Sri Lanka marks 74th anniversary of independence

Sri Lanka celebrated its 74th Independence Day from the UK with a state ceremony presided over by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. This year's Independence Day ceremony is being held in keeping with the health guidelines due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The event takes place with the participation of 6,500 personnel from the armed forces and police. The celebrations come amid one of the worst economic hardships in the country's history with imports for consumption and industries curtailed because of an acute foreign reserve shortage and high debt repayment obligations. Rajapaksa in his speech called upon the people to have a positive attitude amid the crises.