Paralympic great Storey retires from GB competition

Dame Sarah Storey, Great Britain’s most-decorated Paralympian, has retired from international competition with immediate effect. The 48-year-old cyclist has opted not to compete at Los Angeles 2028 to focus on helping improve Para-sport.

West Indies penalised for slow over-rate in second test against Sri Lanka

The West Indies have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee and penalised two ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against Sri Lanka in the second Test played in North Sound, Saint George, Antigua and Barbuda.

Online pension awareness sessions for retiring officers

The Pensions Department will launch a special online awareness session series from tomorrow (09) aimed at reducing delays in granting pensions to retiring public officers.

Paddy Marketing Board to begin Yala paddy purchases on July 15

The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) will commence purchasing paddy from the 2026 Yala season harvest from July 15, following instructions to begin procurement without delay.

Russia tries to jam Musk’s Starlink systems to counter Ukrainian drones

Russian forces are trying to counter Ukrainian ’’mid-strike’’ drone attacks by camouflaging cargoes and installing powerful jamming systems to disrupt Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system, Ukrainian drone commanders and pilots told ​Reuters.

New US attacks on Iran were absolutely necessary, NATO chief says

The new attacks by the U.S. on Iran were ’’absolutely necessary,’’ ​NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.

New Foreign Employment Act soon – Minister

A new Foreign Employment Act aimed at addressing existing legal gaps and strengthening the rights and security of Sri Lankans working overseas will be presented to Parliament soon, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said today.

Kitulgala jewellery shop owner fined Rs. 2.1 mn for illegal wildlife trade

A suspect arrested by wildlife officers for illegally possessing and selling protected animal parts at a jewellery establishment in the tourist town of Kitulgala has been fined Rs. 2.1 million after pleading guilty to 38 charges.

West Indies eye new era after historic Sri Lanka series win

West Indies ended a wait of more than two decades for a Test series victory over Sri Lanka, sealing a memorable 1-0 triumph and raising hopes of a new era under captain Roston Chase.

German doctor jailed for killing 15 of his patients

A German palliative care doctor has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing 15 of his patients

Trump threatens to hit Iran ’hard again tonight’ after saying ceasefire ’is over’

US President Donald Trump today (Wednesday 8) gave Iran a ’’warning’’ and said that the United States will strike the Islamic Republic ’’very hard’’ tonight. He also stated that he was unhappy with Iran, hours after declaring that the ceasefire was over following attacks on American military sites in the Gulf.

239 drivers, conductors test positive for drugs in Western Province

A total of 239 drivers and conductors have tested positive for prohibited drugs under a mobile drug screening programme carried out in the Western Province, the National Institute of Transport Medicine said today.

CSE declines further as geopolitical concerns weigh on investor sentiment

The Colombo Stock Exchange extended its decline on Wednesday, with both benchmark indices closing lower as escalating tensions in the Middle East continued to weigh on investor confidence.

Egypt want officials kicked out of World Cup

The Egyptian Football Association says it has asked Fifa to kick the officials in charge of their World Cup last-16 defeat by Argentina out of the tournament.

’’Water Supply Disconnection Week’’ programme cancelled: NWSDB

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has announced that the ’’Water Supply Disconnection Week’’ programme, which was scheduled to be carried out from July 13 to 19, 2026, has been cancelled.

Kandy Esala Perahera to begin with ’Kap’ planting ceremony on August 13

The annual Esala Perahera of the historic Sri Dalada Maligawa will begin with the traditional ’’Kap’’ planting ceremony, or ’’Kap Situweema,’’ on August 13 at 6.17 a.m., Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela said.

Education institutions to strengthen inclusive education framework

The Education Ministry and several government institutions will work together to integrate inclusive education into future plans, following a workshop held in Colombo on promoting research findings related to inclusive education.

Warm weather advisory issued for three districts

The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Meteorology Department has issued a warm weather advisory for the Batticaloa, Ampara and Monaragala districts, warning that the heat index could reach “Caution” level in some areas during the daytime tomorrow (09).

Housing aid programme planned for low-income families with unfinished homes

The Government is planning a housing assistance programme to help low-income families complete partially constructed houses, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.

Government must reconsider northern train service cuts ahead of the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple Festival – Cassilingam

SLPP Jaffna District Organizer and Politburo Member Geethanath Cassilingam has called on the government to immediately reconsider its decision to reduce the Colombo–Kankesanthurai Intercity Express service, warning that the move would cause significant inconvenience to thousands of passengers travelling to the North ahead of the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple Festival.

Sri Lanka ranks 83rd globally in Claude AI usage, new data shows

Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI chatbot, tracks how people around the world use its models through what it calls the Anthropic Economic Index. The Index breaks down usage by country, by occupation, and by task type, using data pulled from Claude.ai conversations.

2027 Budget to prioritise long-term solutions for drinking water issues

The 2027 Budget would give special priority to addressing the country’s long-standing drinking water issues by introducing sustainable solutions, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.

Government committed to preparing children for technology-driven future: PM

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said the Government is committed to equipping Sri Lanka’s children with modern technology, knowledge and skills required to face the challenges of the future.

Four buses seized for running on kerosene fuel

Four passenger transport buses have been taken into custody by the Ambalangoda Police for allegedly operating using kerosene as fuel instead of diesel.

Greaves, Fernando gain in ICC men’s test player rankings

All-rounder Justin Greaves of the West Indies and seam bowler Asitha Fernando of Sri Lanka have made notable gains in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after the drawn second match of their ICC World Test Championship series in North Sound, Saint George, Antigua and Barbuda.

Trump says interim accord to end war is ’over’ after Iranian strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump said ​an interim agreement to end the war with Iran ​was ’’over’’ on Wednesday after Tehran carried out new ⁠attacks on U.S. bases in the Gulf.

Govt plans to clear major elephant corridors in Anuradhapura

The government has decided to expedite the clearing and protection of key elephant corridors in the Anuradhapura District as part of its long-term strategy to reduce the human-elephant conflict.

Trump says at NATO summit he has ordered cutoff of US trade with Spain

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday at a NATO summit he had ordered his ​Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all ‌trade with Spain, calling Madrid a ’’terrible partner’’ in the alliance.

Death toll reaches 28 in Negombo Prison clash

A prison guard who was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital with severe injuries following the violent clashes at the Negombo Prison has passed away.

If the system had changed, the Minister would have stepped down – Namal Rajapaksa

MP Namal Rajapaksa, National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Namal Rajapaksa, said the government’s response to the Negombo prison tragedy demonstrates that the promised “system change” has failed, arguing that true accountability would have required the subject minister to resign.