Climatologists do not expect significant rainfall until May, and already last month the weather was very dry due to the impact of El Niño in the Asia-Pacific region in late 2023. Officials have urged the population to use water sparingly.
This is what a study covering the period 1990-2022 published by The Lancet indicates. Sri Lanka ranks second worse after India, but the latter shows an improvement in recent years. The Ministry of Health is considering "food baskets" for those suffering from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
Appointed by Pope Francis on 6 December, Mgr Wimal Siri Jayasuriya was ordained last Saturday. Card Malcolm Ranjith and the country’s Catholic bishops were present at the arrival and consecration of the new prelate. Anglican and Buddhist clerics also attended the service. For the faithful, he is "a total gift from God to our diocese".
The owner of the Lorenzo Putha-4 Francis Milroy Perera is concerned about their fate. The pirates attacked on 27 January, but the Seychelles Coast Guard thwarted their action. The Sri Lankan government has failed so far to repatriate them. The skipper's mother appealed to AsiaNews.
Centred on oil, the visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian from 19 to 21 February anticipates that of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the end of the year. The minister and his Sri Lankan hosts also discussed nanotechnology, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, as well as the two countries’ “tea for oil” barter deal.
On the occasion of the annual event dedicated to children at the Tewatta basilica, the Archbishop of Colombo reminded children of the invitation addressed to them by Pope Francis: "In today's world, do not be afraid of holiness".