Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath noted that illegal activities involving some Sri Lankan nationals in Thailand, including drug-related incidents, contributed to Thailand’s decision to suspend visa-free entry for Sri Lankans. The visa-free facility will be withdrawn from 15 September, requiring Sri Lankan travellers to obtain visas before departure. Herath stated that Sri Lanka is discussing a bilateral visa agreement with Thailand, with the aim of restoring the facility.

Thailand visa-free entry suspension linked to Sri Lankan nationals

The first road bridge linking Russia and North Korea has opened, allowing the two countries to more easily move cargo and passengers between their border across the Tumen river.&nbsp;Pyongyang state media said the bridge will be used for "personnel exchanges, tourism and trade".&nbsp;But Ukrainian investigative organisation Truth Hounds said the bridge is intended "primarily to establish a covert military logistics corridor" to support Russia in the Ukraine war.&nbsp;It comes amid stronger ties between the countries since the start of the Ukraine war, with Russia's Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un previously pledging that they would help each other in the event of "aggression" against either country.&nbsp;Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin described the bridge as a "new symbol of friendship", while North Korea's Prime Minister Pak Thae Song said it was a "historical event".&nbsp;Up to 300 vehicles and 2,323 people can cross the bridge daily, Russian state news TASS reports.&nbsp;Satellite imagery reported by the BBC in May this year showed the kilometre-long bridge alongside several new access roads, a border checkpoint, support infrastructure and parking facilities.&nbsp;There are existing air links, as well as the rail link between the two countries, but until now the only road link was a makeshift solution where, by special arrangement, wooden planks were placed on the rail bridge to allow cars to travel over it, according to Reuters.&nbsp;The Russian government said the bridge will initially be used to transport cargo, Reuters reported, before opening to passenger traffic later this year.&nbsp;The bridge would provide, a "powerful impetus for the further development of trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation," said Mishustin.&nbsp;Appearing at the opening ceremony via video link, he described ties between Moscow and Pyongyang as being "at an unprecedented high level."&nbsp;The most immediate impact may be increased export of weapons to Russia.&nbsp;Researchers at South Korea's spy agency estimates that North Korea has already transferred $7 to 14 billion dollars' worth of rockets, missiles, artillery shells using ships. An estimated 11,000 North Korean troops are actively fighting Ukrainians in Russia.&nbsp;Truth Hounds said in a recent statement that given the strategic partnership treaty between the two countries in 2024 - the bridge could be used to transport North Korean military personnel, construction workers and senior military officials directly to Russia.&nbsp;It would also enable the flow of Russian technology and resources in the opposite direction".&nbsp;Construction started in 2025, after the agreement to build the bridge was made during Putin's 2024 visit to North Korea, his first trip to the state in 24 years, which resulted in the partnership treaty. The bridge took 495 days to complete, after delays.&nbsp;Russian tourists have trickled into North Korea since they were allowed in in 2024. North Korea has been hosting them in capital Pyongyang and the beach resorts of Wonsan-Kalma, while continuing to block those from other countries.&nbsp;The road is also expected to transport North Korean labourers to Russia.&nbsp;Around 10,000 North Koreans are working in Russia's construction sites and logging camps, according to a South Korean estimate. Although the UN bans countries from using North Korean labour, many enter Russia under the guise of student visas.&nbsp;"The speed of construction is a reflection of the volume of trade activity between the two sides," Victor Cha from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank, told BBC Verify in May this year.&nbsp;"This is spurred largely by North Korea's provision of troops, weapons, munitions, and labourers for Putin's war in Ukraine," he said.&nbsp;"It is fair to say that this connection, prior to the war in Ukraine, was one of the sleepiest links between North Korea and its two neighbours."&nbsp;Source: BBC

North Korea and Russia open first road bridge linking both countries

The UK government is to set out new restrictions on buying goods made in Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the BBC understands.&nbsp;Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to outline the measures in the Commons on Tuesday, which could include restrictions on trade in agricultural products from settlements.&nbsp;Last week, Miliband said he would unveil a "comprehensive reset" of the British government's policy on Israel.&nbsp;The Israeli government has previously warned it would retaliate if any new measures were introduced.&nbsp;Settlements are illegal under international law, and recent months have seen a rise in violence towards Palestinians in the West Bank by settlers.&nbsp;One minister told the BBC: "The statement will be a complete reset of the nature of our Israel-Palestine relationship. It will all feel very different.&nbsp;"It is not just about sanctions. We hope that this will finally achieve what those of us who have been working towards for two years over the Middle East have been working on."&nbsp;BBC News has not seen the full details of the measures.&nbsp;But Labour MPs who have been briefed on the plans believe the sanctions will target trade with illegal settlements. They believe that means the sanctions would cover both goods and services.&nbsp;Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed to Labour MPs at their weekly parliamentary meeting on Monday night that Miliband would be making the statement, according to a number of MPs present.&nbsp;The prime minister is also said to have told the meeting that he had briefed international leaders about plans in phone calls on Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Burnham spoke to US President Donald Trump over the phone on Monday, during which the prime minister stressed the importance of a two-state solution in the Middle East.&nbsp;An official account of the call released by No 10 did not specify that Burnham had briefed Trump on the sanctions, while the US - which is likely to strongly oppose the proposals - has not commented.&nbsp;Speaking in July, Stephen Doughty - who was then Europe minister but has since been appointed Middle East minister - told the business select committee that existing powers to impose restrictions on settlements did not go far enough.&nbsp;He said: "At the moment, we can sanction where there is evidence of it being linked to settler violence, but not, for example, in relation to a contractor working on the settlements. We need to expand our sanctions powers."&nbsp;While ministers are said to recognise that banning a relatively small quantity of mostly agricultural products is a largely symbolic gesture, the government is expected to frame this announcement as a major reset in Britain's wider policy on Israel.&nbsp;The expected announcement by the UK government comes after Israel opened up tenders for the construction of some 1,200 settlement homes in the so-called E1 area - a strategically important area east of Jerusalem. The plans have drawn widespread international condemnation.&nbsp;Israel has held off on plans to build in the area for decades under global pressure.&nbsp;Speaking in his first address to Parliament as foreign secretary last week, Miliband said those plans were "illegal under international law", and called them "the crossing of a red line, as it cuts through the heart of the West Bank and risks making a Palestinian state unviable".&nbsp;Prime Minister Andy Burnham also warned that Israel's announcement about the E1 area could "imperil or end" the two-state solution in the Middle East.&nbsp;Tuesday's expected intervention will come almost a year after Sir Keir Starmer's government recognised a state of Palestine, and said the UK had a moral responsibility to support a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians.&nbsp;The government believes the prospect of a two-state solution is being jeopardised by the rapid expansion of settlements.&nbsp;The proposal for an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, to exist alongside Israel has received international backing over several decades.&nbsp;Israel rejects a two-state solution. The Palestinian Authority backs a two-state solution but Hamas does not because it is opposed to the existence of Israel.&nbsp;Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state - during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.&nbsp;There has been a surge in attacks by settlers on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, which was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.&nbsp;Source: BBC

UK government expected to announce restrictions on trade with West Bank settlements

Iran threatened the United States with "economic warfare" on Tuesday and said it had fired an advanced missile at U.S. warships, underscoring the risks of further escalation in ​the war only days after both sides traded blows again.&nbsp;The six-month-old war has been marked by a cycle of pauses followed by periodic flare-ups, with the ‌U.S. last reporting attacks on Iranian targets on Saturday, when U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers. Iranian state media on Sunday reported that Iran fired the Qassem Basir missile.&nbsp;Despite U.S. attempts to open up the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has continued to disrupt shipping through the critical artery for global oil and gas supplies, and there is no sign of progress towards a diplomatic breakthrough that could end the war which began with ​U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28.&nbsp;The Islamic Republic has vowed to announce a new restricted zone in the Gulf in the coming days, along with maps of ​a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, though it was unclear when details would emerge.&nbsp;'MARITIME EXCLUSION ZONE'&nbsp;The new restricted zone would ⁠begin from where the U.S. blockade of Iran begins and extend into areas of the Gulf, Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state television on Sunday, ​adding that any vessel entering the area would be placed on an Iranian sanctions list.&nbsp;On Tuesday, Rezaei reissued dual economic and military threats on X.&nbsp;"In recent days, Washington has received a ​clear warning from Iran’s new missiles. Economic warfare will be met by a maritime exclusion zone across the Persian Gulf to the blockade perimeter. The operational posture toward U.S. warships and bases has been fundamentally recalibrated," Rezaei said.&nbsp;Rezaei was likely referring to the Qassem Basir ballistic missile that Iranian media reported was fired at U.S. warships near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said its warships evaded any missile attacks.&nbsp;Despite major U.S. ​barrages that have degraded Iran's conventional forces and punished its already ailing economy, it has maintained missile and drone capabilities to threaten oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its persmission and attack Gulf neighbours ​that are home to U.S. military bases.&nbsp;QASSEM BASIR MISSILE&nbsp;Iran has touted the Qassem Basir as an upgraded missile with improved manoeuvrability that can evade missile defence systems, with a guidance system that is effective ‌against electronic warfare. ⁠The Fars news agency reported its first combat use came in June 2025 against Israel.&nbsp;Some analysts conjecture Iran's leverage of the Strait of Hormuz may be dwindling while harsh new U.S. economic sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Iran to withstand.&nbsp;About one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the strait before the war, which enabled Iran to threaten tankers from Gulf neighbours seeking to export oil and gas, pressuring energy prices at a time when the war, which opinion polls show is unpopular in the U.S., has increased the risks for President Donald Trump's Republican ​Party in November congressional elections.&nbsp;"Oil prices will drop ​precipitously, like everything else is dropping (but ⁠more!), when we WIN the war with Iran. Three Dollars a gallon, but ultimately, below Two Dollars a gallon. It will all happen quickly, and Iran will never have a Nuclear Weapon," Trump said on social media.&nbsp;Trump has yet to achieve the aims he set out when ​he launched "Operation Epic Fury" in February: to end Iran's nuclear programme, halt its ability to attack its neighbours and create conditions for Iranians ​to topple their leadership.&nbsp;PUNISHING ECONOMIC SANCTIONS&nbsp;Tehran's clerical rulers remain in power and aim to emerge from the war stronger than before. They continue to demand sanctions relief and hope eventually to collect fees from ships using the strait.&nbsp;Shipping data showed an average of just 10 commodity vessels per day transited the strait over the past 10 days, the lowest level since May.&nbsp;Israeli strikes on a town in southern Lebanon killed at least 12 ⁠people on ​Monday, according to Lebanon's health ministry, marking one of the deadliest days of bombardment in recent weeks.&nbsp;The attacks have ​fuelled fears of a renewed Israeli military campaign despite a June ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. They also complicate efforts to end the wider conflict, with Tehran insisting that any lasting agreement with Washington must include an ​end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.&nbsp;Source: Reuters

Iran says it plans new Gulf 'exclusion zone', threatens US with new missiles

Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday as risks of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East grew after Iran threatened to retaliate against any new U.S. attacks on its assets, heightening worries over supply disruption.&nbsp;Brent crude futures climbed 34 cents, or 0.35 per cent, to $97.34 a barrel by 0000 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $92.63 a barrel, up $1.15, or 1.26 per cent.&nbsp;Brent rose to its highest level since July 24 in the previous session, as traders continued to build a risk premium into prices amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global crude shipments.&nbsp;Iran warned on Monday that energy infrastructure across the Gulf, including U.S. oil and gas interests, was vulnerable. This follows tit-for-tat strikes during the weekend, with no sign of progress towards a diplomatic breakthrough.&nbsp;On Saturday, U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers, including one near Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub, according to U.S. Central Command. The attacks followed strikes by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on U.S. warships operating in the region.&nbsp;"The recent escalation of the Middle East conflict has increased the likelihood of a prolonged standoff, punctuated by calibrated military action by the U.S. and Iran. This could see Persian Gulf supply remain constrained through the rest of 2026," Daniel Hynes, an analyst at ANZ, said in a note.&nbsp;"We don't expect a full return to pre-war throughput until late Q1 or early Q2 2027."&nbsp;MARKET OUTLOOK&nbsp;Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs raised its Brent and WTI price forecasts by $5 to $85 and $80, respectively, for December 2026 and to $80 and $75, respectively, for 2027, reflecting its new assumption that Middle East shipping disruptions continue into 2027.&nbsp;&nbsp;In financial services platform Marex's September commodity outlook, analyst Ed Meir said that as long as the war continues, which it thinks it will given "the multitude of issues that have yet to be addressed", crude oil prices will likely remain elevated through year-end.&nbsp;Source: Reuters

Oil rises as risks of prolonged Mideast conflict heighten supply worries

The 24 defendants facing 23,270 charges in connection with the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks have filed their written submissions before the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar. Following the submissions, the three-member High Court Trial-at-Bar bench announced that the verdict in the case will be delivered on 22 September. The case was heard before Justices Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan and Sujeewa Nissanka. The Attorney General had filed the case against 24 accused, including Naufer Moulavi.

 Defendants in Easter Sunday attacks trial present written submissions

Speaker of Parliament&nbsp;Jagath Wickramaratne today (08) endorsed the certificate on the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Bill. The Bill, which amends the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act No. 47 of 1956, was passed by Parliament on 20 August after being presented by the Minister of Labour. The amendment seeks to increase fines for offences under the Act to reflect current socio-economic conditions. The Act prohibits the employment of children under 16 years of age. Accordingly, the maximum fine for offences under the Act has been increased from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 100,000. The legislation will come into force as the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Act No. 21 of 2026.

Speaker endorses Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Bill

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a Bill aimed at introducing new legal provisions to prevent and combat organised crime in Sri Lanka. The Bill is intended to protect society from threats posed by organised crime groups and provide legal measures to address serious crimes. It also seeks to give effect to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and strengthen national and international cooperation to curb organised crime. Cabinet had decided on 30 March 2026 to draft the Bill. It was subsequently prepared by the Legal Draftsman and received clearance from the Attorney General. Accordingly, Cabinet approved a joint proposal by the Minister of Justice and National Integration and the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to publish the Bill in the Government Gazette and present it to Parliament for approval.

Cabinet approves bill aiming to prevent organised crime in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has called for a balanced and objective assessment of its human rights situation at the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. Addressing the Council, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake, highlighted judicial and prison reforms being pursued by the Government, including measures to strengthen judicial independence and reduce the backlog of cases. He also referred to the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, plans to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and proposed amendments to the Online Safety Act.Dassanayake stated that Sri Lanka had taken note of the latest Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) update and reaffirmed its continued engagement with the Council. He urged the Council to assess the country’s situation in a “balanced, objective and constructive manner”, while taking into account the reforms and measures being implemented by the Government. The Ambassador also highlighted ongoing measures on reconciliation, missing persons, reparations, land release and compensation, and reiterated the Government’s position against extremism and racial division.

Thailand visa-free entry suspension linked to Sri Lankan nat ...

North Korea and Russia open first road bridge linking both countries

North Korea and Russia open fi ...

UK government expected to announce restrictions on trade with West Ban ...

UK government expected to anno ...

Iran says it plans new Gulf 'exclusion zone', threatens US with new mi ...

Iran says it plans new Gulf 'e ...

Oil rises as risks of prolonged Mideast conflict heighten supply worri ...

Oil rises as risks of prolonge ...

Defendants in Easter Sunday attacks trial present written submissions

Defendants in Easter Sunday a ...

Speaker endorses Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amen ...

Speaker endorses Employment of ...

Cabinet approves bill aiming to prevent organised crime in Sri Lanka

Cabinet approves bill aiming t ...

Sri Lanka appeals for objective assessment of human rights situation a ...

Sri Lanka appeals for objectiv ...

North Korea and Russia open first road bridge linking both countries

North Korea and Russia open fi ...

UK government expected to announce restrictions on trade with West Ban ...

UK government expected to anno ...

Iran says it plans new Gulf 'exclusion zone', threatens US with new mi ...

Iran says it plans new Gulf 'e ...

Oil rises as risks of prolonged Mideast conflict heighten supply worri ...

Oil rises as risks of prolonge ...

Defendants in Easter Sunday attacks trial present written submissions

Defendants in Easter Sunday a ...

Speaker endorses Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amen ...

Speaker endorses Employment of ...

Cabinet approves bill aiming to prevent organised crime in Sri Lanka

Cabinet approves bill aiming t ...

Sri Lanka appeals for objective assessment of human rights situation a ...

Sri Lanka appeals for objectiv ...

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Defendants in Easter Sunday attacks trial present written submissions

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