Health authorities in Denmark, Norway and Iceland on Thursday suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine shots following reports of the formation of blood clots in some people who had been vaccinated.

Opposition MP Ashok Abeysinghe yesterday gave a five-hour-long statement to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the controversial comments he made recently regarding the Easter Sunday attacks at a public function.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinesh Gunawardena and the Government to withdraw the invitation made to the Foreign Minister of Myanmar, appointed by the military after the coup to participate in the Ministerial meeting of BIMSTEC.

Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake, who pleaded guilty to posing for a selfie with Parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna, has been banned from having visitors for two weeks.

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.