The Department of Government Information, in response to allegations over the outsourced online visa application process, said it had been given to VFS Global, a company with 146 centres across the globe after proper study into the matter and approval by the Cabinet.

Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves (GOR) stood at USD 5 billion by the end of March 2024, recording a notable increase compared to USD 4.4 billion at the end of 2023.

Recognising the economic and ecological importance, the Government aims to transform Mirissa into a Blue Flag Coastal Zone and a Marine Wildlife Sanctuary aligning with international standards.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yoko Kamikawa is scheduled to undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka from 04 to 05 May 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The Draft Bill of the Recovery of Loans by Banks (Special Provisions) Act, allowing for the temporary suspension of the Parate Law will be taken up for debate in Parliament on 7 May.

The Ministry of Defense announced that a US research ship was denied permission to conduct research activities in the Sea of Sri Lanka.

A massive scam is being operated where money is transferred from current and savings accounts to other multiple accounts without any notice to the account holder, an Opposition MP revealed in Parliament.

The 22nd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief was held virtually earlier this week, hosted by Vietnam and co-chaired by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, and attended by 55 participants from ARF member countries.

Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne met Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation where they discussed a wide range of topics, including counter-terrorism efforts, cyber security and defence cooperation, the Ministry of Defence said.