by their destination.

Sri Lanka Has Also Facilitated Entry Rules for Some Travelers

Sri Lanka has announced an immediate visa-free policy for travelers from 38 countries, effective September 3, 2024. This decision comes after a month-long period during which Sri Lanka issued visas on arrival due to issues with its e-Visa system, previously managed by a foreign consortium.

With the suspension of the e-Visa system, the country is streamlining its new visa-free process and eliminating the previously available e-visa options, including double-entry visas for up to 30 days (extendable to 60 days) and transit visas for up to two days.

Originally scheduled for October 1, the removal of visa requirements has been expedited to start immediately, simplifying entry for travelers from the designated countries. On the other hand, countries such as Afghanistan, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, North Korea, Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria are not eligible for visa-on-arrival in Sri Lanka.

Source: VisaGuide

News

Sangakkara in talks to join KKR as mentor ahead of IPL 2025

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2024

editor

Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara is reportedly in advanced talks to join Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor for IPL 2025, filling the vacancy left by Gautam Gambhir.

Sangakkara is expected to part ways with Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he served as Director of Cricket.

KKR’s coaching unit, led by head coach Chandrakant Pandit and bowling coach Bharat Arun, requires additional coaches after the departure of Gambhir, Abhishek Nayar, and Ryan ten Doeschate, who joined the Indian team’s coaching staff.

Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid is tipped to take Sangakkara’s role at RR, with Vikram Rathour rejoining him in the coaching setup following India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.

The BCCI is expected to announce the number of retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, with many franchises undergoing major changes.

News

India has granted USD 65 Mn to expand KKS port – Minister

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2024

editor

India has granted US dollars 65 million to expand the Kankesanthurai (KKS) port,” Minister of Aviation and Shipping Nimal Siripala de Silva told a rally in Jaffna a short while ago.

“The port will soon cater to cruise lines,” he added.

(Daily Mirror)

(This story, originally published by Daily Mirror has not been edited by SLM staff)