Fear gripped roughly 100 Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka as they protested outside the UN refugee agency’s office on Tuesday. With the agency’s closure looming at year’s end, their basic living allowance and prospects for permanent resettlement hang precariously in the balance. These refugees, mostly rescued at sea while fleeing Myanmar’s brutal crackdown, haven’t found…
India Drives Tourism Boom, While Russia Takes Second Place Sri Lanka’s tourism industry celebrated a strong 2023, welcoming 1,487,303 tourists despite falling just short of the ambitious 1.5 million target. This impressive figure marks a 106.6% increase compared to 2022, showcasing a significant rebound for the island nation. India emerged as the undisputed leader, sending…
Gulf Business’ Group Editor, Gareth Van Zyl speaks to Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai. The wide-ranging discussion delves into the ongoing economic crisis and the looming climate crisis, as parties hash out a climate action deal. Watch the full interview here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTgZWQBaJAE
This is an article about elderly Sri Lankans and the decline of newspapers. It discusses the economic crisis and how it has affected the newspaper industry. As a result, many newspapers have folded or reduced publication. This has left many elderly Sri Lankans without a source of news and connection to their community. They are…
Discussions have been held on strengthening the historic relationship between Maldives and Sri Lanka. The discussions were held during a meeting held between President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday. The meeting was held as part of President Muizzu’s ongoing trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to take…
In the face of an escalating climate crisis, the call for ambitious action has echoed across the globe. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka introduced the Tropical Belt Climate Ambition Plan (TBCAP) at the UN Climate Summit in September 2023. This bold initiative aims to transform the highly biodiverse…
In a powerful address at COP28, Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe urged world leaders to take immediate and decisive action to address the escalating climate crisis. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on developing countries like Sri Lanka, emphasizing the need for global solidarity and climate justice. President Wickremesinghe called for the establishment…
There has been a growing international condemnation of Sri Lanka’s use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to arrest and detain Tamils. The PTA, a controversial law that has been used to suppress dissent for decades, has been increasingly used against Tamils in recent years, Tamil media report. At least seven Tamils were arrested…
A water controller, W. G. Dharmasena (53), lost his life after drowning in the Jaya Ganga River while performing his duties at the Amunukolaya sluice gates in Eppawala. The 53-year-old experienced officer was employed in controlling the flow of water from Kalaweva to Anuradhapura. The tragedy unfolded when Dharmasena attempted to remove logs and branches…
Study Reveals Inadequate Breast Cancer Surveillance in Sri Lanka A study that assessed breast cancer surveillance behaviours among a cohort of BRCA-positive Sri Lankan women revealed 50% of BRCA1/2 positive women had not undergone annual imaging-based surveillance by mammography or MRI, and none had undergone annual dual screening with mammography and MRI, indicating inadequate breast…
