Public transport between districts prohibited

Public transport even between districts where police curfew was lifted was prohibited, Passenger Transport Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

Karu rejects reports of reconvening parliament

Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today rejected the reports that said he would reconvene the Parliament unilaterally.

Calling Armed Forces to maintain public order: Gazette reissued

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has re-issued an extraordinary gazette notification declaring all the members of the Armed Forces to maintain public order in the country with effect from April 22.

Wildlife officer shot dead by poachers

A 25-year-old wildlife officer was killed after a group of poachers opened fire at wildlife officers who were on a raid at the Gal Oya National Park in Dambagalla last night.

Virus ’will be with us for a long time’: WHO

COVID-19 will stalk the planet for a long time to come, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, warning that most countries were still in the early stages of tackling the pandemic.

Covid-19 cases in SL rise to 330

Seven more Covid-19 infected patients have been identified increasing the total number of infected cases to 330, the Health Ministry said.

2 Californians died of COVID-19 weeks before previously known 1st US death

New autopsy results show two Californians died of coronavirus in early and mid-February - up to three weeks before the previously known first US death from the virus.

12 villages in Polonnaruwa isolated

Twelve villages at Lankapura in Polonnaruwa have been isolated after a COVID-19 infected patient was found from the area, the District Public Health Inspector (Adminstration) said.

Sri Lankan chef aboard a merchant vessel dies

A Sri Lankan chef aboard a merchant vessel died due to a heart attack today. The Navy said it assisted to disembark the corpse of the chef who passed away whilst serving aboard MV Grace, a merchant ship registered in Sri Lanka.

WHO says coronavirus came from an animal and was not made in a lab

The available evidence indicates coronavirus originated in animals in China late last year and was not manipulated or produced in a laboratory as has been alleged, the World Health Organization said Tuesday in a news briefing in Geneva.

No need to deploy military from other countries to SL to fight coronavirus: Defence Secretary

There was no necessity to seek assistance from other countries to deploy their military to contain the spread of coronavirus in Sri Lanka, Defence Secretary Maj.Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said.

Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication established

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication, the President’s Media Division said.

Imran Khan tests negative for COVID-19

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tested negative for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Special Assistant Zulfi Bukhari.

Air pollution in Colombo down by 70 percent

Air pollution in Colombo city and its suburbs had dropped by 70%, while air pollution in other areas has been reduced by 50 percent, senior scientist at the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) Sarath Premasiri said.

Constitutional Council to convene tomorrow

The Constitutional Council (CC) is scheduled to convene tomorrow(23) at the Speakers Residence under the patronage of former Speaker of the 8th Parliament and Chairman of the CC Karu Jayasuriya.

Eleven more test positive for COVID-19

Eleven more patients had tested positive for COVID-19 today increasing the number of cases to 321 in the country, the Health Ministry said.

Probe underway over COVID-19 patient from Piliyandala

Investigations are underway to identity how the patient from Pilyandala who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday had contracted the virus as his brother who had recently returned from Australia had tested negative and he had no immediate recent history of associating with positive patients, the Daily Mirror learns.

No plan to send troops to Sri Lanka- India

There is no plan to send the Indian Army to Sri Lanka for whatever purpose, sources from the Indian High Commission in Colombo said today.

US state sues China over virus handling

The US state of Missouri is suing the Chinese government over its handling of the coronavirus which it says has led to severe economic losses.

Do not open mosques during Ramadan- Wakf Board

With the Ramadan, the annual fasting month of Muslims approaching, the Wakf Board of Sri Lanka has instructed the trustees of mosques around the country not to open up the mosques for public, in the light of spreading of the COVID19 pandemic in the country

Human trials of coronavirus vaccine begin in UK tomorrow

Human trials of the potential coronavirus vaccine would commence in the UK from Thursday onwards. However UK’s health minister, Matt Hancock said that there was nothing about this process that was certain.

Parliament active after election postponement - Akila

Parliament which was originally dissolved on March 2 could become active automatically with the decision of the Election Commission to postpone elections to June 20, UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said yesterday.

Indian Army to send teams to Sri Lanka to fight Covid-19

The Indian Army is readying separate teams to be deployed in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan to help those countries boost capabilities to deal with rising cases of coronavirus, official sources said on Tuesday.

Govt. will bring culprits of Easter Sunday attacks to the book soon: Defence Secretary

The Government would bring all culprits who planned, financed and supported the Easter bombing carnage that killed over 270 and wounded over 500 innocent people on last year’s Easter Sunday soon, Defence Secretary Maj.Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said.

Two more COVID-19 patients recover

Two more COVID-19 infected patients have recovered and discharged from the hospital increasing the total number of recovered cases to 102, the Health Ministry said.

COVID-19 infected patient found from Warakapola

A COVID-19 infected person was found from the Warakapola area today increasing the total number of cases to 310 in the country, the Health Ministry said.

SriLankan plane carrying Sri Lankan students arrives

A SriLankan plane carrying 113 Sri Lankan students from Lahore & Karachi, Pakistan landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake today.

Sea pollution plummets by 45%: MEPA

Sea pollution has dropped steeply by 45% in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) General Manager Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara said.

We will not let extremist violence raise its head again: President

While assuring that he would not leave any room for any form of extremism, or violence from any extremists to be unleashed again, President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the true perpetrators responsible for the Easter Sunday massacres will be identified and brought before the law.

Peliyagoda fish market to close for 3 days

The Peliyagoda fish market will be closed for three days from tomorrow, Business Association of the Peliyagoda Central Fish Market said.