At least 60 members of parliament are set to spend the year end holiday season abroad, parliamentary sources revealed.

The Health Ministry has issued a set of updated guidelines to be followed by the general public from December 16 to 31.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has urged Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to grant a Presidential Pardon to convicted former MP Ranjan Ramanayake.

Laughs Gas Company yesterday claimed that they were unable to import gas as they did not have adequate US dollars for that purpose.

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa says he believes there is an ulterior motive behind the sudden prorogation of Parliament.

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has instructed the Litro Company not to unload gas containers on board the ship which arrived at the Port of Colombo as it does not comply with the SLSI standards.

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa left for Dubai this morning (December 15), sources said.

A 39-year-old father and his three-year-old daughter have died in a motor accident reported in Millaniya adjacent to the Galanigama Exit along the Southern Expressway at around 1:30 am this morning.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena had instructed officials, including Intelligence Chiefs, not to attend any security meetings chaired by then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe following the Easter Sunday attacks, former Defence State Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa pledged yesterday (14) that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will provide free legal assistance to those affected by the recent gas related explosions.

The JVP says although Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa had claimed to the Cabinet of Ministers that an agreement to transfer 40% ownership of the LNG power plant in Kerawalapitiya, was approved by the Attorney General

The latest ship that arrived in Colombo with liquefied petroleum (LP) gas for Litro does not comply with the required level of Ethyl mercaptan and may be rejected, sources said.

Senior Adviser to the Ministry of Justice, U.R. de Silva (PC) said if certain gas companies had behaved in a manner jeorpadising the lives of consumers, then the public could institute legal action against such companies and seek compensation for losses suffered as per provisions in the Public Utilities Commission Act.

The Sri Lankan government today said it has decided to pay USD 6.7 million to the Chinese fertilizer company that had shipped the disputed fertilizer consignment, on the advice of the Attorney General’s Department.

Sri Lanka’s Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said that a Gazette notification has been issued declaring that all government and private ambulances can use the country’s expressways toll free with immediate effect.