Sri Lanka police raise security at popular surf site over threat to Israelis

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Police in Sri Lanka have raised security around a popular surfing destination after receiving information about a possible threat to Israeli travelers, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said special security measures had...

Train hits and kills 2 wild elephants in Sri Lanka as 2 of its fuel-carrying tankers derail

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A train carrying thousands of gallons of fuel hit a herd of wild elephants in northeast Sri Lanka, killing two of the giant mammals and injuring one other as two of its tankers got derailed, authorities said. The collision happened in the town of Minneriya...

Sri Lanka closes schools as floods hammer the capital

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka closed schools in the capital, Colombo, and its suburbs on Monday as heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the island nation. Heavy downpours over the weekend have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, flooding homes, fields and...

AP PHOTOS: Performers bring Hindu gods to life in the Ramleela

NEW DELHI (AP) — 23-year old Ashutosh Agnihotri has been playing god this week. Ahead of the Dussehra festival, which celebrates the defeat of mythological demon Ravana, at the hands of Lord Rama, artists dressed in ornate crowns and costumes perform the Ramleela, a dramatic...

Sri Lanka's new president says he'll restart talks with the IMF to find a way out of economic crisis

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Wednesday that he will soon resume discussions with the International Monetary Fund and foreign creditors to plot a way out of the worst economic crisis in the country's history. “We expect to...

Sri Lanka's new president calls a parliamentary election for November to consolidate his mandate

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved Parliament late Tuesday and called for a parliamentary election in less than two months in an effort to consolidate power after his weekend election victory. A government notification said that...

Sri Lanka's new leader must balance ties between regional powerhouses India and China

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Marxist lawmaker who won Sri Lanka’s presidency faces a key challenge in how to balance ties with his country’s two most crucial partners, India and China, as he seeks to draw foreign investment and pull the economy out of the doldrums. Anura...

Sri Lanka's new president dissolves Parliament, calls for parliamentary elections on Nov. 14

Who is Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Sri Lanka's new Marxist president?

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Marxist politician Anura Dissanayake won Sri Lanka’s presidential election over the weekend, dealing a blow to a political old guard that has been widely blamed for the unprecedented economic crisis that hit the South Asian island nation two years ago. ...

Marxist Anura Kumara Dissanayake sworn in as Sri Lanka's president

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Marxist politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn in as Sri Lanka's president on Monday after an election that saw voters reject an old guard accused of leading the country into economic crisis. Dissanayake, 55, who ran as head of the Marxist-leaning...