Sri Lanka

The monks contend that Sri Lanka’s existing penal code already contains sufficient safeguards to deal with abuse, and that new legislation is unnecessary and overly idealistic.

Japan’s grant for dairy development is designed to empower smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of the country’s dairy production. The funding will go towards modernising farming practices, improving milk quality and safety, and introducing sustainable methods to make dairy farming more profitable and resilient.

Using self-reported questionnaires, the survey assessed aspects such as alcohol and drug use, eating habits, physical activity levels, psychosocial wellbeing, injuries, exposure to violence and skipping meals due to food insufficiency.

At the heart of the campaign were the fishermen and residents of the Negombo lagoon region – people for whom the wetland is more than land or water; it’s the lifeblood of their daily existence.

The move comes amid growing criticism over delays in fulfilling the administration’s ambitious anti-corruption and economic promises made during last year’s presidential campaign.

The crisis is not only ecological but cultural, symbolizing the collapse of protection strategies and the fragility of coexistence in a land where these pachyderms once roamed freely.

Critics point to continued arbitrary detentions and institutionalised opacity, especially in Tamil-majority regions.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, 76, was arrested on August 22, ushering in the highest-profile detention amid President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign.