Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has rolled out a special program to help the country meet its national tourism targets for 2026, a senior official said on Friday.SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam said they will launch focused promotional campaigns in key European markets to attract visitors during what are traditionally considered off-peak months.As part of the broader strategy, Sri Lanka recently carried out promotion programs in major Indian cities to diversify the country's Indian tourist base and draw more high-value visitors, he said.He added that Sri Lanka has recorded a strong start to 2026, with more than 94,000 tourist arrivals...
Food aid in Sudan is set to run out by the end of March unless new funding is secured, the United Nations said Thursday, raising fears for millions caught up in the world's largest hunger crisis.Nearly three years of fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have left tens of thousands dead, 11 million displaced and repeated attempts at peace blocked.Efforts led by the US and regional mediators Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, known as the Quad have failed to secure a ceasefire, as both sides wrestle for territorial gain.A high-level meeting on Wednesday in...
A worsening malnutrition crisis is having dire effects on women and girls in Afghanistan who are failed by the international community, the World Food Programme's top official in the country told AFP.The UN agency supplies most of the food aid to Afghanistan, which has been run by Taliban officials since 2021.While aid donations have been slashed over the past couple of years, the Afghan government has faced criticism from abroad for banning women from most professions and blocking girls from attending school beyond the age of 12.John Aylieff, director for Afghanistan at the World Food Programme (WFP), spoke to AFP...