Arundathie Abeysinghe

The appeal was made by the Sri Lankan president speaking of doctors leaving the country. Qualified professionals are in high demand and leave the island nation drained of human resources. About twice as many lecturers would be needed in the universities as currently remain.

With entire neighbourhoods flooded, traffic has been halted for at least three hours. The drainage system is the main factor, as clogging in smaller channels impacts the entire system. Loss of natural habitat, illegal settlements, and poor maintenance are the main culprits.

The island's 30 prisons can accommodate just over 13 thousand inmates, but as of today there are around 30 thousand. About half of these are in prison on remand, more than 20 thousand for drug trafficking. Among the proposals is the release of those who are under arrest for minor offenses.

For residents and environmental groups, it is illegal and threatens to devastate the area's ecosystem. The facility stands near a protected reserve. Top management claims to have all the necessary permits. The company's goal at first is to export coal to Japan, South Korea and China, and then expand the market to other countries.

At least 13 districts involved in the country and 50,000 acres of fields were destroyed, especially rice fields. Fears of a surge in prices, many are already looking for makeshift foods to feed themselves. The government rejects the hypothesis of compensation and is waiting for the October rains. Traffickers poison wells to resell captured and killed animals.

The island wants to join the world's largest free trade and economic cooperation agreement. The announcement by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who also wants to 'demilitarise' the Indian Ocean. For analysts and experts, it is an important step to revive the country's economy and open up new avenues for growth and development.

Farmers call for the release of water from the Samanala dam. At least 66,000 families who rely on water from the Udawalawe reservoir for farming and personal use are at risk. Over the past few months, the government has hiked electricity tariffs to avoid power shortages, but prospects are not good.

Beijing plans to build its second overseas base in the island nation after the one in Djibouti; this will enable it to expand its maritime capabilities and counter US hegemony. This has alarmed India, which fears Chinese intelligence collection. China’s move is helped by Sri Lanka’s huge debt.

As Chinese influence grows in the country, the link would give India access to the key ports of Trincomalee and Colombo. It remains an ambitious project and not without technical problems and socio-economic risks, but the step forward took place at a significant moment in a political key: the first official visit to New Delhi by the president of Sri Lanka.

Fishermen in the northern regions are being harmed by the trawling activities of Indian fishing boats, but for years a solution has been hard to find. On the eve of a trip during which he will see Indian Prime Minister Modi, the president met with Tamil leaders, bringing reassurances but no particular progress in plans for reconciliation and autonomy.

A serviceable bridge was torn down in Puttalam, a district in North Western province, for a new, wider structure. However, amid the country’s economic crisis, work was abandoned halfway through. Many unpaid workers have left for the Middle East. Now, after almost two years of hardship, locals (especially seniors) are building a foot bridge on their own, using local resources.

An alarming number of cases reported of people dying or suffering severe visual impairment after routine eye surgeries. Some doctors say the cause is an anesthetic purchased by the ministry in India from companies on the blacklist of unreliable products. But the government in Colombo rejects the allegations.