At a school, university students had organised the screening of “Banolata Express”, a current box office success in Bangladesh. The show was halted to avoid unrest. Islamist leaders oppose the return of cinema to the city. The incident has sparked a wide debate about cultural and religious identities. For Rumeen Farhana, there is a risk of “leading our next generation into darkness.”
The investment for the MWSIP totals around 0 million, partly funded by the ADB. It is 96 km long and forms part of a wider project to transform one of the island’s driest regions by channelling water from the Mahaweli River. Once completed, it will irrigate 43,000 hectares of land during the Yala and Maha seasons.
With a fertility rate of 1.5 children per woman, the southern state has introduced new incentives for a third and fourth child. Experts warn that childcare and women's employment need improvement. Although a declining birthrate affects all of India, the southern states fear losing political influence as well.
The provincial government has postponed the decision to restore names from the colonial era following criticism on social media and from conservative circles. For some, it is merely an effort to preserve history; for others, it raises sensitive issues regarding national identity and the significance of Pakistan’s post-1947 narrative. Behind the controversy lies a broader clash over governance.
Over the past five months, Nepal has reported new outbreaks in nine districts, at least 300 cases since the outbreak began. The government has launched a vaccination campaign with 200,000 doses, but shortages, past natural disasters, and the difficulty of reaching rural communities are weighing heavily.
The case of Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, 71, one of the most influential Buddhist monks, has shaken the country. Arrested on 9 May and later released, he was suspended from all his functions until the end of legal proceedings. Protests have taken place in several districts with participants demanding equal law for all, a thorough investigation, and protection for the victim. Sri Lanka’s child protection authority has reported that some 300 monks have been accused of abuse over the past three years.
