Latest News
Russia gives British diplomat Adrian Coghill a week to leave Moscow
A British diplomat has been given a week to leave Russia in an escalation of a diplomatic spat over spying.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement the removal of Capt Adrian Coghill was in response to “unfriendly anti-Russian actions” from Britain.
On 8 May the Russian defence attache was expelled from London for alleged espionage as an “undeclared military intelligence officer”.
Russia says its response “does not end with this measure”. It added the “initiators of the escalation will be informed about further retaliatory steps”.
It was inevitable following the UK’s earlier announcement that Russia would declare Capt Coghill, a Royal Naval officer and Britain’s defence attache based at the embassy in Moscow, persona non grata.
Russian statecraft follows closely the principle of proportionality, which means for every tit, there must be a tat. So British diplomats in Moscow will expect further constraints.
All this would have been taken into account when the government decided last week to crackdown on Russian espionage in the UK.
Ministers would have decided that the loss of Britain’s defence expert in the embassy in Moscow was worth the gain of disrupting Russian activities in the UK.
Writing on X, previously known as Twitter, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps called the expulsion by Russia a “desperate move”.
He said Russia’s only issue with Capt Coghill was that he “personified the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of his illegal and barbaric invasion”.
The removal of Col Maxim Elovik was among a number of other measures announced by the Home Office, Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence – as part of plans to “tighten defences against alleged malign activity by Russia” across Europe.
In April, five people were charged over conspiring to commit espionage activities in the UK on behalf of Russia under the National Security Act, the first prosecutions of this kind under the new laws.
Another of the measures included the removal of diplomatic premises status from several Russian properties in the UK – including in Sussex and Highgate, which officials believe had been used for “intelligence purposes”.
Russian diplomatic visas were also affected, with restrictions including a cap on the length of time holders can spend in the UK.
Last week, Home Secretary James Cleverly said Moscow would make accusations of ‘Russiophobia’ while spreading cons[iracy theories and hysteria.
Col Maxim Elovik appears to have been in the UK since at least 2014.
Prior to his posting in London, Col Elovik served as an assistant military attache at Russia’s embassy in Washington DC.
(BBC)
Latest News
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 OCTOBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 October 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.
Showers or thundershowers will occur in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was produced before the Hulftsdorp court, after being arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and produce
Smriti Mandhana has been named India’s all-format women’s captain on the same day Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role after nearly a decade since she first took over.
Mandhana – vice-captain to Harmanpreet for much of this period – has previously led India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is, apart from captaining Maharashtra in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.
Mandhana’s first assignment will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe beginning with the three T20Is in Raipur from October 16. On Tuesday, Mandhana was part of the selection meeting chaired by Amita Sharma to pick the squad for the tour.
Terming the appointment a “special honour”, Mandhana also acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor in her welcome note.
“I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years,” she was quoted as saying by the BCCI. “She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey.
“I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian cricket forward.”
Mandhana’s appointment comes on the back of a review meeting held on Monday in Guwahati. Chaired by secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was also attended by Mandhana, Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar to chart a roadmap forward, with an eye on next year’s inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in February as well as the T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Mandhana, India’s best all-format batter, has been knocking on the doors for a while. Earlier this year, she led RCB to their second WPL title, in which she also top-scored in the final.
In September, she overtook Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international across formats. Her 18 international hundreds are also the most in women’s cricket. She is also the first Indian woman to score centuries in all formats.
[Cricinfo]
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
PSTA worse than PTA: FSP
Shiranthi R remanded until 13 Oct.
Former NSB Chairman Kariyawasam granted bail
Katchatheevu row: India SC urges fishermen to avoid Sri Lankan waters
Remembering Juvenal, Coke, Acton and Machiavelli
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Editorial7 days agoColombo Port drug bust: The plot thickens
-
Features5 days agoThe first woman in the foreign service or Ceylon Overseas Service it was then called
-
Editorial6 days agoFuelling discontent and protest
-
News4 days agoGeneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations
-
Foreign News5 days agoTen injured after car crashes into rugby supporters in Australia
-
Latest News6 days agoTharindu Rathnayake, bowlers secure Asian Games Bronze for Sri Lanka
-
News5 days agoNearly 20 Iranian tankers stranded off Lanka amid US sanctions
-
Features4 days agoSri Lanka Cricket Bill: Governance reform is not yet a cricket strategy