The colourful and vibrant cultural celebration of Maha Shivaratri by Hindu devotees has enriched our society since ancient times, states President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his Maha Shivaratri Day message.

Attorney General Dappula de Livera has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct investigations into the import of swords, daggers & other such weapons into the country before and after the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

A partly burnt body of a 33 year old businessman found inside a car at Asiri Mawatha in Kohuwala last night, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

Four more COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Sri Lanka, the Department of Government Information confirmed a short while ago.

China has approved a 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) currency swap with Sri Lanka, a government spokesman in Colombo said on Wednesday, giving some respite from concerns about public finances.

Sri Lanka has invited the new foreign minister of Myanmar’s junta to a regional meeting next month, sparking accusations on social media that Colombo is tacitly endorsing the military coup.

Former MP Hirunika Premachandra, who was accused of abducting and abusing a youth in 2015, has been issued an arrest warrant by the Colombo High Court today for not appearing in court.

Two persons including a woman have been arrested with 68kg of heroin during a search operation conducted at Denagama in Deiyandara, Matara this morning, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

Minister of Agriculture, Mahindananda Aluthgamage pledged to retail one kilo of rice at Rs. 97 by April this year, even at a loss to the Government.

The reduction of the Special Commodity Levy on sugar from Rs. 50 per kilo to 25 cents per kilo in October last year allowing bulk imports by one importer had resulted in a loss of Rs. 16 billion in tax revenue, a report submitted by the Finance Ministry to the Committee on Public Finance has revealed.

Four more COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Sri Lanka, the Department of Government Information confirmed a short while ago.

A jailor who had allegedly allowed MP Harshana Rajakaruna to take a selfie with imprisoned MP Ranjan Ramanayake at the Angunakolapelessa Prison has been interdicted, the Prisons Department said.

Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Ramesh Pathirana says no decision has been taken to increase the domestic gas prices by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The first, second and the third volumes of the final report of the Presidential Commission of Investigation on political victimisation were tabled in parliament by the Leader of House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena today.

General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena Organization, Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera said a request had been made to Most Ven Mahanayake Theras to formally study the distortions caused by the recommendations of the report of the Presidential Commission of Investigations (PCoI) on the Easter Sunday terror attacks and to issue a joint statement in this regard.

The leader of the United National Party and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the government is printing money in the manner of printing Sunday newspapers.