<ul><li>GoSL pushes for collective global effort&nbsp;</li><li>Holds that int’l orgs. tasked with safeguarding global peace should fulfill responsibilities&nbsp;</li><li>MR calls for military conflict cessation, int’l intervention&nbsp;</li><li>Sajith wants urgent peace talks, negotiations&nbsp;</li></ul> Cabinet Spokesperson and Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that all nations must contribute to the establishment of global peace by working to control the ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East (ME). Speaking at a television programme on Monday (2), he clarified the Government’s stance regarding the situation in the ME. He emphasised the war cannot be condoned under any circumstances, irrespective of the parties involved. He further observed the consequences of war have resulted in the extensive loss of human life and property, while also posing a serious threat to the global economy. Elaborating on this position, he stated: “Military conflicts cannot be approved in any manner. Therefore, as a small nation, we urge all parties involved to cease hostilities and halt such inhumane attacks. We call upon all nations to contribute toward the establishment of global peace.” He further stated that they expected international organisations mandated to safeguard global peace to fulfill their historic responsibilities at this critical juncture. He added that, despite being a small country, Sri Lanka stands ready to extend any necessary support to achieve that objective.The military conflict in the ME must be brought to an end as soon as possible, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa stated. Rajapaksa also emphasised the need for international intervention to deescalate the conflict. He made these remarks on Monday after attending an event at the Imbulakanda Sri Sambuddhi Viharaya in Homagama. Responding to questions from journalists, Rajapaksa said that he is of the view that other powerful countries should get involved and bring an end to the conflict in the ME promptly.Elsewhere, the prevailing aggression and conflict in the ME is a significant threat to global peace and security, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stated. Premadasa also said that the expansion of the conflict through attacks on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and other ME countries must be condemned. In a post on the social media platform X, he said that the lives of over one million Sri Lankans working in the ME are of paramount importance and that therefore, the war must be avoided at all cost. “Stop the war and commence peace talks and negotiations promptly,” he added. Premadasa also urged world leaders to give peace a chance.

ME conflict: Top politicos urge peace, security   

<ul><li>Kush suspect nabbed at BIA</li></ul>Two suspects have been arrested for the possession of heroin and crystal methamphetamine (Ice). A person was arrested with 25 g of heroin in the Embaraluwa North area of Weliweriya.&nbsp;The suspect has been identified as a 45-year-old resident of Weliweriya, the Police said.&nbsp;Following interrogations of the suspect, another person was arrested with 25 g of Ice and Rs. 410,470 in cash, which is suspected to have been earned through drug trafficking. The suspect was identified as a 60-year-old resident of the area.Meanwhile, officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake have apprehended an individual in possession of Kush cannabis. During the operation, the Police seized 1.154 kilograms of the narcotics substance from the suspect. The arrested individual has been identified as a 27-year-old resident of Veyangoda.&nbsp;

Drugs: Female duo arrested with heroin, Ice

The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) Opposition Parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam and ITAK General Secretary, President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran held discussions with the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik.In a post on the social media platform X, Rasamanickam stated the meeting included a wide-ranging discussion on political developments, accountability, reconciliation, and the need for meaningful political solutions. He also noted that future engagement and cooperation with Norway were discussed, expressing appreciation for the continued attention extended by Norway and the role played by Ambassador May-Elin Stener in strengthening ties.

ITAK holds talks with Norway 

Gas prices have spiked and stock markets indexes tumbled after an Iranian official said his country would “set fire” to anyone trying to pass through the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route. As the conflict between Iran and the US and Israel continued, the UK gas price surged by more than 46%, following sharp gains on Monday pushing it to it highest price for three years. Brent Crude Oil climbed by more than 5% to just over $81 a barrel. In the UK, the FTSE 100 index fell by 2.6% while stocks markets in France and Germany also dropped.Investors are weighing the impact of the conflict on the global economy including what it could mean for inflation and interest rates. There are fears rising prices could have a similar impact to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago which pushed up the cost of energy, causing prices rises for businesses and consumers around the world. UK gas prices rose to over 165p a therm on Tuesday which it last traded at less than a year after the start of the Ukraine war. The price of gas leapt on Monday after QatarEnergy, one of the world’s biggest exporters, halted production following “military attacks” on its facilities. It subsequently announced that it would stop producing other materials including aluminum and methanol.UK gas prices have now doubled since the US and Israel began a wave of air strikes on Iran on Saturday. Higher gas prices could put pressure on household energy bills, although any impact would not be seen in the UK until July because a price cap has been put in place until then. At the same time, rising oil prices can affect the economy by making things such as motor fuel, transport and food more expensive. If inflation - the pace of price rises - picks up, then this may make central banks less likely to cut interest rates in the months ahead. In the UK, the FTSE 100 dropped 2.6% on Tuesday. Germany’s Dax fell by 3.7% while in France, the CAC-40 slid by 3%. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state TV that ships “should not come to this region. They will certainly face a serious response from us”. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is crucial to the global economy, with about 20% of the world’s oil and gas passing through the waterway. But they have come to a halt after several vessels were attacked in recent days. As well as pushing up prices on global energy markets, the conflict has triggered a rise in how much it costs to transport oil. Hiring a supertanker to move oil from the Middle East to China reached an all-time high on Monday of more than $400,000 (£298,300) per day, almost double the cost last week, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group. Sanne Manders, president of logistics technology platform Flexport, told the BBC the Strait of Hormuz is “effectively closed”. It is partly down to carriers not willing to take the risk, but also due to “insurance companies not being willing to insure this risk anymore”, he told the Today programme. He added that carriers were likely to start raising rates “for any shipping in the world” in anticipation of higher fuel prices. Crude oil prices could pass $100 a barrel if the disruption to shipments is prolonged, Srinivaasan Balakrishnan from risk research firm Avellon Intelligence said. He predicted that if it held at that level US petrol prices could rise by up to 25 cents a gallon.US President Trump is facing concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could push up the cost of living.He is scheduled to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would announce plans to deal with rising energy prices.“We knew that going in would be a factor,” Rubio said. “Starting tomorrow you will see us rolling out those phases to try to mitigate against that.” The UK is also likely to see higher fuel prices if the cost of oil remains high, according to Alasdair Locke, chairman of Motor Fuel Group, the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator.“With the price of oil going up, that is inevitably going to feed through in due course to higher prices at the pump,” he said. “It will depend on how long and how high those prices go as to how high the price of fuel will be.”In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei closed 3.3% lower, with shares in export‑reliant firms like Toyota, Panasonic and Sony among the hardest hit. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and the Shanghai Composite in mainland China were also down. The Kospi in South Korea, which was shut for a public holiday on Monday, fell by more than 7%. Source: BBC

Gas and oil prices soar and shares tumble as crucial shipping lane threatened

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday sought to justify a broad, open-ended war on Iran, offering his most extensive public comments yet on an operation whose stated aims and timeline have shifted since it began over the weekend. Trump, who was back at the White House after a weekend in Florida, said the U.S. and Israeli air attacks that began on Saturday had been projected to last four to five weeks but could go on longer.&nbsp; The military campaign has killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sunk at least 10 Iranian warships and struck more than 1,000 targets. “We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections. But whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes,” Trump said at his first public event since the conflict began. He made no mention of regime change, saying the fight was needed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran denies seeking, and to thwart its long-range ballistic missile program. “An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would ⁠be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,” Trump said. The remarks followed days of sometimes conflicting statements from the president, who had discussed the attacks in two brief videos and one-on-one interviews with select journalists over the weekend but did not give a televised address to the nation, as is customary in moments of military action. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on suggestions the administration’s messaging on the operation has been confusing. On X, Leavitt said Trump had outlined “clear objectives,” including preventing Iran’s proxies from launching attacks and stopping production of roadside bombs like those used against U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. VARYING MESSAGES On Saturday, as Trump announced the strikes, he urged Iranians to “take back your country” and implied a goal of regime change. On Sunday, Trump told The Atlantic he was open to talks with whoever emerged to lead Iran and told the New York Times his January operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was a model for Iran’s future. In the case of Venezuela, former Maduro ally Delcy Rodriguez emerged as the new leader and has cooperated with Washington. In Iran’s case, U.S. and Israeli strikes have ⁠eliminated many of those who could step in to take power, Trump said. Trump’s timeline for the Iran operation has also shifted since it began. He first told the Daily Mail it could take “four weeks, or less,” then told The New York Times four to five weeks. In separate remarks on Sunday and Monday, he left open the possibility that the operation could continue longer until its objectives are achieved. In his notification to Congress about the Iran strikes obtained by Politico, Trump did not provide any timeline. “Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, it is not possible at this time to know the full scope ⁠and duration of military operations that may be necessary,” Trump wrote. Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who has served as a State Department official focused on the Middle East, said Trump appeared to have deliberately left the war’s ultimate outcome undefined. “I’m not sure they’re committed to any particular outcome,” Alterman said. When Trump ordered a much more limited attack against Iran during Israel’s 12-day war in June, he immediately ⁠gave a formal address flanked by senior officials. After the Maduro operation, Trump held a press conference within hours at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and officials appeared on television multiple times to explain the move. This time, senior administration officials skipped the Sunday shows to avoid competing narratives and keep Trump as the main messenger, a White House official said. The official said the public ⁠framing of the operation was still under discussion. A second official said top aides were in secure rooms all day attending national security meetings and that the White House coordinated with Republican lawmakers scheduled to appear on television programs.&nbsp;The official pushed back against suggestions that messaging was still being developed, saying talking points had already been circulated by Saturday. Source: Reuters

Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift

The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly fined players around $18,000 each after the team failed to qualify for Twenty20 World Cup semifinals. PCB “officials have clearly told the players that enough pampering has been done — from now on, financial benefits will only come with performance,” the Express Tribune reported Tuesday. According to the report, the PCB decided to fine the players after Pakistan lost a group-stage match to archrival India on Feb. 15. However, after the team qualified for the Super Eight stage the players were told the fine could be waived if Pakistan reached the semifinals. Pakistan needed to beat co-host Sri Lanka by 65 runs in the last group match to qualify for final four ahead of New Zealand, but instead it narrowly scraped to a five-run win. The report said PCB officials told the playing group that if they accepted rewards for good performances, “they must also pay penalties for poor ones.” The fines reportedly included at least one outstanding performer — Sahibzada Farhan — who broke India great Virat Kohli’s record for most runs in a T20 World Cup and finished the tournament with 383 runs, featuring two centuries and two half centuries. The sport’s national governing body did not respond to a request for comment. It was the fourth successive major ICC tournament where Pakistan has missed the semifinals. Pakistan also hasn’t beaten India in a major event since 2022. Soon after losing the last year’s Asia Cup final to India, the PCB briefly suspended permission for players participating in T20 leagues around the world but later allowed the players to compete in tournaments like Australia’s Big Bash. Last year, the PCB abolished category A in its list of 30 centrally contracted players, and demoted both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in category B. Source: AP

Pakistan cricketers fined after failing to reach Twenty20 World Cup semifinals – Report

Sri Lanka Navy ships SLNS Sagara and SLNS Nandimithra returned to the Port of Colombo on 27 February after participating in the International Fleet Review and Exercise MILAN-26 hosted by the Indian Navy. The events were held from 18 to 26 February off Visakhapatnam in the Eastern Indian Ocean. The Sea Phase of MILAN-26 involved 42 warships and submarines and 29 aircraft, focusing on enhancing interoperability among participating navies. The Navy noted that participation supported maritime security cooperation and regional stability.

SLNS Sagara and Nandimithra return after MILAN-26 exercise

Sri Lanka Police have instructed all police stations to implement a special security programme to safeguard embassies, high commissions and official residences. The directive was issued by the Inspector General of Police amid the prevailing global situation. Police noted that a 24-hour security plan will be in place to protect foreign nationals in Sri Lanka, along with their property and places of residence. Security measures will also cover business establishments, tourist locations and religious centres, with support from the Tri-Forces if required.

Special security measures for embassies and foreign nationals

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) experiences largest single day point drop in historysaw its largest single-day point decline on Monday, with the All Share Price Index (ASPI) dropping by 1,290.68 points, a decrease of 5.44%.&nbsp; The index closed at 22,443.38, marking a significant fall amid heightened market volatility. Market activity totaled Rs. 9.56 billion in turnover, according to the CSE.&nbsp; The sharp decline reflects increased uncertainty in global markets, as investors react to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, impacting investor confidence locally.

ME conflict: Top politicos urge peace, security

Drugs: Female duo arrested with heroin, Ice

Drugs: Female duo arrested wit ...

ITAK holds talks with Norway

ITAK holds talks with Norway

Gas and oil prices soar and shares tumble as crucial shipping lane thr ...

Gas and oil prices soar and sh ...

Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift

Trump seeks to justify Iran wa ...

Pakistan cricketers fined after failing to reach Twenty20 World Cup se ...

Pakistan cricketers fined afte ...

SLNS Sagara and Nandimithra return after MILAN-26 exercise

SLNS Sagara and Nandimithra re ...

Special security measures for embassies and foreign nationals

Special security measures for ...

CSE experiences largest single day point drop in history

CSE experiences largest single ...

Drugs: Female duo arrested with heroin, Ice

Drugs: Female duo arrested wit ...

ITAK holds talks with Norway

ITAK holds talks with Norway

Gas and oil prices soar and shares tumble as crucial shipping lane thr ...

Gas and oil prices soar and sh ...

Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift

Trump seeks to justify Iran wa ...

Pakistan cricketers fined after failing to reach Twenty20 World Cup se ...

Pakistan cricketers fined afte ...

SLNS Sagara and Nandimithra return after MILAN-26 exercise

SLNS Sagara and Nandimithra re ...

Special security measures for embassies and foreign nationals

Special security measures for ...

CSE experiences largest single day point drop in history

CSE experiences largest single ...

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Drugs: Female duo arrested with heroin, Ice

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ITAK holds talks with Norway

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Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift

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Pakistan cricketers fined after failing to reach Twenty20 World Cup se ...

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SLNS Sagara and Nandimithra return after MILAN-26 exercise

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