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Three people have been injured after two drones “fell in the vicinity” of Dubai International Airport, says the Dubai Media Office.

It says an Indian national sustained “moderate injuries” while two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national suffered “minor injuries”.

It adds that air traffic is operating as normal.

Source:adaderana.lk

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched its “most intense and heaviest operation” since the start of the war, according to state media.

Iran claimed its overnight attack involved missile launches, including its long-range ballistic Khorramshahr missile, against targets in Israel and at US assets in the region, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported.

“We will continue our sustained attacks with purpose and strength, and in the continuation of this war we think only of the enemy’s complete surrender,” the IRGC said, adding “The war will end only when the shadow of war is removed from our country.”

At a Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US will not relent until “the enemy is totally and decisively defeated,” adding that this will be done on the United States’ timeline.

There were sirens in central Israel on Wednesday morning, after the Israel Defense Forces warned of missile launches from Iran. No injuries were reported.

Source: adaderana.lk

The research vessel R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, operating under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is scheduled to reach Sri Lanka today (11) to begin a scientific survey within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The mission is being conducted at the invitation of the Sri Lankan government and will be carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA).

The survey will last for 32 days and aims to gather important scientific information related to marine living resources and ocean ecosystems. Data collected during the mission will help improve fisheries management and strengthen ocean governance in Sri Lanka.

Scientists aboard the vessel will conduct hydro-acoustic surveys to measure the abundance and distribution of key fish stocks in Sri Lankan waters. Additional research activities will include monitoring biodiversity and assessing pollution levels in the marine environment.

The mission will also facilitate collaboration between Sri Lankan researchers and international experts, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and scientific cooperation.

Sri Lanka previously hosted the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen in 2018 for a major study of the country’s continental shelf and upper slope. Earlier surveys were also carried out between 1978 and 1980 as part of the long-running Nansen Programme.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Sri Lanka’s participation in the latest mission demonstrates its continued commitment to sustainable fisheries, marine conservation, and international scientific collaboration in the Indian Ocean region.

Oil prices dropped this morning after the Wall Street Journal reported the International Energy Agency has proposed the largest release of oil reserves in its history to bring down crude prices that have soared amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.

Brent futures were trading down 23 cents, or 0.26% lower, at $87.57 a barrel at 0023 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) lost 37 cents, or 0.44%, to trade at $83.08 a barrel.

Source:adaderana.lk

The UN Security Council is due to vote later today on competing draft resolutions over the war in Iran and its impact across the region.

The first measure - put forward by Gulf countries - condemns attacks on them and Jordan by Iran.

Russia - Iran’s ally on the council - has introduced a competing draft. Without naming Iran, Israel or the US, the text condemns all attacks against civilians and urges all parties to stop fighting and return to negotiations.

It’s the first action to be considered by the council since it held an emergency meeting shortly after the conflict erupted.

Addressing members then, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the Israeli-US airstrikes on Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on countries in the region were a violation of the UN charter.

Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani criticised the Gulf countries - accusing them of trying to reverse the roles of aggressor and victim through what he called a biased and politically motivated text.

The draft now has more than 90 sponsors - including the UK. It demands an immediate cessation of all attacks and threats by Iran against the six Gulf countries and Jordan, including through proxies. It also condemns any actions or threats by Tehran that would close or interfere with international navigation through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Source:adaderana.lk

The United States and Israel pounded Iran on Tuesday with what the Pentagon and Iranians on the ground called the most intense airstrikes of the war, despite global markets betting that President Donald Trump will seek to end the conflict soon.

Raising the stakes for the global economy, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would block oil shipments from the Gulf unless U.S. and Israeli attacks cease.

The Revolutionary Guards also said it fired missiles on Tuesday evening at Qatar’s U.S.-operated Al Udeid base and the Al Harir base in Iraq’s Kurdistan. 

Those launches were followed by drone attacks targeting a gathering of U.S. troops at Al Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates and Juffair naval base in Bahrain.

Early on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported another round of attacks was unleashed on U.S. military installations in Bahrain.

Waves of Iranian missiles also were fired at central Israel early on Wednesday. The sound of explosions from air defenses intercepting the rockets punctuated the predawn darkness as air raid sirens blared and Israelis scrambled to safe rooms and shelters. There was no immediate word of whether any of the missiles reached the ground.

US destroys mine-laying vessels as Trump warns Iran over Strait of Hormuz

The latest attacks from Iran roughly coincided with a new Israeli barrage on Beirut aimed at rooting out the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which has fired into Israel from Lebanon in solidarity with the Tehran government.

The White House on Tuesday reiterated Trump’s threat to hit Iran hard over moves to stop the flow of energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, where the war has effectively halted one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, and repeated his offer for the U.S. Navy to safely escort tankers.

“Today will be yet again, our most intense day ⁠of strikes inside Iran: the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Pentagon briefing.

In a message posted to his Truth Social platform later in the day, Trump said, “Within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed” 10 of Iran’s “inactive” mine-laying vessels. He did not clarify where the strikes occurred.

‘LIKE HELL’

Tehran residents reached by Reuters described the war’s most intense night of bombardment.

“It was like hell. They were bombing everywhere, every part of Tehran,” a resident said by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “My children are afraid to sleep now.”

In Tehran’s east, two five-storey residential buildings were hit on Monday, blasting out floors and walls and leaving a rickety concrete frame. Footage from Iran’s Red Crescent showed rescuers there carrying a victim in a body bag. Workers were still recovering bodies at the site on Tuesday when a missile struck a road intersection nearby.

Yet with Trump having described the war on Monday as “very complete, pretty much”, investors appeared convinced he would end it soon - before the disruption to global energy supplies caused a worldwide economic meltdown.

An historic surge in crude oil prices on Monday to nearly $120 a barrel was reversed as Brent crude settled back down below $90 on Tuesday. Asian and European share prices staged a partial recovery from earlier precipitous falls, and Wall Street bounced around its late February levels, before the war.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that the American public will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly once the objectives of the joint Israeli-U.S. air war are fully achieved.

A source familiar with Israel’s war plans told Reuters the Israeli military wanted to inflict as much damage as possible before the window for further strikes closes, under the assumption Trump could end the war at any time.

Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said the war would proceed until his country and the U.S. determine the time had come to cease hostilities, but that Israel was not ⁠seeking an “endless war.”

“We will continue until the minute that we, and our partners, think that it is appropriate to stop,” he said.

TRUMP PRESS CONFERENCE APPEARS TO REASSURE MARKETS

Iran has refused to bow to Trump’s demand that it let the United States choose its new leadership, naming hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader to replace his father, who was killed on the war’s first day.

But occasionally contradictory remarks from Trump at a Monday press conference seemed to reassure markets he would stop the war before provoking an economic crisis like those that followed the Middle East oil shocks of the 1970s. He said the U.S. had already inflicted serious damage and predicted the conflict would end before the four weeks he initially set out.

Trump has not defined what victory would look like, but on Monday did not repeat declarations that Iran must let him choose its leader.

Several congressional aides have said they expect the White House to soon request as much as $50 billion in additional funding for the war.

The U.S. used $5.6 billion in munitions in the first two days of strikes against Iran, a source familiar with the ⁠information said on Tuesday.

IRANIAN DEFIANCE

Several senior Iranian officials voiced defiance on Tuesday.

“Certainly, we are not seeking a ceasefire; we believe the aggressor must be struck in the mouth so that they learn a lesson,” Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, posted on X.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told PBS that Tehran was unlikely to resume negotiations with the U.S.

And a spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guards said Tehran would not allow “one litre” of Middle Eastern oil to reach the U.S. or its allies while U.S. and Israeli attacks continue.

“We are the ones who will determine the end of the war,” the spokesperson said.

QUICK END TO WAR COULD LEAVE IRAN’S LEADERS IN PLACE

Ending the war quickly would appear to preclude toppling Iran’s leadership, which held large-scale rallies ⁠on Monday in support of the new supreme leader.

Many Iranians want change and some openly celebrated the death of the elder Khamenei, weeks after his security forces killed thousands of people to put down anti-government protests. But there has been little sign of protest during the war.

Fearing a revival of anti-government demonstrations, Iran’s police chief Ahmadreza Radan warned that “anyone taking into streets at the enemy’s request will be confronted as an enemy not protestor.”

“All our security forces have their fingers on the trigger,” Radan told state television.
More than 1,300 Iranian civilians have been killed since the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, according to Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani. ⁠He said nearly 8,000 homes have been destroyed, along with 1,600 “commercial and service centers” and dozens of medical, educational and energy-supply facilities.

The intention of U.S. and Israeli strikes is “to terrorize civilians, massacre innocent people, and cause maximum destruction and suffering,” the ambassador said.

Scores have also been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon, while Iranian strikes on Israel have killed 12 people.

Iran has struck U.S. military bases and diplomatic missions in Arab Gulf states but also hit hotels, closed airports and damaged oil infrastructure.

In addition to the six U.S. soldiers killed at the outset of the conflict, the Pentagon on Tuesday estimated that about 140 American troops have been wounded. The Defense Department previously said eight U.S. military personnel had been seriously injured.

Source:adaderana.lk

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter observed tests of strategic cruise missiles fired from a warship, state media reported Wednesday, as North Korea threatened responses to U.S.-South Korean military drills.

Images released by the Korean Central News Agency showed the two in a conference room looking at a screen showing weapons being fired from the Choe Hyon, a year-old naval destroyer.

Kim watched the missiles launches via video on Tuesday and underscored the need to maintain “a powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent,” KCNA reported in a dispatch that did not mention his daughter.

The girl, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and about 13, has accompanied her father at numerous prominent events including military parades and weapons launches since late 2022. South Korea’s spy agency assessed last month that Kim Jong Un was close to designating her as his heir.

KCNA said the missiles hit target islands off North Korea’s west coast. It quoted Kim Jong Un as saying the launches were meant to demonstrate the navy’s strategic offensive posture and get troops familiarized with weapons firings.

Kim Jong Un observed similar cruise missile launches from the Choe Hyon in person last week, but his daughter was not seen at that appearance.

Tuesday’s missile firings came after the start of the springtime U.S.-South Korean military drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.

On Tuesday, Kim Jong Un’s sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, warned the drills reveal again the U.S. and South Korea’s “inveterate repugnancy toward” North Korea. She said North Korea will “convince the enemies of our war deterrence.”

The 11-day Freedom Shield drill that began Monday is largely a computer-simulated command post exercise and will be accompanied by a field training program. North Korea often reacts to the two sets of training with its own weapons tests. 

Source:adaderana.lk

Employees in the power sector who are currently participating in trade union action have been directed to resume their duties without delay, according to officials overseeing the newly established electricity companies.

The order follows the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board under the Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Act No. 36 of 2024. As part of this reform, the operations of the CEB were formally transferred to several successor companies on March 9, 2026.

Subsequently, the management of Electricity Distribution Lanka (EDL) and the National Transmission Network Service Provider (NTNSP) issued a notice instructing employees to return to work immediately.

According to the initial transition plan approved by authorities, all former CEB employees have been allocated to four newly created companies and are legally required to perform their duties to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply across the country.

The management also pointed out that electricity services were officially declared an essential service through Extraordinary Gazette No. 2477/47 issued on February 28, 2026. Under these regulations, refusing to report for work can be treated as a serious offence.

Chief Executive Officers S. I. Kumara and N. S. Wettasinghe noted that a number of employees have been absent from duty due to ongoing trade union activities.

They emphasized that although appointment letters for positions within the new companies are currently being distributed, this process does not exempt staff members from their existing responsibilities.

The statement concluded with a warning that employees who continue to ignore the directive to return to work will face strict disciplinary measures as well as legal action under the regulations governing essential services.

Indian airline IndiGo said on Tuesday chief executive Pieter Elbers has resigned, an abrupt departure following months of scrutiny over the carrier’s failure to plan properly for pilot rest and duty rules that left tens of thousands of passengers stranded.

The airline has a roughly 65% market share in India, the world’s fastest-growing aviation market. It cancelled 4,500 flights in December in what was the biggest crisis ⁠in IndiGo’s 20-year history. Regulators later reprimanded Elbers for “inadequate overall oversight of flight operations and crisis management.”

Though IndiGo only released Elbers’ resignation letter that cited “personal reasons” for the exit, the airline’s co-founder Rahul Bhatia, who will be in charge in the interim, referred to the cancellations in an internal memo he sent on his new role.

“What happened last December should never have taken place,” he said in the email seen by Reuters, where he also thanked employees for working tirelessly during the December crisis.

AIRLINE UNDER PRESSURE

Elbers, a former KLM Royal Dutch Airlines executive, had shared the stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last year, basking in IndiGo’s role as the host ⁠airline for an aviation event.

The airline industry veteran had faced intense pressure in the weeks following the mass cancellations in December, after IndiGo admitted to misjudging the number of pilots it would need after new duty and rest rules that came into effect on November 1.

In the aftermath, India’s aviation regulator fined IndiGo $2.45 million and reprimanded several senior executives.

The airline has become hugely popular ⁠in India for its on-time performance and budget ticket prices. Under Elbers, the airline placed a large order for 500 Airbus narrowbody aircraft and dozens of widebody aircraft from the planemaker to expand its operations.

IndiGo’s shares have fallen 13.5% this year, due to ⁠the financial impact of the cancellations and more recently, disruptions arising from the conflict in the Middle East that led to large portions of the airspace being shut, compounding impact from an airspace ban imposed by Pakistan.

IndiGo has 440 ⁠aircraft in its fleet and operates mostly domestic flights in India. It also flies to foreign destinations like the United Kingdom and the Middle East.

Source:adaderana.lk

The Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), D.J. Rajakaruna, has requested the public to reduce non-essential travel and use fuel sparingly in order to manage the energy crisis arising from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

“This is not a normal situation; it is a very grave condition,” he warned.

The CPC chairman urged the public to act collectively by reducing non-essential travel, limiting fuel purchases to essential needs, and maintaining the lowest possible level of fuel consumption until the global situation stabilizes.

Speaking to the media today (10), Rajakaruna emphasized that citizens should take all possible measures to minimize fuel usage during this period.

Addressing the recent increase in fuel prices, the CPC chairman stated that the surge had been significantly influenced by panic buying of fuel in the country. He explained that consumers purchasing excessive quantities of fuel over the past few days, driven by fears of a potential shortage, had directly contributed to the significant price increase.

He further noted that if such heavy purchasing had not occurred, it would have been possible to maintain the previous fuel prices at least until the end of this month.

Rajakaruna described the present circumstances as abnormal, noting that global conflicts have disrupted standard pricing patterns in the energy market.

Emphasizing that the current energy crisis is a global challenge, he reiterated his appeal for the public to limit fuel consumption. 

He warned that a failure to act collectively during this period could lead to serious risks in the near future.

 Source: adaderana.lk

Gulf states have been intercepting new waves of Iranian drones and missiles early Wednesday local time.

United Arab Emirates warned residents to stay in a safe location, with its defense ministry saying air defenses were “responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.”

In the past two hours, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles heading for Prince Sultan Air Base. It has also intercepted a number of drones in eastern parts of the country, the defense ministry said. It earlier said it had intercepted ballistic weapons bound for the Shaybah oil field.

Sirens have been sounding in Bahrain this morning and the interior ministry has urged residents to head to the nearest safe space.

Earlier, in a statement, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards said it had executed “multi-layered and continuous waves against US bases and (Israel).”

Source:adaderana.lk

As Sri Lanka continues its economic recovery following the financial crisis of recent years, policymakers and investors are increasingly focused on how the country can rebuild long‑term credibility in its institutions. Economic stabilization alone is not sufficient to attract sustained investment. What global investors ultimately look for are systems that are predictable, transparent and consistently enforced. In this context, Australia provides a particularly relevant comparison. Over several decades the country has developed an institutional framework built on regulatory clarity, policy continuity and transparent governance. These elements have allowed Australia to maintain investor confidence even during periods of global economic uncertainty. For Sri Lanka, which is seeking to restore economic credibility and strengthen its reform trajectory, Australia’s institutional model provides a useful reference point.

Arjuna Nayanka Samarakoon, widely known as Arj Samarakoon, an Australian investor and reform advocate, has frequently highlighted the importance of institutional consistency when discussing economic reform. According to Samarakoon, the most successful economies are rarely those that introduce dramatic policy shifts. Instead, they are countries that build systems capable of functioning predictably over long periods of time. Investors, he argues, value stability above almost all other factors. When businesses know that regulations will remain consistent, taxation systems will be predictable and administrative procedures will be transparent, they are far more likely to commit long‑term capital.

Australia’s economic governance reflects this principle. While governments may change and policy debates may evolve, the underlying institutional structure of the country remains stable. Independent regulatory bodies, strong parliamentary oversight and transparent reporting mechanisms ensure that policy decisions are implemented within a predictable framework. This institutional discipline has been one of the key reasons Australia has remained an attractive destination for global investment. It has also enabled the country to sustain long‑term economic growth without the policy volatility that often affects emerging markets.

Institutional Predictability

Australia’s institutional framework is built upon strong legal foundations and independent public institutions. Agencies such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics provide transparent and reliable economic data, allowing policymakers, investors and businesses to make informed decisions. The accessibility of economic information plays a critical role in reducing uncertainty within the private sector. When businesses can rely on accurate and publicly available data, they are able to evaluate risk more effectively and make longer‑term investment decisions.

Reference: Australian Bureau of Statistics

For Nayanka Arjuna Samarakoon, transparency in governance is one of the most important components of institutional credibility. When economic indicators, compliance requirements and policy frameworks are clearly communicated, the relationship between the state and the private sector becomes more stable. Investors understand the regulatory environment they are operating within, and governments are able to maintain credibility with both domestic and international stakeholders.

Australia’s institutional reliability also extends to the rule of law and regulatory enforcement. Decisions made by regulatory bodies are subject to legal scrutiny, and policy implementation is monitored through a system of checks and balances. This creates a governance environment where businesses can operate with confidence, knowing that regulatory changes are unlikely to occur abruptly or without consultation.

Policy Stability and Investment Confidence

Another defining feature of Australia’s governance model is the stability of its policy framework across political cycles. While economic priorities may evolve over time, reforms are typically implemented gradually and within established institutional processes. This approach contrasts sharply with many emerging economies, where sudden regulatory changes can disrupt investor confidence.

Arj Samarakoon argues that this continuity is not accidental but the result of disciplined institutional design. Policy reforms are generally introduced following extensive consultation with industry stakeholders, academic experts and regulatory bodies. As a result, businesses are rarely confronted with unexpected regulatory shifts. Instead, changes occur through structured transitions that allow the private sector to adapt gradually.

The impact of this stability on investment behavior is significant. Global investors often view Australia as a safe and predictable environment in which to allocate capital. Long‑term investments in sectors such as infrastructure, mining, energy and technology are supported by confidence that regulatory frameworks will remain stable over time.

For Sri Lanka, which has experienced episodes of policy volatility in the past, strengthening regulatory predictability could be a critical step toward rebuilding investor confidence. Samarakoon emphasizes that economic reform is not simply about introducing new policies. It is about ensuring that existing policies are implemented consistently and transparently.

Implications for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka possesses a number of structural advantages that could support long‑term economic growth. The country occupies a strategic position along major global shipping routes and maintains strong trade relationships across Asia and beyond. It also has a well‑educated workforce capable of supporting modern service and manufacturing industries. However, these advantages can only be fully realized if institutional credibility is strengthened.

According to Arjuna Samarakoon, improving the everyday functioning of government institutions may be one of the most important reforms Sri Lanka can undertake. Predictable taxation systems, stable trade policies and transparent regulatory enforcement would help create a more reliable environment for investors. These measures do not require radical policy shifts but rather disciplined implementation of existing frameworks.

These observations reflect Samarakoon’s earlier comparative analysis of Australia and the Philippines, where digital transparency and institutional predictability were identified as important drivers of economic stability.

Related analysis: Arjuna Samarakoon on What Sri Lanka Can Learn from Australia and the Philippines 

Ultimately, the Australian experience illustrates a broader lesson for economic reform. Sustainable growth rarely results from isolated policy initiatives. Instead, it emerges from institutions that function consistently over time. For Sri Lanka, strengthening governance discipline and policy continuity may therefore represent one of the most important steps toward building long‑term economic confidence.