All liquor shops across the country will be closed on May 23 and 24 in view of the Wesak festival, the Excise Department has announced

In the Matale city limits the liquor shops will be closed from May 21, 22, 23 and 24th as the State Wesak festival is being held in Matale this year.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that Sri Lanka is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian and other senior Irani officials.

“I express my deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to the bereaved families, the government and the people of Iran. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of President Raisi and his entourage,” the President said in a X message.

Chief Prelates of the Malwathu, Asgiri, Ramanna Nikaya, and the Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha have urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to grant Ven. Gnanasara Thera a presidential pardon on Vesak Poya day.

In a letter to the President, the Chief Prelates noted that Ven. Galaboda Atte Gnanasara Thera was sentenced to four years in prison on March 28, 2024, after being found guilty of causing discord during a media discussion about the Kooragala Rajamaha Vihara in 2016.

They point out that the Thera had also taken steps to alert authorities about extremist activities in society, helping to prevent the spread of some extremist groups in Sri Lanka.

As a result, several potential extremist conflicts in Sri Lankan society were averted, the letter adds.