The Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023, was tabled last week, on February 15, in line with measures required to secure the next IMF loan tranche of USD 1.1 billion

As the government attempts to obtain a bailout from the IMF, it has imposed a series of austerity measures which have been widely condemned by trade unions and civil society

Farmers claim that the forcible acquisition of their farmlands for the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project (RRUDP) is illegal and in violation of the order passed by the Supreme Court in January this year

Even after a court in Karachi granted him bail, it remains a question when will Ali Wazir, the Pashtun rights activist targeted for his activism and criticism of the Pakistani army, walk free

The three activists were arrested from a student rally in Colombo on August 18 under a 72-hour detention order, while the police awaited approval for a 90-day detention order that was approved by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on August 22

After more than two weeks of mass strike action, powerloom workers in Faisalabad were able to successfully secure commitments on minimum wage as well as guarantees for social security

Since March 2022, Pakistan has been experiencing an unprecedented heatwave and a series of extreme climate events ranging from flash floods to forest fires. Experts have expressed concerns about the catastrophic impact on the health and livelihoods of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities in the country

Wickremesinghe, who is the leader of the United National Party (UNP), has already served four terms as prime minister earlier. He was appointed by incumbent President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on May 12 after days of hectic political drama and deadly clashes that hit the streets with the President’s brother and former PM stepping down earlier this week

The PM resigned shortly after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters in Colombo, leading to over 150 injuries. Later in the day, violence broke out in many parts of the country

Which the current economic crisis has had a disastrous impact on the health sector, the conditions that will be imposed as part of a possible IMF deal could bring about long-term structural challenges

A profile of the soldier-turned-politician Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose current regime has been under fire as the country’s economic crisis begins to take the shape of a humanitarian crisis

The decision to deploy military personnel comes after Sri Lanka reported four deaths in 48 hours in fuel queues this week as people lined up for hours outside filling stations after a sudden hike in prices of essential commodities.