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As the festive season approaches, transport authorities have rolled out extensive travel arrangements to ensure smooth journeys for thousands heading to their hometowns for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) announced the launch of a special bus service starting April 9, aimed at easing the surge in passenger traffic. Around 250 additional buses will be deployed daily on long-distance routes, with further buses to be added depending on demand.

These services will operate until April 13, catering to outbound यात्रas as people leave the city for celebrations. To manage the post-holiday rush, SLTB will also run return services from April 17 to April 21, helping passengers travel back to Colombo comfortably.

Parallel to this effort, the National Transport Commission (NTC) has also planned a special bus service beginning April 9, ensuring that sufficient buses are available based on passenger needs.

Rail travel will also see a boost, with Sri Lanka Railways preparing to launch special train services from April 10. Additional trains will operate along key routes including the Coastal Line, Northern Line, and Main Line, supplementing the regular schedule to accommodate the seasonal demand.

With both road and rail networks expanding capacity, authorities aim to provide a smoother, more accessible travel experience during one of the country’s busiest holiday periods.

No-one will have been further from home than the Artemis astronauts.

But as the Earth shrinks ever smaller in their rear-view mirror, they’ve had a constant connection with mission control in Houston, Texas. The calm words from the Nasa team have given the crew a comforting link with home.

That link is about to be lost.

As the astronauts pass behind the Moon at about 23:47 BST on Monday, the radio and laser signals that allow the back-and-forth communication between the spacecraft and Earth will be blocked by the Moon itself.

For about 40 minutes, the four astronauts will be alone, each with their own thoughts and feelings, travelling through the darkness of space. A profound moment of solitude and silence.

Artemis pilot Victor Glover told us he hopes the world will use the time to come together.

‘‘When we’re behind the Moon, out of contact with everybody, let’s take that as an opportunity,’‘ he told BBC News before the mission. ‘‘Let’s pray, hope, send your good thoughts and feelings that we get back in contact with the crew."

More than 50 years ago, the Apollo astronauts also experienced the isolation brought by a loss of signal during their missions to the Moon.

Perhaps none more so than Apollo 11’s Michael Collins.

In 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history taking the first steps on the lunar surface, Collins was alone in the command module, orbiting the Moon.

As his craft passed behind the far side, contact with the pair on the lunar surface, as well as with mission control, vanished for 48 minutes.

He described the experience in his 1974 memoir Carrying the Fire, saying he felt ‘‘truly alone’‘ and ‘‘isolated from any known life’‘, but that he did not feel fear or loneliness.

In later interviews, he described the peace and tranquillity brought by the radio silence, saying it offered a break from the constant requests from mission control.

Back on Earth, the blackout will be a tense time for those with the job of maintaining contact with the spacecraft,

At the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, in the south-west of England, a huge antenna has been collecting signals from the Orion capsule, carefully pinpointing its position throughout its journey, and feeding this information back to Nasa HQ.

Matt Cosby, Goonhilly’s chief technology officer, told the BBC: ‘‘This is the first time we’re tracking a spacecraft with humans on it.

‘‘We’re going to get slightly nervous as it goes behind the Moon, and then we’ll be very excited when we see it again, because we know that they’re all safe.’‘

But the hope is these dropouts in communications could soon become a thing of the past. And Cosby says that will be essential as Nasa – and other space agencies around the world – begin to build a Moon base and ramp up further exploration.

‘‘For a sustainable presence on the Moon, you need the full comms - you need the full 24 hours a day, even on the far side, because the far side will want to be explored as well,’‘ he said.

Programmes like the European Space Agency’s Moonlight are planning to launch a network of satellites around the Moon to provide continuous and reliable communication coverage in the future.

For the Artemis astronauts, their time without contact with the Earth will allow them to devote all of their attention to the Moon.

They’ll spend the blackout dedicated to lunar observation – taking images, studying the Moon’s geology and simply gazing at its splendour.

When they emerge from the Moon’s shadow, and that signal is re-established, the world will breathe a collective sigh of relief.

And the history-making astronauts will be able to share their incredible views with everyone back home.

Source: BBC

In a move aimed at supporting the country’s fishing community, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a fuel subsidy scheme for fishing vessels, offering much-needed financial relief to those navigating rising operational costs.

According to the Fisheries Ministry, the newly sanctioned program will provide Rs. 50 per litre of fuel for small fishing boats, easing the burden on daily fishing operations. Meanwhile, multi-day fishing vessels will receive an allowance of Rs. 150,000 per trip, a measure expected to significantly support long-distance expeditions.

The Ministry confirmed that the subsidy will come into effect from April 20, 2026, marking a targeted intervention to assist both small-scale and large-scale fishers.

The initiative reflects a focused effort to sustain the fishing industry by reducing fuel expenses, a key cost factor that directly impacts livelihoods and productivity at sea.

A 46-year-old man has been killed following a violent attack in Panamura, police confirmed.

The victim, a resident of the area, was reportedly assaulted last night (05) while visiting another house in Panamura. Preliminary investigations indicate that two individuals carried out the attack using sharp weapons along with physical force, leaving the man critically injured.

He was subsequently admitted to hospital for treatment but later succumbed to his injuries.

Authorities stated that the motive behind the killing remains unclear at this stage. However, two suspects have been taken into custody in connection with the incident.

Further investigations are being carried out by the Sri Lanka Police, with officers attached to Panamura Police continuing inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Iran’s Fars news agency, which is affiliated to the country’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said earlier that 15 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz ‘‘with permission from Iran’’ in the previous 24-hour period.

It added that traffic was still 90% lower than before the start of the war.

Some Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, have repeatedly said that the vital shipping lane is not shut, but it is closed only to ‘‘enemy countries’’.

For example, yesterday Iran announced Iraq is exempt from any restrictions it is imposing, according to the spokesman Iran’s for Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarter.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials and lawmakers have also raised the possibility of tolling vessels using the strait.

Earlier an aide at Iran’s President’s Office, says the Strait of Hormuz ‘‘will be reopened’’ when ‘‘a portion of transit tolls is used to compensate for all the damage caused’’ by the war.

Source: BBC

A tender has been called to select a coal supplier for the 2026/2027 operational season of the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant, marking a key step in ensuring uninterrupted power generation.

The Lanka Coal Company announced that the tender seeks to procure 2.28 million metric tons of coal for the period spanning September 2026 to April 2027.

The invitation for bids has now been officially published on the company’s website, outlining detailed requirements and conditions for prospective suppliers. Interested bidders have until May 14 to submit their proposals.

According to the tender specifications, the total coal requirement will be delivered in 38 shipments, with 20 shipments scheduled for 2026 and the remaining 18 in 2027. All deliveries are required to be completed within a 210-day timeframe.

In addition to quantity and scheduling, the Lanka Coal Company has also set out strict quality standards for the coal to be supplied, along with clear expectations regarding the responsibilities and performance of selected bidders.

The move is expected to ensure a steady supply of fuel for one of the country’s primary power generation facilities during the upcoming season.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has announced a series of water supply interruptions affecting several المناطق, as dry weather conditions continue to strain reservoir levels.

Water supply to Pelanwatta and surrounding areas will be suspended from 8:00 p.m. today (06) until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow (07), as part of ongoing water management measures.

According to the NWSDB, water production has been restricted due to rapidly declining levels in the reservoirs supplying the Labugama Water Treatment Plant and Kalatuwawa Water Treatment Plant.

Meanwhile, a 12-hour water cut is scheduled for Homagama and surrounding areas (Zone 01) today (06), beginning at 8:00 a.m. and continuing until 8:00 p.m.

The Board also clarified that the current water cut affecting Padukka and nearby areas is set to conclude at 8:00 a.m. today, ahead of the planned interruption in Homagama.

Authorities urge residents to use water sparingly as efforts continue to manage limited supplies amid the prevailing dry conditions.

The Director General of the Department of Meteorology of Sri Lanka, Athula Karunanayake, stated that Sri Lanka is expected to receive its usual rainfall by May or June.

He made these remarks while participating in the Ada Derana ‘Big Focus’ program today (6).

Elaborating further, Director General Karunanayake said, “During the Southwest Monsoon, rainfall is expected to decrease compared to current levels, potentially by more than 30%. However, May marks only the beginning of El Niño, and there is confidence that by May and June, normal rains will arrive.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology has announced that the sun will be directly overhead Sri Lanka until April 15. Accordingly, at 12:13 p.m. today, the sun will be directly over the Beruwala, Gurulubadda, Rakwana, Godakawela, Udawalawe, and Thanamalwila areas.

The Department further stated that although isolated thundershowers may occur in certain parts of several provinces during this period, the prevailing extreme dry weather conditions are expected to persist.

In the meantime, water levels in reservoirs have dropped rapidly due to the ongoing dry conditions. Consequently, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has implemented a scheduled water supply plan for Colombo and surrounding areas served by the Labugama and Kalatuwawa reservoirs.

Accordingly, the NWSDB announced that a 12-hour water cut will be imposed for Zone 01 in Homagama and surrounding areas from 8:00 p.m. today (6) until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow (7).

The Board also confirmed that the water supply suspension previously in effect for Padukka and surrounding areas concluded at 8:00 a.m. today.

To support water shortage management caused by the severe dry weather in the Batticaloa district, the Department of Health Services has donated a new water bowser to assist the Batticaloa Municipal Council in meeting local water requirements.

(Adaderana.lk)

Oil prices hit $110 (£83.38) a barrel after President Donald Trump’s expletive-laden threat against Iran on social media.

The price of Brent rose initially by 1.6% to $110.85, before retreating slightly during morning trade in Asia.

US-traded crude gained slightly by 0.3% to $111.80.

The initial jump came after Trump put more pressure on Tehran by threatening to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants if Iran did not back down on its threat against ships that try to cross the critical Strait of Hormuz trade waterway.

Major Asian stock markets also edged higher. Japan’s Nikkei 225 exchange rose by 1.6% while South Korea’s Kospi index gained by 0.9%.

Source: BBC