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A quiet afternoon in Mattakkuliya turned tragic as a 10-year-old schoolgirl lost her life in a devastating road accident, according to a reporter from Ada Derana.

The incident took place yesterday (10) along Hendala Thotupola Road within the Mattakkuliya Police Division. The young girl had reportedly just disembarked from a bus and was attempting to cross the road when she was run over by the same vehicle.

She suffered critical injuries in the accident and was rushed to the National Hospital of Colombo, where she was pronounced dead upon admission.

The victim, a resident of the Mattakkuliya area, has left the community in shock as details of the incident continue to emerge.

Authorities have taken the bus driver into custody following the accident, and investigations are currently being carried out by the Mattakkuliya Police to determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident.

Sri Lanka’s economic growth is expected to slow in the coming years, according to the Asian Development Bank, as external pressures and rising inflation begin to weigh on the country’s recovery.

In its latest outlook, the ADB projects growth to ease from 5.0% in 2025 to 4.0% in 2026, before inching up to 4.2% in 2027. At the same time, inflation is forecast to rise sharply from -0.5% to 5.2% in 2026, before settling at 4.0% the following year.

These projections, published in the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2026, are based on an early stabilization scenario of the ongoing Middle East conflict. Despite challenges such as the late impact of Cyclone Ditwah, Sri Lanka’s economic recovery in 2025 remained resilient.

The ADB noted that private consumption played a key role in driving growth, supported by low inflation and easing interest rates. Remittances reached record levels, while the country also recorded a primary budget surplus. Meanwhile, the current account achieved a third consecutive surplus, and official reserves climbed to their highest levels in years.

However, the outlook for 2026 is expected to be shaped by global uncertainties. The Middle East conflict is likely to influence key economic indicators, even as reconstruction spending following Cyclone Ditwah provides some support.

Private consumption is projected to remain the main engine of growth, though rising inflation may reduce household purchasing power. Investment activity is also expected to recover gradually amid ongoing uncertainty.

The ADB warned that higher energy costs, potential declines in remittance inflows, and disruptions to trade and tourism could place additional strain on household incomes and external stability, ultimately slowing growth.

“Sri Lanka has come a long way since the recent economic crisis, and its economic performance over the last two years is a major achievement,” said Shannon Cowlin. “However, the risks ahead are real and significant. This is not the moment to ease up on reforms.”

She emphasized the need to maintain fiscal discipline, strengthen resilience against external shocks, and scale up public investment to sustain the country’s recovery.

Founded in 1966, the Asian Development Bank is a leading multilateral institution that supports sustainable and inclusive growth across Asia and the Pacific, working with 69 member countries to address complex economic challenges.

Sri Lanka is set to experience a blend of afternoon thundershowers and morning mist, as the Department of Meteorology outlines a dynamic weather pattern affecting several parts of the island.

According to the department, showers or thundershowers are expected to develop after 2.00 p.m. in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North Western, Southern, and Uva provinces, along with the districts of Anuradhapura, Mannar, Kandy, and Nuwara-Eliya. These conditions are likely to bring temporary but intense weather changes to affected regions.

In contrast, much of the rest of the island will continue to experience predominantly dry weather, offering a clear divide in conditions across different regions.

Adding to the atmospheric mix, misty conditions are forecast during the early hours of the morning in parts of the Central, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces, potentially reducing visibility for early commuters and travelers.

The Department of Meteorology has urged the public to remain cautious, particularly during thundershowers, warning of localized strong winds and lightning that could cause sudden disruptions or damage.

Meanwhile, a seasonal solar phenomenon is also underway. Due to the apparent northward movement of the sun, it will be directly overhead across Sri Lanka between April 5 and 15. Today (11), areas such as Pomparippu, Anuradhapura, Mihinthale, Galenbindunuwewa, Agbopura, and Serunuwara will experience the sun positioned almost directly above at around 12.11 noon.

As shifting skies and overhead combine, today’s weather serves as a reminder of the island’s ever-changing tropical climate.

The island-wide strike launched by the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) continued for the second consecutive day today (10), intensifying disruptions across hospitals.

The strike began at 8:00 a.m. yesterday (09), with the GMOA alleging that the Ministry of Health had violated prior agreements concerning appointments for post-intern doctors.

Hospital operations across the island have been affected, leading to significant inconvenience for patients seeking medical care, according to reports.

The GMOA has maintained that the strike will persist until the published transfer list of post-intern doctors is immediately withdrawn and a satisfactory solution is reached.

However, the Minister of Health has declined to engage in discussions with the association on the issue.

Meanwhile, GMOA Secretary Prabath Sugathadasa stated that discussions will be held with members island-wide today to determine the next course of action.

The price of global oil remains high ahead of negotiations between the US and Iran in Pakistan this weekend, which will take place amid growing concerns over whether the two-week ceasefire agreement between the countries will hold. 

Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, was priced at $96.75 a barrel on Friday morning, as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. 

The price had dropped earlier this week after Washington and Tehran agreed to pause hostilities, but it has been steadily edging back towards the $100 a barrel milestone - which has repeatedly been surpassed during the conflict. 

Iran’s Supreme Leader has insisted the country will “take management of the Strait of Hormuz into a new phase”. 

Donald Trump, meanwhile, hit out at Iran for doing what he said was “a poor job” allowing oil through the strait and warned against Tehran reportedly charging fees to tankers, saying “if they are, they better stop now”.

Source: Sky News

The gap between rich and poor nations is growing even wider as actions agreed to by many countries last year, including overhauling the major global financial institutions, remain unfulfilled promises, a U.N. report concludes.

The report assessing the blueprint adopted in Seville, Spain, last June to narrow the gap and achieve U.N. development goals for 2030 was issued ahead of next week’s spring meetings in Washington of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the main global financial institutions promoting economic growth.

The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said it had been prepared to upgrade global growth, but the Iran war has now darkened the outlook for the world economy.

Li Junhua, the U.N. undersecretary-general for economic and social affairs, said the geopolitical tensions were compounding the struggles of developing countries to attract financing. “This is an extremely perilous time for international cooperation, as geopolitical considerations are increasingly shaping economic relations and financial policies,” he said.

The report pointed to rising trade barriers and repeated climate-related shocks as also adding to the growing gap.

At last year’s conference in Seville, the leaders of many of the world’s nations, but not the United States, unanimously adopted the Seville Commitment, which was aimed at closing the $4 trillion annual financing gap for development. It called for scaling up investments in developing countries and reforming the international financial architecture, including the World Bank and IMF.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly called for major changes to the two institutions, saying the IMF has benefited rich countries instead of poor ones, and the World Bank has failed in its mission, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which left dozens of countries deeply indebted. 

His criticisms echo those of outside critics who cite frustration in developing countries with the U.S. and its European allies dominating decision-making at financial institutions.

The U.N. report on implementing the Seville Commitment said it represents “the best hope” to close the widening financial gap.

But in 2025, Li said 25 countries decreased their development assistance to poorer countries, leading to a 23% overall drop from 2024, the largest annual contraction on record. The biggest decline — 59% — was from the United States, he said.

Based on preliminary data, Li said, a further decline of 5.8% is expected in 2026.

The report said tariffs — including those imposed by the Trump administration — have had a major impact on developing countries. Average tariffs on exports from the world’s poorest nations surged from 9% to 28% in 2025, the report said, and for developing countries, excluding China, average tariffs increased from 2% to 19%.

Source: AP

An ‘Amber’ advisory has been issued by the Department of Meteorology warning of severe lightning activity across multiple parts of the country.

The advisory, released at noon today (10), will remain in effect until 11:00 p.m. Areas likely to be affected include the Western Province, Sabaragamuwa Province, Southern Province, and Uva Province, as well as the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya.

According to the advisory, thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are expected in several areas after 1:00 p.m. today. Temporary localized strong winds may also occur during these thundershowers.

Authorities have urged the public to take necessary precautions to minimize potential damage and ensure safety during periods of intense lightning activity.

Tesla is developing an all-new smaller, cheaper electric SUV, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The automaker has contacted suppliers in recent weeks to discuss details of the plan for the compact SUV – which would be a new vehicle and not a variant of Tesla’s current Model 3 or Y, the people said. The conversations involved the manufacturing process and specifications for various components, they said.

Three of the people said the compact SUV would be produced in China, and one said Tesla also aims to expand production to the United States and Europe. The car would be 4.28 meters in length, or about 14 feet, two of the sources said. That’s significantly shorter than Tesla’s top-selling Model Y SUV, which is about 15.7 feet long.

The effort follows a decision by Chief Executive Elon Musk to scrap a highly anticipated low-cost EV project in 2024 and pivot the company to focus on robotaxis and humanoid robots. A key question is whether this latest effort to develop a smaller SUV signals a strategy shift back to mass-market human-driven EVs or whether the new model would align more with Tesla’s vision for fully autonomous vehicles.

Such a model could potentially serve both purposes, according to one of the people familiar with the new-vehicle project and a Tesla employee with knowledge of its current product philosophy. The Tesla employee declined to confirm or deny details of any specific vehicle but said, in general, the automaker now aims to build models that would be driverless but offer a human-driven option.

While aiming for full autonomy across its lineup, the person said, Tesla realizes ⁠many global markets won’t see meaningful adoption – nor regulatory acceptance – of driverless vehicles for years. Preserving the option to build a particular model with or without driving controls could enable more sales and help ensure Tesla can keep its car factories running near capacity, the person said.

As Tesla chases a driverless future, some analysts predict a third-straight year of declining sales for the traditional EVs that provide the vast majority of its revenue. So far, Tesla operates a small number of robotaxis only in Austin, Texas, many with human safety monitors in the passenger seat.

One of the people added that the automaker would also offer a single electric motor instead of two, a performance option on current Tesla models. Tesla also wants to make the car much lighter, this person said, at about 1.5 metric tons compared with about two tons for the ⁠Model Y.

Three of the people said the new model would be produced at Tesla’s Shanghai factory. While the timing remained unclear, the car’s production is unlikely to begin this year, the people said.

TESLA’S START-AND-STOP HISTORY ON AFFORDABLE EVs

For years after Tesla started in 2008 producing luxury electric cars, Musk said the company’s real mission was to produce affordable, mass-market electric-vehicles that would be critical to fighting the climate crisis. But start-and-stop efforts to deliver on that goal have so far fallen short.

Beginning in 2020, Musk said Tesla aimed to sell 20 million vehicles annually by the end of the decade, nearly double that of Toyota, the current global sales leader. A project Musk touted to produce a $25,000 EV, often called the “Model 2” by Tesla fans and investors, was expected to drive explosive vehicle-sales growth.

Then in 2024, Reuters reported that Tesla had abandoned plans for the Model 2, although it still planned a driverless robotaxi on the same platform. Tesla’s biggest EV ⁠rivals in China had already started producing much cheaper EVs. 

Later that year, Musk said it would be “pointless” and “silly” for Tesla to make a $25,000 EV for human drivers because the company would soon offer driverless vehicles.

A former Tesla manager said an all-new cheaper traditional car would represent a significant departure from the company’s philosophy through mid-2025. Until then, the manager said, Tesla had dropped the effort to mass-produce an entry-level car in favor of robotaxis as the key to lowering costs per mile for riders and the car owners charging them for trips.

After scrapping the Model 2, Musk and other Tesla executives described different plans for new, “more affordable” EVs ⁠in vague terms. When the Adadvehicles arrived last fall, however, they were stripped-down versions of the current Model 3 and Y offered in new “standard” trim levels at only a modest discount.

U.S. prices of $36,990 for the Model 3 Standard and $39,990 for the Model Y struck some investors as too high to attract a new class of buyers and haven’t yet made a significant difference in Tesla’s overall sales.

IS THE DRIVERLESS CYBERCAB ON TRACK?

Publicly, Musk and Tesla have continued to emphasize plans for robotaxis and humanoid robots, which has been effective in sustaining Tesla’s eye-popping stock-market value.

Tesla’s market capitalization ⁠is about $1.3 trillion – far outpacing its financial fundamentals, even when compared with high-flying tech peers. Investors last year approved a compensation package granting Musk up to $1 trillion in Tesla stock tied to a series of product and financial goals.

The automaker now says it plans to start production this month of a two-door Cybercab robotaxi, first unveiled as a concept vehicle in 2024, with no pedals or steering wheel. But it remains unclear when the car will go on sale or see use in a Tesla-operated robotaxi fleet. 

The automaker hasn’t sought a federal exemption required to sell a vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, a spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

(Adaderana.lk)

Sri Lanka has recorded at least 10 to 15 forest fire incidents so far this year as prolonged hot weather continues to affect several areas, according to Disaster Management Centre Director Pradeep Kodippili.

Speaking to the media, Kodippili warned that the number of forest fires could climb further if the prevailing dry and high-temperature conditions continue.

He stressed that public cooperation is essential in protecting forested areas, noting that preventing such fires plays a vital role in reducing weather-related impacts and preserving the environment.

Authorities are urging communities to act responsibly as concerns grow over the increased risk posed by ongoing heat and dryness.