The CID has begun interrogating five persons linked to the three importers of contaminated coconut oil in a bid to get to the bottom of what is suspected to be a big time racket, which had continued for a considerable period of time.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his Easter Sunday message said they will leave no room for the culprits as well as groups, who are responsible for the dastardly attack on 2019 Easter Sunday to escape the long arm of the law.

In a circular issued this week, the Presidential Secretariat has called for explanations from officials found responsible for disregarding instructions set out in two circulars issued last year.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Parliamentarian Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe says 13 containers of imported coconut oil have been released to the market, which the Food Control Administration Unit of the Ministry of Health confirmed contains aflatoxin, a cancerous agent.

Trade Minister Dr Bandula Gunawardena yesterday said that locally produced brown sugar will be made available for consumers at Lak Sathosa outlets islandwide at Rs. 115 per kilogramme from next week.

A group of Buddhist monks has appealed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and members of Parliament, representing all political parties, to put on hold Provincial Council polls, pending early enactment of the proposed new Constitution.

A container truck has been seized from Dambulla on Thursday night (April 01) on suspicion of carrying a consignment of coconut oil containing carcinogens.

The Chairman of the Welikanda Pradeshiya Sabha of the Polonnaruwa District Priyantha Kavindu Abeysuriya has been removed from his post with immediate effect.

State Minister of Coconut Arundika Fernando says the All Ceylon Traditional Coconut Oil Producers Association recently revealed to the country of the stock of coconut oil containing carcinogens with the assistance of the government.

Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe has instructed the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) to look into the possibility of extracting mounds of soil and silt that have been dumped by the Fisheries Ministry destroying the mangroves ecosystem in the Negombo lagoon.

Neither the Parliament Select Committee, Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on Easter Sunday attacks nor the CID had so far questioned JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake on his alleged links with Mohamed Ibrahim, Minister of Public Security Dr. Sarath Weerasekera said recently in an interview to a YouTube channel.

The US Department of State is due to release the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Sri Lanka.

Three women were killed and a man was injured when a lorry which was coming from behind crashed and toppled on three wheeler at Haggala in Nuwara Eliya this afternoon.

Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and 06 other suspects have been granted bail over the March 2016 treasury bond scam.

Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena says a relief pack consisting of 12 essential commodities will be given for Rs.1,000 through Lanka Sathosa outlets, from today.

Four individuals have been arrested for spreading extremist propaganda and the ideologies of Zahran Hashim through social media, says Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana.