News

President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend that ​would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, but Iran countered that it had not reached a final decision on an agreement.

The deal, if confirmed, would be ‌the most significant diplomatic breakthrough yet to end the three-month-old war, which has killed thousands and sent global energy prices sharply higher.

Iranian media reported Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying that large parts of the text under negotiation have been finalized but Iran would not compromise on its red lines.

“We have not reached a final conclusion on this matter,” he said. “This is a very important issue that is currently being reviewed by the relevant decision-making bodies.”

Trump, ​meanwhile, told reporters at the White House: “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.”

“The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, ​very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe,” Trump said, adding Vice President JD Vance could sign for the United States.

When asked if Iran’s ⁠Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei approved the deal, Trump said: “I understand the answer is yes.”

Trump’s announcement came after he called off planned military strikes on Iran, citing progress in talks. U.S. stocks rose ​and oil prices fell on the news.

Since mid-March, Trump has repeatedly claimed that a deal with Iran to end the war was close. The two sides have traded strikes this week, straining a ​ceasefire announced in April.

“It’s a very strong memorandum of understanding that is a little conceptual,” Trump told reporters.

Trump has repeatedly said that any peace deal must ensure Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon. Iran denies it is seeking such a weapon.

Iran’s demands include the lifting of international sanctions, the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets and recognition of its control of the Strait of Hormuz.

“The big thing is there will be no nuclear weapons in ​Iran. That means not developed and not purchased,” Trump later said during a campaign event held by telephone.

TIT-FOR-TAT STRIKES

The war has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and ​hit the world economy by pushing up energy prices since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28.

In recent days, the conflict has intensified despite a tenuous ceasefire that took effect in early ‌April.

After ⁠a U.S. Apache helicopter was downed, Trump this week ordered new strikes around the Strait of Hormuz over two days.

At the same time, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in the region.

Bahrain’s interior ministry said on Thursday an 11-year-old girl suffered minor injuries and homes were damaged after debris fell from Iranian drones that were intercepted and destroyed.

Trump had said earlier Thursday that the United States would hit Iran “very hard tonight” and wanted eventually to take Iran’s oil infrastructure hub Kharg Island.

The island handles 90% of Iran’s oil exports and seizing it would give the United ​States the ability to severely disrupt Iran’s energy ​trade, placing enormous pressure on Tehran’s economy.

Iranian ⁠state media said early on Friday that the country’s forces prevented a tanker from transiting the Strait of Hormuz without coordination. One-fifth of the world’s energy shipments normally travel through the narrow waterway, but it has been largely shut since the war began.

DOMESTIC PRESSURES

The conflict has become a political headache ​for the White House, with polls showing Trump’s approval ratings sinking amid voter anger over high gasoline prices.

Some Republicans have openly worried that ​the war’s unpopularity could cost ⁠them control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.

But Trump’s political considerations also include satisfying Iran hawks within his Republican Party, who scuttled a prior effort, that any agreement closes Tehran’s path to developing a nuclear weapon.

The reaction of other Middle East powers will also be crucial.

Trump said on social media that the agreement had been approved by countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ⁠office said in ​a statement after the Israeli leader and Trump spoke that Israel was not a party to the memorandum of ​understanding with Iran.

Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for Trump’s commitment to securing a deal that includes removing enriched material, dismantling enrichment infrastructure, limiting missile output and ending support for regional proxies, according to the readout.

Tehran has been demanding an end to Israeli ​attacks in Lebanon, where fighting has continued in a parallel war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

Source: Reuters

Kuwait's Interior Ministry has issued a new circular restricting the recruitment of domestic workers to 10 approved countries, while banning recruitment from 27 others, as part of updated regulations governing the domestic labour sector, local media reported.

The measure was adopted based on observations and recommendations from several government bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Public Authority for Manpower.

Under the directive, domestic workers may be recruited from South Africa, Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and Nepal, as well as Senegal, where recruitment is limited to male workers only. Recruitment procedures will be completed through the country's governorates.

The circular was distributed to residency affairs departments and service centres and took effect following its update two days ago, the source said.

The decision also includes a list of 27 countries from which the recruitment of domestic workers is prohibited. The list comprises the Asian countries of Madagascar and Bhutan, and the African nations of Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Togo, Malawi, Chad, Djibouti, Niger, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Angola.

For some countries, the restrictions apply only to female domestic workers, while the recruitment of males remains permitted.

The updated rules are part of Kuwait's efforts to regulate the recruitment of domestic workers and strengthen oversight of the sector through revised administrative procedures and controls.

Gulf News

Health experts have raised concern over an evolving nutritional challenge in Uva Province, identifying the region as recording the highest rate of malnutrition among children under the age of five in Sri Lanka.

The warning was issued by Consultant Nutrition Specialist Dr. Wasana Marasinghe of the Badulla Teaching Hospital during an awareness programme held at the hospital in conjunction with a public walk organised to highlight the importance of nutrition.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Marasinghe noted that the issue extends beyond undernutrition alone. She explained that the province is increasingly experiencing a dual burden of malnutrition, where cases of unhealthy weight gain and overnutrition are emerging alongside traditional concerns linked to inadequate nutrition.

According to the specialist, both trends point to a common underlying issue — insufficient public awareness regarding healthy and appropriate nutrition practices.

The awareness programme focused attention on the importance of informed dietary habits and early intervention, particularly during childhood, where nutrition plays a critical role in growth and long-term wellbeing.

Health officials participating in the initiative emphasized that improving public understanding of nutrition remains an important step in addressing both forms of malnutrition affecting young children in the region.

A Sri Lankan immigrant doctor has been found guilty of indecently assaulting a female patient during an acupuncture appointment in Perth.

General practitioner Vino Kariyakarawana, a 49-year-old father-of-two who came to Australia in 2008, was on Tuesday convicted of one count of unlawful and indecent assault at Perth Magistrates Court, after two other counts of the same charge were dropped in February.

The court heard Dr Kariyakarawana assaulted his victim, a 30-year-old international student, at the Carlisle Medical Centre in July last year during a follow-up appointment a day after he diagnosed her with a muscle spasm or soft tissue injury when she presented with an injured back.

During the appointment the doctor pressed his genitals into his victim, who was dressed in a hospital gown, touched her inappropriately, asked about her sexual history and massaged around her genitals, telling her she was “tense”, The West Australian reported.

After the 90-minute appointment Dr Kariyakarawana typed up and printed a fake feedback form which read “The procedure done professionally and I’m happy with the treatment” and asked her to sign it, the court heard.

Dr Kariyakarawana’s lawyer argued the victim’s account was “inconsistent and implausible” and told the court his client “accidentally” touched the patient with his genitals.

But Magistrate Belinda Coleman found the action was deliberate and that the GP had become sexually aroused during the appointment.

She found the victim “did not freely consent to Dr Kariyakarawana touching her body in a sexual way”, there was no medical reason for him to ask about her sexual history, and that the doctor printed the feedback form to cover up his crimes.

Dr Kariyakarawana is still a registered medical practitioner according to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, and a Healthengine online profile states that he “consults male patients only”.

The profile states he has a Masters in Public Health, a Diploma in Child Health, and is “trained in managing Mental Health issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, post natal depression, sleep disorders, eating disorders etc”.

THE NOTICER 

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) announced that a 12-hour water cut will be imposed in several areas, today (11), due to essential maintenance work to relocate water pipelines in connection with the construction of the Central Expressway.

The water supply will be suspended for 12 hours from 7.00 p.m. today (11) until 7.00 a.m. tomorrow (12).

Accordingly, the supply of water will be restricted to residents of the Eldeniya, Gonahena, Webada, Sooriyapaluwa and Udupila Grama Niladhari Divisions within the Mahara Pradeshiya Sabha area and Parakandeniya, Kossinna, Abaraluwa, Imbulgoda and Yagoda Grama Niladhari Divisions within the Gampaha Pradeshiya Sabha area.

(Adaderana.lk)

The Colombo High Court today ordered that another case instituted by the Attorney General against Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his grandmother Daisy Forrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act be taken up again on July 16.

The matter was called before Colombo High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli.

During the proceedings, both defendants—Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Daisy Forrest—appeared before the court.

The case has now been fixed for further proceedings on July 16 following today’s hearing.

Sri Lanka has emerged as one of South Asia’s strongest performers in global peacefulness rankings, recording a significant leap in this year’s Global Peace Index (GPI) despite broader regional instability.

According to the 2026 Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Sri Lanka moved up to 67th place globally with an overall score of 1.91, marking a notable rise from its 97th position last year. Among South Asian nations, only Bhutan ranked higher.

The annual index evaluates 163 independent states and territories using 23 indicators across categories including personal safety, political stability, conflict, crime, terrorism, and militarisation.

Sri Lanka’s improvement stood out across the region, registering the largest percentage gain in South Asia with an overall score improvement of 2.3 per cent. Analysts attributed the progress largely to gains in militarisation indicators, which improved by 6.4 per cent. Increased performance in UN peacekeeping funding and a reduction in political instability also contributed to the country’s upward movement.

The rise comes against a difficult regional backdrop.

South Asia recorded the sharpest decline in peacefulness among all regions measured in the report, with average scores deteriorating by 2.3 per cent. Researchers pointed to intensifying internal conflicts and growing cross-border tensions as the primary causes of the downturn.

Five of the region’s seven countries recorded declines.

Bhutan remained the region’s most peaceful nation and ranked 16th globally, maintaining its position as a regional exception despite a slight deterioration compared with the previous year.

At the opposite end of the regional spectrum, Afghanistan continued to rank as South Asia’s least peaceful country, placing 157th globally.

India also recorded a decline, falling to 127th place after worsening conditions linked to internal conflict and strained relations with neighbouring countries. Pakistan experienced one of the steepest deteriorations globally, dropping to 152nd position amid escalating conflict indicators and rising terrorism-related deaths.

Globally, the report paints a challenging picture.

Researchers found that the world has become less peaceful for the twelfth consecutive year, with 61 active state-based conflicts currently underway — the highest number recorded since the end of the Second World War. In addition, 103 countries are now involved in external conflicts, nearly double the figure recorded in 2008.

At the top of the global rankings, Iceland retained its position as the world’s most peaceful country, followed by New Zealand and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Russia remained the least peaceful nation globally, joined at the lower end of the rankings by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The United States was placed 134th.

Against a year marked by widening global tensions, Sri Lanka’s improved standing offers one of the region’s few signs of progress in an increasingly unsettled world.

Afghanistan said Wednesday that Pakistan launched new airstrikes targeting the country, killing at least 13 people and wounding 14 others.

The countries have engaged in months of fighting that has killed hundreds of people.

Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the latest airstrikes targeted the Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika and killed 11 children, one woman and one elderly man.

There was no immediate acknowledgment of the strikes from Pakistan.

The strikes came a day after suspected Pakistani Taliban militants attacked a security post in the Hasan Khel area of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, triggering an intense gunbattle in which six members of the Federal Constabulary were killed and several others wounded, according to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry.

Local authorities said Tuesday that security forces killed eight of the attackers and thwarted an attempt to overrun the checkpoint. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi later attended funeral prayers for the dead personnel in Peshawar, the ministry said.

Naqvi paid tribute to the dead and expressed condolences to their families, saying their sacrifices would not be forgotten. He also said Pakistan remained united in its fight against militancy and that operations against groups threatening peace and security would be intensified.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have engaged in deadly fighting since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

Pakistan in February declared it was in open war with its Afghanistan, following a surge in militant attacks on civilians and security forces inside Pakistan. Afghanistan has said a deadly Pakistani airstrikes in March hit a drug-treatment center in Kabul, killing more than 400 people. The death toll could not be independently confirmed.

Pakistan has disputed the claim and denied targeting civilians, saying it struck an ammunition depot.

The latest development comes months after China hosted peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Urumqi, in northern China, and later Beijing said Afghanistan and Pakistan had agreed not to escalate their conflict and to explore a solution.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in the country in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

Source: AP

The government has not reached a formal decision on proposals to extend the retirement age of judges, with authorities confirming that no Cabinet approval has been granted at this stage.

The clarification came in Parliament on Wednesday as Minister of Justice and National Integration and Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara responded to questions raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa regarding reports surrounding changes to retirement policies within the judiciary.

Addressing the House, the Minister stated that discussions relating to retirement age adjustments are not limited to the judicial sector alone. According to him, requests have also been submitted by professionals from various other fields seeking similar revisions.

He indicated that the government is examining the appeals with consideration, acknowledging that certain requests appear to carry practical merit while others may be influenced by political considerations.

The proposal under discussion would affect members of the judicial system, including judges serving in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

Despite ongoing attention surrounding the issue, Minister Nanayakkara stressed that no official determination has been made and that Cabinet has not yet endorsed any increase to the retirement age.

The remarks signal that discussions remain at a preliminary stage, with the government yet to establish a final position on whether retirement policies across key sectors — including the judiciary — will ultimately be revised.

All three victims who were injured following a fire at a restaurant near Thalawathugoda Junction have succumbed to their injuries, Police said.

The fire broke out at the restaurant this morning (Tuesday June 09).

Three fire engines were deployed to contain the blaze.

The victims sustained severe injuries in the incident and were admitted to the National Hospital Colombo for treatment. 

However, Police later confirmed that all three had died from their injuries.

(Dailymirror.lk)

Kuwait has temporarily closed its airspace after Iranian attacks, with flights diverted, Reuters reported Thursday. Earlier, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported that the country’s air defenses had intercepted “hostile objects.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had said they launched an attack targeting US airbases in Kuwait and Bahrain early Thursday.

Source: Reuters 

Sri Lanka has signaled a sharper turn toward a low-carbon future, announcing a major policy shift to strengthen its climate agenda by doubling its emission reduction commitment for the industrial sector to 13 percent.

The move was presented as a key pillar of the country’s long-term environmental roadmap, supporting broader national goals of generating 70 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and reaching full carbon neutrality by 2050.

The announcement was made during the Sri Lanka Climate Summit 2026 held in Colombo at the Taj Samudra Hotel, where policymakers, international development partners and private sector representatives gathered to explore pathways for climate resilience and sustainable investment.

Organized for the second consecutive year by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce under the theme “From Risk to Opportunity: Mainstreaming Climate Action into Sri Lanka’s Growth Story,” the summit focused on aligning environmental commitments with economic development.

Addressing the forum, Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi stressed that climate targets alone are not enough and highlighted the need for stronger coordination between government institutions, financial sectors and industry leaders to convert environmental commitments into practical investments and long-term economic value.

He emphasized that climate readiness must extend beyond national policy and include stronger local resilience measures and circular economy initiatives.

As part of this effort, the Ministry of Environment and the Central Environmental Authority are expanding programmes aimed at reforming waste management systems while building capacity among informal waste collectors to help integrate them into the country’s emerging green economy.

Discussions throughout the summit also underscored the importance of inclusive regional environmental management and recognized the contribution of informal waste workers in strengthening sustainable urban development.

The event brought together representatives from international organizations including the UNDRR, UNDP, ADB and FAO, alongside business leaders and climate specialists, reflecting a growing emphasis on collaboration to manage climate risks while unlocking opportunities for sustainable growth.