The dawn of the New Year motivates us to move towards a new meaningful height in life while providing opportunity to clearly understand the challenges we face at each passing moment, president Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in his New Year message.

A 27-year-old person had been arrested with 1.6 kg of heroin in a special raid carried out by the Elpitiya Divisional Crime Unit at Benwala in Ambalangoda.

The government will take a final decision on the most suitable vaccine to be administered on Sri Lankans early next week based on an expert report handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the senior advisor to President Lalith Weeratunga, Prima

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said the biggest challenge in the New Year is to overcome the COVID - 19 pandemic with determination.

Nearly 2600 tourists from the Ukraine are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka during the one month pilot project which hasn been launched by the tourism sector in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority and other stakeholders, and will end on Ja

Health experts have raised fears of secondary infections after it was found that the public had ignored the health advisories issued by the authorities.

The new Kelani bridge project which is Sri Lanka’s first ever cable- stayed venture will be completed by July 2021, Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said yesterday.

The new Covid-19 variant first found in the UK is growing rapidly, is more transmissible than other variants, and affecting a greater proportion of people under 20, according to a study.

A total of 171 new Covid-19 patients were reported this evening bringing the total number of cases in the country to 43,299, the Government Information Department said.

Speaker’s Media Unit today refuted media reports that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane has been sent on quarantine by the health authorities.

Five more COVID-19 related deaths were reported today surging the total COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka to 204, the Government Information Department said.

The passengers on board the Colombo bound bus (NB - 9268), in which the five COVID-19 escapees from Gallella had travelled from Polonnaruwa at 5.45 am today, have been asked to serve the mandatory self-quarantine, Police said.

A total of 421 individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 so far today, the Government Information Department said.

An inmate among the five who escaped while receiving treatment at the Gallella Covid Treatment Centre in Polonnaruwa, had been arrested in the Madampe area, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

The Huawei Technologies Company, Ltd. has agreed to provide free pieces of equipment and accessories to schools in the country to promote distance education facilities through the internet, Education Minister Prof. G.L. Pieris said.

A fish vendor has been tested positive with COVID-19 from 80 random Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) conducted in the Western Province yesterday, Police said.

The Power Ministry has decided to provide a grace period for cinema theatre owners to settle the arrears of electricity bills due to COVID-19 situation, Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.

Police requested people to strictly adhere to road traffic rules today claiming that December 31 normally recorded as the day where most number of accidents occur, as per the police statistics.

Eighty-three employees of the ORIT apparel factory in Avissawella tested positive with COVID-19 yesterday.

Police seek public assistance to trace the five Covid-19 patients who escaped from the Gallella Treatment Centre in Polonnaruwa this morning.

Chinese regulators have approved the country’s first homegrown coronavirus vaccine, developed by state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm, officials announced Thursday.

The government is exploring the possibility of obtaining a coronavirus vaccine under a bilateral agreement with India, an official said yesterday.

Sixteen more COVID-19 cases have been identified through 940 Rapid Antigen Tests carried on those who were leaving Western Province yesterday, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

Britain’s largest Muslim umbrella body, the Muslim Council of Britain, is to launch legal action against the Sri Lankan government over its forced cremation policy.

Five inmates from Negombo Prison who tested positive for Covid-19 and were being treated at the Gallella Treatment Centre in Polonnaruwa have escaped this morning, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

A total of 639 persons were confirmed positive to COVID-19 yesterday and three of them were foreigners from Ukraine, the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) said.

Heavy showers exceeding 100 mm can be expected at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts, the Meteorology Department said.

At least 22 people have been killed and more than 50 wounded in an attack at the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, officials say.

The United National Party (UNP) yesterday urged the Government to expedite the investigations into the cause of the fire at the Supreme Court complex which occurred earlier this month.

Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa has to lead the new grand opposition alliance which will be formed soon, SJB seniors said yesterday.