Sri Lanka Coast Guard Ship ‘Samudraraksha’ has been sent out to the location, where the MV ‘Eurosun’ ran aground, with necessary equipment to manage any possible oil leak, the Navy said.

UK has raised human rights concerns with Sri Lanka, including forced cremation of COVID-19 victims.

The Indian government has approved an underwater research project to ascertain the origins of the Ram Setu — a 48-km-long chain of shoals between India and Sri Lanka, the Indian Express reported.

An individual was killed in a shooting incident at Pallimulla in the Panadura North Police area this morning, Police said.

The highest number of COVID-19 cases within a 24-hour period in a district was reported in the Colombo District yesterday.

The isolation order in several Grama Niladari Divisions in Kalmunai has been lifted from 6 a.m. today, head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said.

Sri Lanka is planning to canvass the support of the like-minded countries to present its case at the next session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), an official said yesterday.

Kandy District SLPP MP Wasantha Yapa Bandara had been tested positive for Covid-19.

While condemning the humiliating posts shared by certain netizens in social media targeting Covid-19- infected- Health Minister Pavithra Vanniarachchi, State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle said such acts cannot be approved by civilised people.

SJB MP Harin Fernando yesterday said he publicly gave a urine sample to be tested for drugs as a challenge to prove that he does not consume narcotic drugs and to disprove those who have accused him of alleged addiction.

The Health Ministry insisted that the Covid situation was under control despite a high number of infected persons being detected in the country over the last couple of days.

The number of COVID-19 deaths reported in the country climbed to 283 today with more three deaths being confirmed by the Health Services Director General.

A total of 841 COVID-19 patients were detected within today bringing the total number of cases in the country to 58,430, the Government Information Department said.

Contesting the claims by the government leaders, former Minister of Health Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said today Sri Lanka will get the COVID- 19 vaccines only by March.

Mayor Patrick Brown of Brampton, Canada has promised to build a monument to commemorate the lives lost in the Sri Lankan civil war after the Mullivaikkal memorial was torn down at Jaffna university, CBC News reported today.

Many who had pledged their support to Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) earlier will rejoin UNP within six months followed by the members of local bodies who have already begun to come back to the fold, party seniors said today.

Nearly 50 priests and Rev. brothers belonging to a Christian denomination in Mattakuliya have undergone PCR tests after some priests were suspected to be COVID 19 positive, Chief Medical Officer Colombo Municipal Council Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni said..

A total of 423 more Covid-19 patients recovered and were discharged from hospital bringing the total number of recovered cases in Sri Lanka to 49,684, the Health Ministry said.

The isolation order in several areas in Wellawatte, Nittambuwa and Minuwangoda police areas has been removed from 6 p.m. today, the Government Information Department said.

A total of 3,520 persons have been arrested, in connection with possession of narcotics and drunk driving, during a special three-hour island-wide operation, Police said.

The schools in the Western Province (WP), except in isolated police areas will be reopened from tomorrow (January 25) for the schoolchildren who sit for the GCE (Ordinary Level) Examination, Education Minister Prof. G.L Peiris said.

Rumors circulating on social media of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa being critically ill is false and he is safe and attending to his usual work, sources from the Prime Minister’s office told Daily Mirror a short while ago.

Widespread COVID-19 cases have been reported from each district in the country yesterday and that more than 100 cases have been reported from Colombo, Gampaha and Kandy districts.

No damage has been caused to the bulk carrier ‘MV Eurosun’ which was sailing under Liberian flag with a shipment of over 33,000 MT and ran aground at Little Basses, the Navy said.

Considering the current pandemic situation which the country faces at present, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) today warned that the situation could turn serious by the middle of next month.

Passengers on public transport systems should avoid talking to one another or on the phone in order to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus, the French National Academy of Medecine said.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today said he would not hesitate to eliminate the alleged corruption in the Customs department even by removing all the officers within that.

Two more individuals passed away due to COVID-19 today bringing the death toll in the country to 280, the Government Information Department said.

Parliamentarian Harin Fernando has posted a video on Facebook while taking cocaine test at a private hospital.

A total of 724 individuals tested positive for Covid-19 within today, the Government Information Department said.