OWSA Contributor

As Sri Lanka navigates these complex international relationships, concerns persist about the nation's sovereignty and its ability to maintain a balanced foreign policy amidst mounting external pressures.

Funding for mine action has halved over the past two years, leading to a significant reduction in the workforce. Today, only 3,000 of the 15,000 Afghan de-miners employed before the Taliban takeover are still working, with more than 40 percent losing their jobs.

The government has committed to ambitious renewable energy targets – 50 per cent power generation from renewables by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070. Coal remains indispensable in the short term. Plans to nearly double coal production by 2030 reflect the urgency to meet rising energy demands.

Sher Abbas Stanikzai, a senior political deputy at Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry, stated that there was no valid reason to continue restricting education for women and girls, emphasising that the ongoing ban was not rooted in Islamic law.

The survey found that roughly the same number of respondents expressed optimism about the next four years as those who felt pessimistic.

If current trends continue, Oxfam predicts that five trillionaires will emerge within the next decade. In stark contrast, the number of people living in poverty has remained nearly unchanged since 1990.

With vegetable inflation exceeding 40 per cent, consumers face the brunt of soaring costs, while weak market monitoring and governance exacerbate the issue.

Sri Lanka’s central bank embraced deflationary measures that allowed currency appreciation and restored external stability. Critics argue, however, that these gains may be short-lived without structural reforms and tighter inflation targets.