According to the Joint Apparel Association Forum, the 44% tariffs imposed by the White House risk causing a serious setback. Textiles make up 64% of Sri Lanka's exports for 1.8 billion dollars in 2023, with possible losses of up to 300 million dollars. Far-reaching impacts also for rubber and other sectors.
Work has officially begun on the construction of a 120-megawatt power plant in the Trincomalee area. India and Sri Lanka have also announced the creation of the Colombo Security Conclave, a security cooperation forum that also includes Bangladesh, the Maldives and Mauritius.
This is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. Eco-conscious policies have favoured the creation of a sanctuary of biodiversity and minimise the port’s environmental impact. The first phase is set to be completed by May. For experts, it is a valuable project for sustainable practices around the world.
Jeyakumari Balendran writes to the president, the fifth since her son was detained, asking for information on his fate. Conscripted by the LTTE, he was last seen in a picture taken when he was in a rehab camp. For 17 years, Tamil families have been seeking justice for the thousands of missing. Relatives told AsiaNews that they want an “international inquiry” right away.
A move to increase tax revenues, but risks undermining domestic production that had experienced a period of strong expansion. The association that brings together operators expresses great ‘concern’. For experts, a tax regime ‘that incentivises locally assembled vehicles’ is preferable.
Tamil families in Thaiyiddy were displaced in 1990 by the military. An area of six acres is now home to the Tissa Vihara Buddhist temple. Despite the end of the civil war in 2009, locals have not seen their land returned. With the backing of the People's Alliance for Land Rights (PARL), they are speaking out against forced expropriation and demand justice.
