Iraq is struggling to form a new government as political crisis worsens. 73 lawmakers have resigned from the parliament. Speaker has now accepted their resignation.

Political turmoil in Iraq: 73 lawmakers resign from parliament

In an interview to Palki Sharma, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that becoming the Prime Minister amid economic crisis is the most challenging appointment he ever had. Here is an excerpt from that exclusive conversation.

Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on WION: 'This is the most challenging appointment I ever had'

Higher inflation, rising debt and falling foreign exchange reserves are threatening economies around the world. Could more countries go the Sri Lanka way? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Which countries are going the Sri Lanka way?

India has dispatched economic assistance worth $3.5 billion to Sri Lanka. While China distances itself from the crisis, India has stepped up to help the Sri Lankan people. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: India emerges as Sri Lanka's most reliable partner

Sri Lanka has a history of crises. It began with the civil war, then came the Easter Bombings, and now the Economic crisis. Everything Colombo tried to revive its economy, it was consumed by a fresh crisis. Palki Sharma takes you through some pages of Lankan history.

Gravitas: Sri Lanka: a country consumed by crises

Sri Lanka's economy has been crippled by fuel and food shortages. The country has settled into a routine of protests, crackdowns and shortages. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Shortages cripple Sri Lankan economy

Pakistan has increased its petroleum levy as it unveiled a new budget amid the ongoing economic crisis. Its defence expenditure is however up by 11%.

Pakistan budgeting for tougher days? Islamabad ups petroleum levy

Amid the worst ongoing economic crisis, Sri Lanka has received a new financial package from neighbour India. India has Extended a new line of credit to the island nation to buy urea fertilizers.

Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: India extends a new line of credit to Sri Lanka to buy urea fertilizers

Dual crises have gripped Pakistan's Karachi during a heatwave. It is battling both water and power crises. Meanwhile, power shortage has ravaged the south-Asian nation's economy.

Pakistan Economic Crisis: Karachi battles water & power crises amid heatwave

Pakistan is devising ways to tackle the energy crisis in the country in a bid to reduce the energy and fuel consumption. The economically beleaguered country has reduced its official work week to five days from six and now a proposal to shut down markets early is also under consideration.

Soaring energy prices in Pakistan: Proposal to shut down markets early to tackle energy crisis

There looks to be no sign of elections in the island nation of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is currently battling its worst economic crisis.

Sri Lanka faces worst economic crisis: No elections in Sri Lanka for now

Boris Johnson is leading an economy that is on the brink of recession. Fixing a flagging economy is one of the key challenges for Johnson. He is expected to promise a reset today and will outline plans to tackle Britain's cost of living crisis.

UK economy is on the brink of recession, Johnson under pressure to cut taxes

Sri Lanka is going through a severe economic crisis. Watch this ground report from Sri Lanka's capital. There is a livelihood crisis for tuk-tuk drivers.

Ground report from Sri Lanka's capital: Livelihood crisis for tuk-tuk drivers

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he can't go as a failed president amid the ongoing economic crisis in the south Asian nation.

Gotabaya says can't go as a failed president amid the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka

Pakistan is feeling the impact of climate change. According to a Pak minister, Pakistan is set to become a water-scarce country.

Climate Change Impact: 'Pakistan to become water-scarce country'

Somalia is facing one of its worst droughts in 40 years. This comes after monsoons fail to arrive for the fourth consecutive season. More than 6 million Somalis are in urgent need of aid.

Drought in Somalia worsens: 7.1 million Somalis face acute levels of food insecurity

Sri Lankan PM has warned of job losses amid the ongoing economic crisis. Meanwhile, India has sent more assistance to the island nation.

Sri Lankan PM warns of job losses amid the ongoing economic crisis

Pakistani Finance Minister Miftah Ismail announced Thursday that the price of petrol has been moved up by PKR 30 to PKR 209.86, just a week after making a similar increase.

Pakistan: 17% hike in Petrol & Diesel prices

Sri Lanka seeks to secure around $5 billion in funding this year to cover repayments for fuel imports and other items bought through credit lines, and another $1 billion to bolster its foreign reserves. Out of these they seek $3 Billion from the IMF.

Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Colombo seeks to secure $3 Billion from the IMF

Sri Lanka is reeling under a severe economic crisis. Acute fuel & food shortage has gripped the island nation amid the worst economic crisis since its independence.

Sri Lanka: Acute fuel & food shortage grips the island nation amid worst economic crisis

It has been 50 days since the protests first began in front of the Presidential secretariat at Galle Face greens, an oceanside urban park in Colombo raising the slogan ‘Gota Go Gama.’

To mark the 50th day of the protest a march from Liberty Junction in Kollupitiya to Galle Face started at 2 pm. As per the police, the government has issued an order barring the entry of&nbsp;protesters on several roads and state institutions in the fort area.

People from all walks of life including doctors, and lawyers&nbsp;among others&nbsp;gathered at Galle Face to join the protest.

Sri Lankan protesters have been&nbsp;demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Rajapaksa administration amid deepening economic crisis in the country. Earlier this month Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had resigned amid mass protests.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis with the country’s inflation rate reaching 33.8 per cent&nbsp;in April 2022, while it still awaits funding from the International Monetary Fund. Till then Sri Lanka intends to depend more upon India’s help, with India having provided aid close to $3 billion to Sri Lanka since the crisis began.

The protests have been going on 24/7 since it began on April 9, despite bad weather conditions. On May 9, the protests turned violent after government supporters attacked peaceful-anti government protestors&nbsp;resulting in human rights violations by the government.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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It has been 50 days since the protests first began in front of the Presidential secretariat at Galle Face greens, an oceanside urban park in Colombo raising the slogan ‘Gota Go Gama.

It has been 50 days since the protests first began in front of the Presidential secretariat at Galle Face greens, an oceanside urban park in Colombo raising the slogan ‘Gota Go Gama.’ To mark the 50th day of the protest a march from Liberty Junction in Kollupitiya to Galle Face started at 2 pm. As per the police, the government has issued an order barring the entry of protesters on several roads and state institutions in the fort area. People from all walks of life including doctors, and lawyers among others gathered at Galle Face to join the protest. Sri Lankan protesters have been demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Rajapaksa administration amid deepening economic crisis in the country. Earlier this month Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had resigned amid mass protests. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis with the country’s inflation rate reaching 33.8 per cent in April 2022, while it still awaits funding from the International Monetary Fund. Till then Sri Lanka intends to depend more upon India’s help, with India having provided aid close to $3 billion to Sri Lanka since the crisis began. The protests have been going on 24/7 since it began on April 9, despite bad weather conditions. On May 9, the protests turned violent after government supporters attacked peaceful-anti government protestors resulting in human rights violations by the government. (With inputs from Agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Sri Lankan demonstrators mark 50th day of Galle Face protests

Pakistan is reeling under a severe economic, and political crisis. Pakistan government led by PM Shehbaz Sharif has blamed the previous Imran Khan government for the recently announced fuel price hike.

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's first address after the fuel price hike

Pakistani government could withdraw subsidies on petroleum products as Pak reeling under economic crisis. Meanwhile, talks between IMF and Pakistan are scheduled to continue till May 24th.

Pakistan-IMF Talks in Doha: Pak rupee plunges to new all-time low

While Sri Lanka is still without finance minister, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa swore in nine new ministers today in an effort to ensure stability in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa swears in nine new ministers

The United States is preparing for an expected migrant surge as Mexico steps up security at the border. Meanwhile, migrants are waiting for the end of title 42.

The US prepares for the expected migrant surge: Mexico steps up security at the border

Sri Lanka is in a mess as they have run out of petrol, medicines and foreign reserves. The measures needed to pull the economy out of this crisis could bring even more pain.

Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Sri Lanka has no Dollars to pay for Petrol shipments

Sri Lanka is going through a severe economic crisis. There is a shortage of essential commodities. Now, the Indian state of Tamil Nadu sent more assistance to Sri Lanka.

Indian state of Tamil Nadu sends essential commodities to Sri Lanka amid crisis

Worsening outdoor air&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;and toxic lead poisoning have kept&nbsp;global&nbsp;deaths from environmental contamination at an estimated 9 million per year since 2015 – countering modest progress made in tackling&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;elsewhere, a team of scientists reported Tuesday.

Air&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;from industry processes along with urbanization drove a 7 per cent&nbsp;increase in&nbsp;pollution-related deaths from 2015 to 2019, according to the scientists’ analysis of data on&nbsp;global&nbsp;mortality and&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;levels.

"We're sitting in the stew pot and slowly burning," said Richard Fuller, a study co-author and head of the&nbsp;global&nbsp;nonprofit Pure Earth. But unlike climate change, malaria, or HIV, "we haven't given (environmental&nbsp;pollution) much focus."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/reducing-harmful-air-pollution-can-lead-to-a-greater-number-of-hurricanes-study-finds-478408">Reducing harmful air pollution can lead to a greater number of hurricanes, study finds</a>

An earlier version of the work published in 2017 also estimated the death toll from&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;at roughly 9 million per year — or about one of every six deaths worldwide — and the cost to the&nbsp;global&nbsp;economy at up to $4.6 trillion per year. That puts&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;on par with smoking in terms of&nbsp;global&nbsp;deaths. COVID-19, by comparison, has killed about 6.7 million people&nbsp;globally since the pandemic began.

For their most recent study, published in the online journal Lancet Planetary Health, the authors analyzed 2019 data from the&nbsp;Global&nbsp;Burden of Disease, an ongoing study by the University of Washington that assesses overall&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;exposure and calculates mortality risk.

Also watch |&nbsp;Study: Pollution decreases hurricanes

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The new analysis looks more specifically at the causes of&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;– separating traditional contaminants such as indoor smoke or sewage from more modern pollutants, like industrial air&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;and toxic chemicals. Here are some of the key takeaways:

WATER AND INDOOR AIR

Deaths from traditional pollutants are declining&nbsp;globally. But they remain a major problem in Africa and some other developing countries. Tainted water and soil and dirty indoor air put Chad, the Central African Republic and Niger as the three countries with the most&nbsp;pollution-related deaths, according to data adjusted for population.

State programs to cut indoor air&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;and improvements in sanitation have helped to curb death tolls in some places. In Ethiopia and Nigeria, these efforts brought related deaths to drop by two-thirds between 2000 and 2019. Meanwhile, the Indian government in 2016 began offering to replace wood-burning stoves with gas stove connections.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ivory-coast-artist-recasts-old-mobile-phones-into-art-478876">Ivory Coast artist recasts old mobile phones into art</a>

MODERN POLLUTANTS

Deaths caused by exposure to modern pollutants such as heavy metals, agrochemicals and fossil fuel emissions are "just skyrocketing", rising 66% since 2000, said co-author Rachael Kupka, executive director of the New York-based&nbsp;Global&nbsp;Alliance on Health and&nbsp;Pollution.

When it comes to outdoor air&nbsp;pollution, some major capital cities have seen some success, including in Bangkok, China, and Mexico City, the authors said. But in smaller cities,&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;levels continue to climb.

HIGHEST&nbsp;POLLUTION-RELATED DEATHS

The study offered a list of the 10 countries most affected by&nbsp;pollution-related deaths, based on their findings on mortality adjusted for population.

1. Chad; 2. Central African Republic; 3. Niger; 4. Solomon Islands; 5. Somalia; 6. South Africa; 7. North Korea; 8. Lesotho; 9. Bulgaria; 10. Burkina Faso

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Worsening outdoor air pollution and toxic lead poisoning have kept global deaths from environmental contamination at an estimated 9 million per year since 2015 – countering modest progress made in tackling pollution elsewhere, a team of scientists reported Tuesday.

Worsening outdoor air pollution and toxic lead poisoning have kept global deaths from environmental contamination at an estimated 9 million per year since 2015 – countering modest progress made in tackling pollution elsewhere, a team of scientists reported Tuesday. Air pollution from industry processes along with urbanization drove a 7 per cent increase in pollution-related deaths from 2015 to 2019, according to the scientists’ analysis of data on global mortality and pollution levels. "We're sitting in the stew pot and slowly burning," said Richard Fuller, a study co-author and head of the global nonprofit Pure Earth. But unlike climate change, malaria, or HIV, "we haven't given (environmental pollution) much focus." Also read | Reducing harmful air pollution can lead to a greater number of hurricanes, study finds An earlier version of the work published in 2017 also estimated the death toll from pollution at roughly 9 million per year — or about one of every six deaths worldwide — and the cost to the global economy at up to $4.6 trillion per year. That puts pollution on par with smoking in terms of global deaths. COVID-19, by comparison, has killed about 6.7 million people globally since the pandemic began. For their most recent study, published in the online journal Lancet Planetary Health, the authors analyzed 2019 data from the Global Burden of Disease, an ongoing study by the University of Washington that assesses overall pollution exposure and calculates mortality risk. Also watch | Study: Pollution decreases hurricanes The new analysis looks more specifically at the causes of pollution – separating traditional contaminants such as indoor smoke or sewage from more modern pollutants, like industrial air pollution and toxic chemicals. Here are some of the key takeaways: WATER AND INDOOR AIR Deaths from traditional pollutants are declining globally. But they remain a major problem in Africa and some other developing countries. Tainted water and soil and dirty indoor air put Chad, the Central African Republic and Niger as the three countries with the most pollution-related deaths, according to data adjusted for population. State programs to cut indoor air pollution and improvements in sanitation have helped to curb death tolls in some places. In Ethiopia and Nigeria, these efforts brought related deaths to drop by two-thirds between 2000 and 2019. Meanwhile, the Indian government in 2016 began offering to replace wood-burning stoves with gas stove connections. Also read | Ivory Coast artist recasts old mobile phones into art MODERN POLLUTANTS Deaths caused by exposure to modern pollutants such as heavy metals, agrochemicals and fossil fuel emissions are "just skyrocketing", rising 66% since 2000, said co-author Rachael Kupka, executive director of the New York-based Global Alliance on Health and Pollution. When it comes to outdoor air pollution, some major capital cities have seen some success, including in Bangkok, China, and Mexico City, the authors said. But in smaller cities, pollution levels continue to climb. HIGHEST POLLUTION-RELATED DEATHS The study offered a list of the 10 countries most affected by pollution-related deaths, based on their findings on mortality adjusted for population. 1. Chad; 2. Central African Republic; 3. Niger; 4. Solomon Islands; 5. Somalia; 6. South Africa; 7. North Korea; 8. Lesotho; 9. Bulgaria; 10. Burkina Faso WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pollution killing 9 million people a year, Africa hardest hit, says study

A new clash point has developed in ongoing political crisis in Sri Lank and this time it is related with the naming of a new deputy speaker. Tensions have once again intensified over this vacant post.

Sri Lanka: Government, Opposition power struggle amid economic crisis

Sri Lanka's debt crisis is a warning to the world. The World Bank says a global debt storm is coming. It could engulf 70 developing countries & make their economies fall like dominoes. What are the threats they face? How can they be averted? Palki Sharma explains.

Gravitas Plus: Which countries could go the Sri Lanka way

There is no end to the economic crisis in sight for Sri Lanka. Newly elected Sri Lankan PM says crisis to worsen before improving.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis: New Sri Lankan PM says crisis to worsen before improving

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