The Department of Examinations has announced that the 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination will be held on 09 August. The second question paper will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., while the first question paper is scheduled from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The Department noted that further details regarding the examination will be announced in due course.

2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam set for 09 August

2026 A/L Exam timetable released 

Private bus operators have warned that bus fares could increase by nearly 20% during the annual fare revision next month due to rising fuel prices. Chairman of the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association, Gemunu Wijeratne, noted that operators are facing heavy financial losses and may reduce the number of bus trips to cut costs. He further stated that written notices on proposed schedule adjustments are being prepared for provincial transport authorities and councils, including those in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Private bus fares may increase by 20% next month

Iran’s top military command Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters has just announced the end of current attacks on Israel. But they have warned that if Israeli attacks continue, "including in southern Lebanon," Iran will respond "more severe and forceful than before." Let's look back at the key developments of the last day. Israel and Iran exchanged strikes last night and into today after Iran announced military operations in response to Israel's air strikes on Beirut in Lebanon on Sunday. Hezbollah said this morning that it had <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/clyengg72pgt?post=asset%3A25162eb3-01db-4c3f-9c2c-ccec1d6ff4bc#post" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fired rockets</a> at a group of Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is carrying out ground operations in what it says is an attempt to stop Hezbollah firing rockets at northern Israel. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed it launched a missile attack on a petrochemical plant in northern Israel, according to state media, after the Israeli military said it launched strikes on "several targets" at an Iranian petrochemical facility. The IDF also said it had completed a large-scale strike on "strategic defence systems" in Iran, while the IRGC said it had targeted two Israeli air bases in Israel, according to Iranian media. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei says the US bears responsibility for aggression from Israel and that consequences of escalating tensions will "also be on the US". He also said that the exchange of messages between Iran and the US "had not stopped", but did not clarify whether the exchange of messages has been happening since yesterday or not. Earlier today Donald Trump said Israel and Iran are looking to do an "immediate ceasefire" and that things should move quickly. He previously said that Iran and Israel must stop "shooting" immediately. Source : BBC

Iran announces end of current attacks after exchanging fire with Israel

Iran's president says the country has "neither abandoned the field nor the negotiating table". Masoud Pezeshkian says in a post on X that the country's priority is "national security and the peace of our people", adding that it would "not retreat in the face of any threat". The comments came after Iran’s top military command Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/clyengg72pgt?post=asset%3A63098e97-015a-4006-a022-1dcc05f5d373#post" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced the cessation of its "armed forces operations"</a>, adding that it would respond "more severe and forceful than before" if attacks continued.

Iran 'will not retreat in the face of any threat' - President Pezeshkian

The Colombo High Court today (08) resumed hearings in the case filed by Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against Wimal Weerawansa. The case alleges that Weerawansa unlawfully acquired assets worth more than Rs. 7mn beyond his declared income between 2010 and 2014. Prosecution witness testimony was recorded before Judge Mohamed Mihail. The next hearing has been fixed for 25 June.

Colombo HC resumes hearing Wimal Weerawansa asset case

Sri Lanka welcomed 145,745 international tourists in May 2026, the highest number ever recorded for the month, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority(SLTDA). The figure marks a 9.6% increase from May 2025. India remained the largest source market, followed by the United Kingdom, China, Germany and Australia. Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath noted that the milestone reflects the continued recovery of Sri Lanka’s tourism sector.

Sri Lanka records highest-ever tourist arrivals for May

Health authorities have inspected around 300 houses and government institutions in the Athuraliya MOH area in Matara amid an increase in dengue cases. Legal action has been initiated against 19 individuals after mosquito breeding sites were found on their premises, with cases referred to court. Officials also issued final red notices to 30 households identified as high-risk breeding grounds, while fogging operations were conducted in Akuressa and Athuraliya to curb the spread of dengue.

Matara dengue inspections: 19 face legal action

British actor Anthony Head, best known for his roles in TV shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso, Merlin and Little Britain, has died at the age of 72. Head found international fame as Rupert Giles in hit supernatural teen show Buffy in the late 1990s. "He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family," his daughters Emily and Daisy said. Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played the eponymous Buffy, led tributes to Head, writing: "Thank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their dad with me, but with the world." His daughters' statement said "it is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father". "It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many." They also said they knew "how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues and fans of the show he was in", adding that he "loved his job very much" and "always considered himself incredibly lucky". His family acknowledged that "his legacy will live on" and said they considered themselves "lucky" to have watched him doing what he loved throughout his career. Gellar posted a selection of pictures of her with Head on Instagram, including a scene from Buffy where her character asks Giles whether life gets any easier. "'Tell Giles I figured it out and I'm ok'. Well, I don't have it figured out and I'm not ok. But I know I'm the lucky one because I knew you," she wrote. "Thank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their dad with me, but with the world." David Boreanaz, who also starred alongside Head in Buffy, said: "RIP. He was so kind and generous of a soul." Fellow Buffy co-star James Marsters said: "He was an unflaggingly kind and steady presence on the set of Buffy, and the best actor in the cast... I was lucky to have known, and learned from him." Following Buffy, Head went on to have a recurring role in sketch show Little Britain as the prime minister and king Uther Pendragon in the BBC's Merlin. Little Britain creator and star Matt Lucas - in which Head played the prime minister - described Head as "unfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm". "When we were casting Little Britain, we were looking for a 'Tony Head-type ', because we never imagined for a moment that the man himself would be interested, but he was. Lucky us," Lucas said. Head's other credits included playing Geoffrey Howe in The Iron Lady and appearing in Doctor Who, Persuasion, The Inbetweeners and Manchild. He also starred in Ted Lasso from 2020 as former Richmond FC owner Rupert Mannion, the ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham's character Rebecca Welton. Brett Goldstein, their co-star and a writer on the show, said: "Anthony Head was a brilliant actor who played the worst person in the world, which was an incredible skill because he was the best person." Head first found fame in the UK in the 1980s as the face of Nescafe coffee adverts on TV. He was part of the Gold Blend couple alongside Sharon Maughan, with their coffee-themed romance ads becoming popular between 1987 and 1993. Maughan told BBC News she was "broken-hearted" at the loss of Head. "I guess they were iconic, I don't think that was the intention at the beginning," she said. "Tony and I were just two actors who got this job, and we had a really lovely friendship... "I loved working with him. I thought he was a lovely man." Head starred in numerous popular British shows during his career, also including Motherland, Silent Witness and Doctor Who. The official Doctor Who account on X said it was "very sad to report the passing of Anthony Head, who appeared as Mr Finch in 'School Reunion' in 2006". "He was also known by fans for his commentary in #DoctorWho Confidential and the voice of Baltazar in 'The Infinite Quest'." And author Harlan Coben wrote on Instagram: "You'll be reading a lot of wonderful things about him in the coming days. Believe them. "He was charming and erudite and funny and open and friendly and so damn talented. He brought joy and warmth and sparkle and wonder to every room he entered. "Everyone in the cast and crew of The Stranger adored Tony. It was an honor to call you a friend. We are all heartbroken." His last acting credits included Bridgerton in 2022, in which he starred in one episode in series two. He joined the cast of BBC Radio 4's long-running drama The Archers in 2018, playing Robin Fairbrother. The actor also enjoyed a long stage career, performing in several iterations of The Rocky Horror Show and musicals such as Godspell and Chess. Born in Camden, London, in 1954, Head's mother was actress Helen Shingler, best known for BBC TV series Maigret, and his father Seafield Head, a documentary maker. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Head lost his long-term partner Sarah Fisher, who was an animal welfare campaigner, in December 2025 at the age of 61. His daughters Emily, 37 and Daisy, 35, both work as actors - with Emily best known for playing Carli D'Amato in The Inbetweeners. Daisy has appeared in TV shows including Harlots and Shadow and Bone. His brother Murray is also an actor, who appeared in the Oscar-nominated 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday and the musical Chess. Source: BBC

2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam set for 09 August

2026 A/L Exam timetable released

2026 A/L Exam timetable releas ...

Private bus fares may increase by 20% next month

Private bus fares may increase ...

Iran announces end of current attacks after exchanging fire with Israe ...

Iran announces end of current ...

Iran 'will not retreat in the face of any threat' - President Pezeshki ...

Iran 'will not retreat in the ...

Colombo HC resumes hearing Wimal Weerawansa asset case

Colombo HC resumes hearing Wim ...

Sri Lanka records highest-ever tourist arrivals for May

Sri Lanka records highest-ever ...

Matara dengue inspections: 19 face legal action

Matara dengue inspections: 19 ...

Tributes to Buffy and Ted Lasso star Anthony Head after death aged 72

Tributes to Buffy and Ted Lass ...

2026 A/L Exam timetable released

2026 A/L Exam timetable releas ...

Private bus fares may increase by 20% next month

Private bus fares may increase ...

Iran announces end of current attacks after exchanging fire with Israe ...

Iran announces end of current ...

Iran 'will not retreat in the face of any threat' - President Pezeshki ...

Iran 'will not retreat in the ...

Colombo HC resumes hearing Wimal Weerawansa asset case

Colombo HC resumes hearing Wim ...

Sri Lanka records highest-ever tourist arrivals for May

Sri Lanka records highest-ever ...

Matara dengue inspections: 19 face legal action

Matara dengue inspections: 19 ...

Tributes to Buffy and Ted Lasso star Anthony Head after death aged 72

Tributes to Buffy and Ted Lass ...

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2026 A/L Exam timetable released

2026 A/L Exam timetable releas ...

Private bus fares may increase by 20% next month

Private bus fares may increase ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Iran announces end of current attacks after exchanging fire with Israe ...

Iran announces end of current ...

Iran 'will not retreat in the face of any threat' - President Pezeshki ...

Iran 'will not retreat in the ...

Colombo HC resumes hearing Wimal Weerawansa asset case

Colombo HC resumes hearing Wim ...

Sri Lanka records highest-ever tourist arrivals for May

Sri Lanka records highest-ever ...