A meeting between Chief of Staff to the President Prabath Chandrakeerthi and Australian High Commissioner Matthew Duckworth was held at the Presidential Secretariat today (23). The President’s Media Division stated discussions focused on bilateral relations and cooperation. Education and employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in Australia were also discussed. Both parties noted cooperation on tackling human smuggling and drug trafficking, while Australia expressed readiness to support Sri Lanka in education, agriculture and sustainable development.

Sri Lanka and Australia discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation

Donald Trump postpones military strikes on Iranian power plants

Milk powder importers and wheat flour companies have assured the Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe that they will not raise prices of imported milk powder and wheat flour in the country. Representatives from companies like Prima and Serendib met with Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe to discuss supply stability.&nbsp; They confirmed sufficient stocks for the next three months and committed to maintaining current prices until after the New Year.&nbsp; The companies also highlighted delays caused by fuel quota restrictions and agreed to register for a government data program to better manage fuel needs for food distribution.

Importers assure no hike in milk powder and wheat flour prices

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday there had been no assessment that mainland Britain was being targeted by Iran. “We carry out assessments all the time in order to keep ⁠us safe, and there’s no assessment that we’re being targeted in that way,” Starmer told reporters. He was asked if Britain could be targeted by Iran after reports at the weekend that Iran ⁠had fired two ballistic missiles at the U.S.-U.K. military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Starmer also ⁠said that any attempt to reopen the Strait of Hormuz needed careful ⁠consideration and a viable plan, and that his number ⁠one priority was to protect British interests and de-escalate. Source: Reuters

UK sees no evidence of Iran targeting Britain, says PM Starmer

Following the recent fuel price revision by the Government, three-wheeler fares have been raised.&nbsp; The fare for the first kilometre now costs Rs. 110, up from Rs. 100, while operators will charge Rs. 90 for each additional kilometre, the Road Passenger Transport Authority of the Western Province announced.

Three wheeler fares increase amid fuel price hike

Sri Lanka’s overall inflation, measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI), decreased to 1.6% in February 2026. The Department of Census and Statistics stated the figure declined from 2.4% recorded in January 2026.

Sri Lanka inflation drops to 1.6% in February

China successfully launched 10 satellites into orbit late on Sunday, using the Jielong 3 (Smart Dragon 3) carrier rocket that lifted off from a mobile launch platform in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Haiyang in Shandong province, state media reported. The solid‑propellant rocket blasted off from a launch service ship at 11:49 p.m. local time, placing the satellites into their planned sun‑synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometres, Caliber.Az reports via Chinese media. The mission marked the second deployment of space assets for China’s CentiSpace network, a constellation developed by Beijing Future Navigation Technology designed for high‑performance occultation sensing, ionospheric data collection and inter‑satellite laser communication, the statement said. The Smart Dragon 3, which stands approximately 31 meters tall and has a diameter of 2.65 meters, can carry up to 1.5 tonnes of satellite payload to orbit. The vehicle has now completed 10 launches, all conducted at sea since its maiden flight in December 2022, when it deployed 14 satellites. China’s space program has been rapidly expanding its launch cadence. The latest mission was the country’s 17th space launch so far this year, underscoring Beijing’s efforts to build out commercial and government satellite networks. China has stepped up its use of ship‑based launches in recent years to offer greater flexibility and frequency for commercial missions, part of a broader push to compete in the global space launch market. Source: Caliber

China launches 10 satellites aboard Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket from Sea platform

Iran’s high-level security body Defence Council has said in a statement that the ‘‘only way for non-hostile countries’‘ to pass through Strait of Hormuz is ‘‘coordination with Iran’‘. The Council has also said in the statement published by Iranian outlets that ‘‘any attempt by the enemy to attack Iranian coasts or islands’‘ will lead to ‘‘all access routes’‘ in the Gulf [they have said Persian] and coastal areas getting ‘‘mined with various types of naval mines, including drifting mines deployable from the shore’‘. In the case of such an attack, in ‘‘addition to the Strait of Hormuz, the whole (Persian) Gulf would in practice be blocked, with ‘‘responsibility belonging to the aggressor’‘, the statement adds. Source: BBC

Iran Defence Council issues Strait of Hormuz order for ‘non-hostile countries’

Consumers around the world can expect to pay more for groceries and travel as the energy crisis triggered by US-Israel war with Iran drags on, an analyst told CNN. People living in advanced and developing economies will all continue to feel the financial pressure as surging energy prices flow through to other parts of the economic system, Amena Bakr, Head of Middle East Energy &amp; OPEC+ Insights of Kpler, said. “This impacts all supply chains and it’s not just related directly to energy. Energy feeds into everything,” she said. Bakr said traders expect a prolonged conflict and oil prices to remain high for the rest of the year, without an alternative to make up for the shortage in the market. “No one believes that this conflict is just going to be very short lived,” she said. “Even if we do get some kind of resolution, it needs to end up with the reopening of Hormuz,” she added, referencing the critical waterway leading out of the Persian Gulf that has been effectively closed since the war began. Source: CNN

Sri Lanka and Australia discuss strengthening bilateral coop ...

Donald Trump postpones military strikes on Iranian power plants

Donald Trump postpones militar ...

Importers assure no hike in milk powder and wheat flour prices

Importers assure no hike in mi ...

UK sees no evidence of Iran targeting Britain, says PM Starmer

UK sees no evidence of Iran ta ...

Three wheeler fares increase amid fuel price hike

Three wheeler fares increase a ...

Sri Lanka inflation drops to 1.6% in February

Sri Lanka inflation drops to 1 ...

China launches 10 satellites aboard Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket from ...

China launches 10 satellites a ...

Iran Defence Council issues Strait of Hormuz order for ‘non-hostile co ...

Iran Defence Council issues St ...

Food and travel costs expected to surge amid prolonged conflict, analy ...

Food and travel costs expected ...

Donald Trump postpones military strikes on Iranian power plants

Donald Trump postpones militar ...

Importers assure no hike in milk powder and wheat flour prices

Importers assure no hike in mi ...

UK sees no evidence of Iran targeting Britain, says PM Starmer

UK sees no evidence of Iran ta ...

Three wheeler fares increase amid fuel price hike

Three wheeler fares increase a ...

Sri Lanka inflation drops to 1.6% in February

Sri Lanka inflation drops to 1 ...

China launches 10 satellites aboard Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket from ...

China launches 10 satellites a ...

Iran Defence Council issues Strait of Hormuz order for ‘non-hostile co ...

Iran Defence Council issues St ...

Food and travel costs expected to surge amid prolonged conflict, analy ...

Food and travel costs expected ...

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Donald Trump postpones military strikes on Iranian power plants

Donald Trump postpones militar ...

Importers assure no hike in milk powder and wheat flour prices

Importers assure no hike in mi ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

UK sees no evidence of Iran targeting Britain, says PM Starmer

UK sees no evidence of Iran ta ...

Three wheeler fares increase amid fuel price hike

Three wheeler fares increase a ...

Sri Lanka inflation drops to 1.6% in February

Sri Lanka inflation drops to 1 ...

China launches 10 satellites aboard Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket from ...

China launches 10 satellites a ...