President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said a policy decision has to be taken to legalise the cannabis in Sri Lanka in order to develop it as a medicinal crop in the future.

Russia has expressed its willingness to allow Sri Lanka to produce its own Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V locally if the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) authorises it for local use, a senior state official said. The Sputnik V vaccine is already being manufactured in India and those two countries signed agreements last year to produce 300 million doses of the Russian vaccine in Indian laboratories.

An extraordinary gazette was issued yesterday declaring the services of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) as essential services.

Sri Lanka has had last minute talks with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet ahead of the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva next month.

Sri Lanka hopes to vaccinate 65% of the target population by the end of this year, a top official said.

Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who was transferred to the ICU of the National Infectious Disease Hospital last morning, is not in critical condition and is recovering well although she is being given oxygen due to some breathing difficulties, the Minister's husband, Kanchana Jayarathna told the Daily Mirror yesterday.

Sri Lanka kicked off the coronavirus vaccination drive today with the first jabs given to three soldiers at the Army Hospital in Colombo.

The United National Party (UNP) will continue to rebuild the party from the grassroots level in the coming months, giving an opportunity for new blood to rise up the ranks forming a strong organisational base around electorates, said Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene yesterday.

SYDNEY (Reuters): New Zealand, Vietnam and Taiwan rank the top three in a COVID Performance Index of almost 100 countries for their successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with Britain and America near the bottom of the pile.