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    Sri Lanka forced to close its embassies abroad

    A shortage of dollars and a severe economic crisis has forced Sri Lanka to announce the closure of some of its foreign missions, as the country struggles to maintain enough currency to cover essential imports.

    The govt has decided to close embassies in Iraq, Norway and the Consul General’s Office in Sydney, Australia, effective March 31. The number of diplomatic missions dropping to 60.

    The cash-strapped nation is currently weighed down by a heavy multi-million-dollar debt to China, while suffering from extreme fuel and food shortages, as reports emerge of people starving to death or dying from exposure while queueing to get vital commodities.