# World

Sri Lankan cabinet approves visa-free proposal for India, 6 other countries

Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved a proposal of offering visa-free entry for nationals from India and six other countries, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said.

IANS | New Delhi | October 24, 2023 11:30 am

Sri Lankan cabinet approves visa-free proposal for India, 6 other countries

Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved a proposal of offering visa-free entry for nationals from India and six other countries, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said.

The minister said that the cabinet approved visa-free entry for travellers from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand as a pilot project till March 31, 2024, reports Xinhua news agency.

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry aims to attract 2 million visitors in 2023, compared to the previous target of 1.5 million.

Tourism, as one of Sri Lanka’s leading foreign exchange earners, has suffered a setback due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic and political crises in the South Asian country.

# Sports

Tour Championship: Chhibber, Bedi and Thangaraja share top spot after Round 1

The four players tied for second place at five-under 66 were Pune’s Rohan Dhole Patil, Shamim Khan of Delhi, Bengaluru’s M Dharma and Jamal Hossain of Bangladesh.

# World

Sri Lankan President Dissanayake visits Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS in Delhi

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is on a three-day State visit, on Tuesday visited a Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS here to gain insights into the country's quality and affordable medicine distribution system, an official said.

# Opinion

The Indian Way

Indictment of the chairman and top executives of the Adani Group on bribery charges by a New York court, has set alarm bells ringing in India. Less than two years ago, a US short-seller, Hindenburg, had alleged massive financial impropriety by the Adani group, but after long drawn enquiries, SEBI gave the Adanis a clean chit ~ which was endorsed by the Supreme Court.