Sri Lanka

Passports will be issued with new features and three different colours for the identification of diplomatic, official and regular persons from October this year

Four candidates officially submitted their cash deposits for the 2024 presidential election, two as independents, one from the Sri Lanka Workers' Party and one from 'Abhinawa Niwahal Peramuna'

To apply for a Sri Lankan passport, prior online registration is required and is not possible without first setting a date and an appointment - the new rule has been announced by the Department of Immigration and Emigration

USCIRF reported on current conditions of religious freedom in Sri Lanka describing the persecution of Christians with restrictions on church building permits, harassment and the proliferation of anti-Christian sentiments online

The new Electricity Act has received the approval of the Speaker of Parliament and is therefore in force: it provides for the establishment of the National Electricity Advisory Council and the appointment of the Sri Lanka Utilities Commission

The number of areas at high risk of Dengue has increased due to the rainy weather conditions prevailing in the country, stated the National Dengue Control Unit

Electricity tariffs will be reduced as of 1 July 2024, with Ceylon Electricity Board presenting its tariff revision proposal to the Public Utility Commission of Sri Lanka

The newly built cardiology and nephrology units at the Vavuniya district general hospital were inaugurated with the support of the Dutch government, and represent an investment initiated in 2019 to strengthen the health service

The country has questioned the timing and mandate of a report released this week by the OHCHR calling on Sri Lanka's government to ensure accountability for enforced disappearances during the armed conflict with the LTTE

Sri Lanka's anti-drug campaign has led to the arrest of more than 50.000 people and the seizure of over US$20 million worth of drugs, but has drawn criticism for accusations of human rights violations from UN and other rights groups

The Association of Ambulance Drivers of the Government Health Service has drawn attention to the shortage of qualified an in-force drivers within the Sri Lankan government hospital system

The Vedda, an indigenous group in Sri Lanka, have been found to have a significant genetic link to the ethnic populations of India, according to scientists at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and four other research institutes