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De Swardt resists after Ravindra’s triple strike
A fighting half-century from Ruan de Swardt revived South Africa on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand after Rachin Ravindra’s triple strike put them in trouble. The visitors came up with a shoddy batting performance yet again and were reeling at 101/5 at one stage before going into stumps at 220/6.
Opting to bat first, South Africa made a poor start when Clyde Fortuin drove away from his body first ball, only to get an edge as Glenn Phillips took a stunning one-handed catch. That didn’t deter Raynard van Tonder from driving his first ball for a boundary to get going. After a brief resistance, South Africa lost skipper Neil Brand as the debutant William O’Rourke managed to pick up his first wicket in just his third over.
While the likes of Van Tonder and Zubayr Hamza got starts, they failed to capitalise and put up a substantial score. Van Tonder chased a wide short delivery from Neil Wagner to hand a catch to the fielder at gully whereas Hamza became Ravindra’s first victim. The left-arm spinner began his spell with four straight maiden overs and conceded only a single in his next over before opening his account. Keegan Petersen failed to get his eye in as he edged Ravindra behind to the slip fielder that reduced the visitors to 101/5.
A 49-run stand between de Swardt and David Bedingham kept South Africa afloat for a while. But Ravindra got the huge wicket of Bedingham, who had already smashed two fours in the over, only to get a bit unlucky as he jammed a yorker length delivery from the spinner straight to the short leg fielder. However, any hopes of running through the lower order were squashed as de Swardt held firm at one end. He had Shaun von Berg for company at the other end as the duo batted through the rest of the day.
Ravindra’s return to the bowling crease couldn’t break the partnership either as New Zealand wasted no time in taking the second new ball. While Tim Southee found the outside edge immediately, the ball flew for a boundary before de Swardt brought up his fifty with a drive through the covers. South Africa will now heavily rely on this pair to drag them past 300 on the second day.
Brief scores: (stumps day 1)
South Africa 220/6 in 89 overs (Neil Brand 25, Raynord van Tonder 32, Zubayr Hamza 20, Ruan de Swardt 55*, David Bedingham 39, Shaun von Berg 34*; Rachin Ravindra 3/33) vs New Zealand
The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a torpedo attack by a US submarine last week in the Indian Ocean are due to be flown home on Friday, Sri Lanka’s defence ministry has said.
The seamen were among 130 thought to be aboard the Iranian warship, the Iris Dena, when it was sunk on 4 March about 40km (25 miles) from Sri Lanka’s southern coastline.
A police escort transferred bodies to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on Friday morning for the repatriation to Iran, after they were stored in two freezers at Galle National Hospital.
Sri Lanka said 32 sailors rescued by its navy after the torpedo attack “will remain in Sri Lanka”, according to news agency AFP.
A magistrate in the Sri Lankan city of Galle ordered that the 84 bodies should be released to the Iranian embassy.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said shortly after the sinking that the Iranian warship had died a “quiet death”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US had “perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores”, adding that “the US will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set”.
Video released by the US Department of Defense after the incident showed a ship being struck, causing the stern to rise up before exploding.
The Iris Dena had been returning from a military exercise hosted by India when it was attacked.
Its sinking in international waters came during the current US-Israeli war with Iran and marked a dramatic widening of the conflict.
Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East – targeting Gulf countries allied with the US.
Four of six members of a US military refueling aircraft’s crew have been confirmed dead after it crashed in western Iraq, US Central Command (Centcom) says.
Rescue efforts continue after the loss of the KC-135, it said, having earlier said neither hostile nor friendly fire were involved in the downing of the aircraft.
The tanker had been involved in ongoing US operations against Iran and was one of two aircraft involved in the incident. The second landed safely.
The Boeing-manufactured aircraft are capable of refueling planes midair and typically play a major role in US military operations. They were used extensively in the first Gulf War to extend the range of fighter jets and bombers.
Centcom said the incident occurred around 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT) on Thursday and that the circumstances of the crash were now under investigation.
The US military command unit added that the identities of the personnel who had been killed were being withheld for 24 hours so their next of kin could be notified.
The KC-135 usually has a crew of at least a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for controlling the refuelling arm of the aircraft.
Centcom earlier described the crash as happening over friendly airspace – but this is a region of Iraq where pro-Iranian militias operate. Iran’s military claimed on state TV that an allied group had targeted the plane with a missile.
Thursday’s crash brings the official US military death toll in the US-Israel war with Iran, which began a fortnight ago, to 11.
The US military has now lost at least four aircraft during the current war.
Earlier this month, three F15s were shot down in “an apparent friendly fire incident” over Kuwait, officials said. All six crew members were able to safely eject.
Boeing manufactured the KC-135 Stratotanker for the US military in the 1950s and early 1960s.
It has been a backbone to the US military’s air refuelling fleet, and allow combat aircraft to carry out longer missions without needing to land.
[BBC]
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Safeguarding linguistic heritage is not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world – PM
Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated as the Chief Guest in the special event organized to commemorate International Mother Languages Day 2026 on 13 March 2026 at the New Arts Theatre of the University of Colombo. The event was held under the theme ’Languages Unite: Diverse Voices, Shared Humanity’.
The event was jointly organized by the High Commission of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka with the support of the United Nations, the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association.
Certificates and awards were presented to school winners of the painting, essay, and short video creation competitions organized in conjunction with the celebration of International Mother Language Day 2026.
Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:
“International Mother Language Day stands as a powerful reminder of the profound connection between language, identity, and dignity.
This global observance owes its origins to the visionary initiative of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s advocacy transformed a national commemoration into a global movement one that celebrates the rich mosaic of humanity’s linguistic heritage.
Sri Lanka’s language diversity reflects the richness of our pluralistic heritage. This diversity should not be seen as a challenge to be managed, but as a strength to be valued and cherished.
When we protect language rights, we nurture social harmony. When we promote multilingual education, we empower future generations. And when we listen to one another in our own languages, we affirm each other’s humanity. At a time when divisions can easily take root, respect for linguistic diversity can instead serve as a bridge of empathy and cooperation.
In an increasingly digital age, we must also reflect on the importance of preserving linguistic diversity in cyberspace. Thousands of languages around the world remain vulnerable. Without conscious efforts in education, technology, and policy, many risk fading into silence. Safeguarding linguistic heritage is therefore not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world”.
The Prime Minister remarked that the partnership between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh continues to grow in friendship and cooperation with the shared commitment to multilateralism, cultural understanding, and people-to-people engagement strengthens the bonds between the two nations.
The event was attended by the Bangladesh High Commissioner, Andalib Elias, Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, FAO Country Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives Vimlendra Sharan, Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association Dr. Kushantha Herath, diplomatic crops, members of the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association and students.
[Prime Minister’s media division]
Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in US torpedo strike to be repatriated
Four crew members killed after US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq
Safeguarding linguistic heritage is not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world – PM
This is not an ordinary scholarship programme. It defines the future vision of our country – PM
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