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The Sri Lanka rupee had depreciated by 1.6 per cent against the US dollar in 2026, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has confirmed.

According to the CBSL, the buying rate of the US dollar was Rs. 311.76 while the selling rate stood at Rs. 319.31 at the end of trading yesterday (31).

The Central Bank noted that the depreciation of the Sri Lanka rupee against the US dollar is a reflection on the emergence of external sector pressures following the commencement of the Middle East conflict in late Feb 2026.

Meanwhile, the external current account recorded a surplus in February 2026, extending the trend observed since November 2025, and recorded a cumulative surplus of US$ 487 million during January–February 2026, the CBSL said.

According to the External Sector Performance - February 2026 report published by the Central Bank, the merchandise trade deficit widened on a year-on-year basis in February 2026. Further, during January-February 2026, the trade deficit widened to US$ 1.4 billion compared to US$ 1.1 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.

Vehicle imports, including both personal and commercial vehicles, amounted to US$ 194 million in February 2026, bringing cumulative vehicle imports to US$ 418 million during January-February 2026.

Meanwhile, gross official reserves (GOR), including the swap facility with the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), increased to US$ 7.3 billion at end February 2026. This was mainly driven by higher foreign exchange purchases by the Central Bank, despite continued external debt service payments, the CBSL added further.

(Adaderana.lk)

Vietnam is the proud host country of the historic 75th Anniversary Edition of Miss World, set to take place from August 9 (arrival in Hanoi) to September 5 (Final Event in Ho Chi Minh City). 

The official announcement was made during the Miss World Vietnam final on March 29 by Julia Morley CBE and representatives of Sen Vàng, the local organizers and co-producers of the event.

Founded in 1951 by Eric Morley, Miss World held its first edition in London. This year, the organization celebrates 75 years of history and Beauty With a Purpose while presenting its 73rd edition.

Julia Morley CBE, Chairwoman and CEO of the Miss World Organization, together with the reigning Miss World, Opal Suchata of Thailand, are currently in Vietnam to officially launch the historic celebration alongside Sen Vàng.

From the breathtaking limestone landscapes of Ha Long Bay to the vibrant energy of Hanoi and the dynamic spirit of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam offers a remarkable blend of natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and modern sophistication. Throughout their journey, contestants and visitors will have the opportunity to explore iconic destinations, engage with local communities, and experience the country’s renowned hospitality, making this edition a truly immersive cultural experience.

Julia Morley CBE said:

“I am truly delighted to celebrate 75 years of Miss World and Beauty With a Purpose in Vietnam, a country that exudes culture, warmth, and an extraordinary sense of hospitality, and that has always welcomed us with open arms. I very much look forward to arriving in Vietnam and sharing this special moment with its wonderful people.”

Miss World Opal Suchata added:

“I am so happy to know that I will crown my successor in Vietnam. During my journey, my roommate was Miss World Vietnam, Huỳnh Trần Ý Nhi, who became a good friend and always spoke about her beautiful country with such love and pride. I have grown to truly love Vietnam, and being so close to Thailand makes this even more special, as I hope many of my friends will join me for this celebration and my farewell moment.”

Mr. Hoàng Nhật Nam, representing the Sen Vàng team, expressed his enthusiasm for co-hosting the event:

“Working alongside the Miss World Organization to produce such a special edition, while showcasing Vietnam to the world, fills me and my team with immense joy and gratitude. Together, we will deliver a truly outstanding event.”

Sen Vàng previously co-produced the Mr World Festival in 2024, further strengthening its collaboration with the Miss World Organization.

Source:adaderana.lk

French senators vote on Tuesday on a draft law that aims to ban social media access for children under the age of 15, joining countries around the world in considering a move unpopular with many teenagers but supported by some parents and teachers.

President Emmanuel Macron wants the law in place in time for the start of the next academic year, in September. If adopted, France would follow Australia, whose world-first ban for under-16s on platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube came into force in December.

Countries across Europe and beyond are considering ways to restrict social media after becoming increasingly aware of the risks to children.

Last ⁠week a jury in Los Angeles found Meta and Alphabet’s Google negligent for designing social media platforms that are harmful to young people and found them liable for damages in a case that could serve as a bellwether for others.

“The idea is to be able to require platforms to implement age verification that is reliable, robust, and protective of personal data,” said French lawmaker Laure Miller, who drafted the bill.

“It’s clear that young people have access to smartphones at increasingly younger ages,” she said. “This has a significant impact on their development, both personally and cognitively,” she added, arguing that governments must regulate this and ⁠not leave it in the hands of social media giants.

Miller’s and Macron’s plans may face a hurdle in the Senate.

While the legislation was adopted in the lower house of parliament as a blanket ban, senators amended the text at committee level, saying they want to block access only for platforms that are considered harmful for ⁠children. Others could be accessed with parental approval. The list of harmful social media would be defined later by decree.

If the Senate as a whole supports that amendment, that could lead to back-and-forth between the two chambers, although ⁠the lower house has the final word.

French school pupil Louis Szponik, 15, does not agree with a social media ban. Though he says apps like TikTok can lead to procrastination, he feels strongly that ⁠social media can cultivate cohesion and expression.

“It’s true that our generation is often caricatured like that, as the younger generation, always on our phones,” he said. But social media can “have a positive side, which is being able to communicate with friends.”

Source: Reuters

Canadian singer Celine Dion announced on Monday, her birthday, that she will return to the stage this fall with 10 concerts scheduled in Paris, spread out over September and October.

The much‑anticipated announcement followed an ad campaign in the streets of Paris that had fuelled speculation that the French‑speaking Canadian star, best known for her powerful ballads, would stage her comeback in the French capital.

‘‘This year, I will receive the best gift of my life. I will have the chance to come and see ⁠you and to sing for you again in Paris starting this autumn, in September,’‘ Dion, who turned 58 on Monday, said on French TV station France 2.

The announcement was simultaneously advertised through a light show on the Eiffel Tower. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale on April 7, while the general sale will start April 10.

The performer rose to global stardom in the late 1990s with ‘‘My Heart Will Go On,’‘ the theme song of the blockbuster ‘‘Titanic."

She put her career on hold in ⁠2022 for medical reasons, saying at the time that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff‑Person Syndrome, which causes severe muscle spasms. It left her unable to sing.

The diagnosis led her to postpone, then cancel, her ‘‘Courage World Tour."

One of the ⁠world’s all-time top earners from combined album sales and concert revenue, Dion performed two residencies in Las Vegas from 2003 to 2007 and from 2011 to 2019. At the time, these ⁠were considered the most profitable gigs ever.

She made a first reappearance after two years of silence during the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony with a version ⁠of Edith Piaf’s ‘‘Hymne a l’amour."

Her performance then led to speculation that she might one day return to major stages around the world.

Source:adaderana.lk

The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated further against the US dollar across commercial banks in Sri Lanka today (31), compared to Monday, with the selling rate steady at Rs. 318.

According to Seylan Bank, the buying and selling rates of the US dollar have increased from Rs. 311.40 to Rs. 312 and from Rs. 317.50 to Rs. 317.25, respectively.

At NDB Bank, the buying rate and selling rates of the US dollar have increased from Rs. 311.75 to Rs. 312.25 and from Rs. 318.25 to Rs. 318.75, respectively.

People’s Bank reports the buying rate of the US Dollar has increased from Rs. 311. 37 to Rs. 311.87, while the selling rate has also increased from Rs. 318.24 to Rs. 318.75.

Meanwhile, at Commercial Bank, the buying and selling rates have increased from Rs. 309.57 to Rs. 310.32 and from Rs. 318 to Rs. 318.75, respectively.

At Sampath Bank, the buying rate and selling rates have increased from Rs. 311.75 to Rs. 312.25 and from Rs. 318.25 to Rs. 318.75.

 (Source:Newswire)

A parliamentary committee in Iran has approved plans to impose tolls on traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Fars news agency.

It reports that a member of the national security commission has confirmed the approval of the plan, which would also see US and Israeli ships barred from moving through the strait.

It adds that, under the plans, other countries that have participated in sanctions against Iran would also be barred.

The AFP news agency reported the new toll system was announced on Iranian state television, which said Iran would implement them in co-operation with Oman.

About 20% of the world’s crude usually passes through the vital shipping way which lies between Iran and Oman.

However, since the war began, crossings have plummeted by around 95 percent, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.

Source:adaderana.lk

Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets have lost around $120 billion in value since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, according to multiple reports, as the conflict continues to rattle Gulf economies.

Reports indicate that the Dubai and Abu Dhabi benchmark indexes have dropped sharply since the conflict began on February 28, with Dubai’s index falling about 16 per cent and Abu Dhabi declining around 9 per cent. The losses have placed UAE markets among the hardest-hit financial markets globally during the ongoing crisis. 

More than $120 billion has been wiped from market capitalization across the two exchanges in just over a month, with Dubai taking the larger hit due to its greater exposure to tourism, real estate, and global capital flows, which are particularly sensitive to geopolitical tensions. 

The downturn comes as the broader Middle East conflict fuels investor uncertainty, rising oil prices, and fears of disruptions to regional trade and travel. UAE markets have also faced pressure from attacks and security concerns linked to the conflict, which have further shaken investor confidence. 

Meanwhile, Gulf markets more broadly have seen volatility, with Dubai among the worst performers globally in recent weeks, while some other regional markets have shown mixed performance depending on exposure to the conflict. 

The ongoing war has triggered wider global market turbulence, with oil prices surging and equities falling across multiple regions as investors brace for prolonged instability in the Middle East. 

The situation remains fluid, with analysts warning that continued escalation could lead to further losses across Gulf financial markets.

 (Source:Newswire)

Kuwait says Iran has hit one of its giant crude oil tankers that is docked at a Dubai port.

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation described the incident as “a brutal Iranian airstrike” and reported there was some damage to the ship but no casualties.

The tanker “Al Salmi” was fully loaded at the time of the strike, which caused a fire onboard.

Dubai authorities said the attack involved a drone and firefighting efforts continued.

All 24 crew members are safe and uninjured, they said.

Initially Kuwait warned of a possible oil spill after the attack, but the UK maritime monitor says: “No environmental impact has been reported”.

Separately, Kuwait’s military said its air defences are responding to “hostile missile and drone attacks”, according to the Kuwait News Agency.

Source: adaderana.lk

Aluminium prices surged to four-year highs on Monday as Iranian airstrikes on two major Middle East producers over the weekend raised the risk of a prolonged supply shock.

Benchmark aluminium on the London Metal Exchange was up 4.7% to $3,453 a metric ton at 1048 GMT. Prices of the metal used in the transport, construction and packaging industries touched $3,492 earlier in the session.

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already restricted shipments ⁠of aluminium to export markets in the United States and Europe.

Aluminium Bahrain, which runs the world’s largest single-site smelter, said it was assessing the damage from the Iranian strikes. Emirates Global Aluminium, meanwhile, said its plant sustained “significant damage."

Alba said this month that it was shutting smelting lines representing 19% of its capacity.

“Iran’s strikes on Middle Eastern aluminium plants are threatening to send a fragile market into crisis, raising the prospect of record prices,” Britannia Global Markets said.

“The conflict’s impact is being amplified because constraints on ⁠production elsewhere have eroded global inventories, leaving the market with little buffer against shocks.”

Aluminium prices hit a record $4,073.50 a ton in March 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a top producer of the metal.

Stocks of aluminium in LME-approved warehouses have dropped more than 60% ⁠since last May to 418,675 tons.

Concerns about severe shortages have pushed the premium for cash metal over the three-month contract to more than $60 a ton, its highest since 2007 .

Industrial metals ⁠overall were supported by signs of stronger demand in top consumer China.

Analysts expect Chinese factory activity to have expanded in March, ending a two-month contraction, though supply ⁠chain shocks from the Iran war cloud the outlook.

Copper was up 0.3% at $12,231 a ton, zinc gained 1.7% to $3,168, lead firmed 0.6% to $1,909 and tin climbed 1.5% to $46,495 while nickel advanced 0.5% to $17,270.

Source:adaderana.lk

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US TV company Newsmax that he doesn’t want to “put a schedule” on when the war with Iran is likely to end.

Netanyahu says the war is “definitely beyond the halfway point” and Iran’s Islamic republic will eventually “collapse internally”, AFP news agency reports.

Source: adaerana.lk

Authorities in Dubai have confirmed no oil leaked from a tanker set on fire after an Iranian drone strike.

The Al Salmi tanker was fully loaded with two million barrels of oil and was docked in Dubai on its way to China, when it was hit in a drone attack and a fire broke out.

The Dubai media office has since confirmed that response teams have ‘‘successfully contained the incident involving the Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai waters, with no oil leakage and no injuries reported’’.

Source: adaderana.lk

Global oil prices continued to climb in early trade in Asia on Tuesday.

The price of US-traded oil jumped by 3% to nearly $106 (£80.52) a barrel.

US oil prices closed Monday’s trading session above $100 a barrel for the first time since the war on Iran started on 28 February. Its also the highest price of US oil since July 2022.

Brent crude - the global benchmark for oil prices - rose to $115 after gaining by more than 2% on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump has continued to threaten strikes on Iran’s infrastructure if a deal is not reached soon.

Source: adaderana.lk