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Showers will continue to affect several parts of the country today (July 30), with fairly heavy rainfall and strong winds expected in a number of areas, according to the Department of Meteorology.

The department said showers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North Western provinces, as well as in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.

Fairly heavy falls exceeding 50 mm are likely at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts.

Meanwhile, mainly dry weather is expected to prevail over the rest of the island.

The department also forecast strong winds of 40 to 50 km/h at times over the Northern, North Central, North Western and Central provinces, and in the Ratnapura, Monaragala, Hambantota and Trincomalee districts.

The US military says it has begun launching strikes against Iran in retaliation for an attempted surprise attack on American forces in the Middle East.

Centcom said on X the strikes were “a powerful response” to Tuesday’s firing by Iran on US bases in Jordan and at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest hostilities came a day after the conflict expanded, with the first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes, which targeted Iranian proxies in Iraq.

When the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February, US President Donald Trump said the war would last only a few weeks, but it has now gone on for five months with no end in sight.

On Wednesday, Axios reported, citing an unnamed US official, that Trump had met with Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, who had conveyed that Saudi Arabia wants to de-escalate tensions. The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.

The conflict has rei

A female tourist had been killed in Bentota in a paramotor crash yesterday evening (July 29), police said.

The deceased is a 31-year old Palestinian national.

According to Bentota Police, the accident occurred when a paramotor operated by a private establishment based along the Bentota coastal road had plunged into the sea during a flight.

The Palestinian tourist, who was on board the parasail, died in the incident, while the operator, a Colombian national, had survived.

The deceased’s body has been placed at the Nagoda Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.

Bentota Police are conducting further investigations.

A female tourist had been killed in Bentota in a paramotor crash yesterday evening (July 29), police said.

The deceased is a 31-year old Palestinian national.

According to Bentota Police, the accident occurred when a paramotor operated by a private establishment based along the Bentota coastal road had plunged into the sea during a flight.

The Palestinian tourist, who was on board the parasail, died in the incident, while the operator, a Colombian national, had survived.

The deceased’s body has been placed at the Nagoda Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.

Bentota Police are conducting further investigations.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando had made some remarks on Sri Lanka’s Economic Performance in 2026 and Future Development Goals : 

According to the latest assessment conducted by S&P Global Ratings in July 2026, the Government has successfully maintained Sri Lanka’s sovereign credit rating at its previous level, reflecting the country’s continued economic stability.

It is particularly noteworthy that this stability has been preserved despite significant external shocks, including the impact of cyclone Ditwa and the conflict in the Middle East. By maintaining its economic policy direction without deviation, the Government has been able to safeguard this stability, which we regard as a significant achievement.

The assessment also reflects a notable improvement in investor confidence through the enhancement of Sri Lanka’s Transfer and Convertibility Assessment (T&C As

ஈமச்சடங்கு உரிமையாளரான ராபர்ட் புஷ், உடல்கள் தகனம் செய்யப்பட்டுவிட்டதாக உறவினர்களிடம் கூறிய பிறகும், அழுகிய நிலையிலிருந்த பல்வேறு உடல்களை நீண்ட காலம் வைத்துக்கொண்டுள்ளார். இவரது குற்றங்களால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட குடும்பத்தினர், இது தங்களது வாழ்க்கையில் ஏற்படுத்திய மிக மோசமான தாக்கத்தைப் பற்றிப் பேசியுள்ளனர்.

12 வயது சிறுவன் நசாரை, இதயத்தை தானமாக வழங்கிய சிறுமியின் தாய் சந்தித்த காட்சி தான் இது.

Mr Rathna Sri Wijesinghe has resigned from his position as Chairman of the National Library and Documentation Services Board.

When contacted by Sri Lanka Mirror regarding the matter, Mr Wijesinghe confirmed that he had submitted his resignation and that it will take effect from 1 August.

It is also reported that he is scheduled to visit the office tomorrow to hand over the items and property under his charge.

Mr Rathna Sri received his letter of appointment to the post on 16 December 2024 from the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr Hiniduma Sunil Senevi.

The other members of the Board of Directors are Sunethra Rajakarunanayake, Abdul Razak Abdul Kareem, Sivasamy Rajasingham, Professor Wasantha Subasinghe, Dr Ananda Tissa, and P. Hemachandra.

A vessel carrying 104 imported Metro buses arrived at the Port of Colombo this afternoon (29).

The buses have been imported under the Urban Luxury Transport programme, an initiative introduced as part of the 2025 Budget proposals to improve public transport by introducing modern, comfortable buses equipped with advanced technology.

The new buses are scheduled to be deployed for operations within the Colombo city area from September.