Sri Lanka, Feb. 4 -- The 77th Independence Day celebrations took place this morning at Independence Square under the theme "Let's prepare for national revival." This marks the first Independence Day celebration since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the National People's Power government came to power.

The number of military personnel participating was reduced by 1,511 compared to last year, with only 1,873 members taking part. This year's event featured just three aircraft, and no armored vehicles were used in the parades.

The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government instructed government institutions to hoist the national flag from the 1st to the 7th of February, while a previous directive to ...