News brief: Big stories of the day

A 'controlled explosion' occurred in Colombo on Monday afternoon.

WION correspondent Sidhant Sibal was reporting from near St Anthony's church in Colombo where the explosion took place. This was the second controlled explosion since morning.

The United States announced on Monday it will no longer grant sanctions exemptions to Iran's oil customers.

Eighty-seven detonators were found at Sri Lanka's Colombo bus station on Monday, a day after the series of blasts ripped through the island-nation killing as many as 290 people. Over 500 people were also injured.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he regrets the remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale deal. Gandhi made the submission in a response to a Supreme Court notice on a petition filed by BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will be announcing a nationwide emergency from midnight on Monday following Easter Day blasts. The development comes soon after the Sri Lankan authorities lifted a curfew in the country on Monday and another night-time curfew was imposed.