Latest Sri Lanka News

Sri Lankans' fury forced the powerful Rajapaksa clan out. Now its heir is running for president

Sep. 13, 2024 01:07 AM EDT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — When an uprising ousted Sri Lanka's president, many saw it as the end of his powerful family’s hold on the island nation after more than 12 years of rule. Now, as Sri Lanka prepares to elect a new leader, Namal Rajapaksa is running for president. The...

Sri Lanka's opposition leader says the rich will pay more if he wins the presidential election

Sep. 13, 2024 00:40 AM EDT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s opposition leader said Thursday that if he wins the country's presidential race, he will renegotiate the International Monetary Fund economic reforms package to ensure rich residents pay more taxes and poor ones see their conditions improve. ...

What's at stake in Sri Lanka's first presidential vote since its economic meltdown?

Sep. 06, 2024 00:19 AM EDT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka will hold its presidential election on Sept. 21 in a crucial vote that will decide the future of the South Asian nation still struggling to recover from its economic collapse in 2022, which provoked mass protests and forced the former President Gotabaya...

AP PHOTOS: Pope Francis' Asia trip marks 60 years of papal visits to the region

Sep. 01, 2024 23:03 PM EDT

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Pope Francis' visit to Southeast Asia, the longest trip in his papacy, is the latest in decades of regular papal visits to the Asia-Pacific region. Papal travel is a thing of the modern era, starting with Pope Paul VI, who became the first pontiff to leave...

Sri Lanka's Dissanayake a strong contender for president with his alliance's focus on working class

Aug. 27, 2024 03:59 AM EDT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A political alliance centered on the working class has emerged as a strong contender in Sri Lanka's presidential race, announcing itself to be the agent of change that millions of people called for when an unprecedented economic crisis led to disillusionment with...

39 candidates are approved for Sri Lanka's presidential election, the highest number ever

Aug. 15, 2024 11:35 AM EDT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s elections commission on Thursday accepted applications from a record 39 candidates to run in next month’s presidential election, which will decide the course of the country's financial reforms to survive an unprecedented economic crisis. ...

Heir apparent to Sri Lanka's powerful Rajapaksa family will run in September's presidential election

Aug. 08, 2024 01:18 AM EDT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The man who is considered the heir apparent to the powerful Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka will contest the presidential election in September, his political party said Wednesday, in an apparent bid to regain his family's lost power after a humiliating setback two years...

Sri Lanka will hold presidential election on Sept. 21, its first since declaring bankruptcy in 2022

Jul. 26, 2024 03:10 AM EDT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on Sept. 21 that will likely be a test of confidence in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s efforts to resolve the country’s worst economic crisis. The date was announced by the independent elections commission...

Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on Sept. 21, its first since declaring bankruptcy in 2022

Jul. 25, 2024 23:12 PM EDT
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on Sept. 21, its first since declaring bankruptcy in 2022.

Internet outage latest | Airlines, businesses, border crossings hit by global tech disruption

Jul. 19, 2024 18:14 PM EDT

Businesses and governments worldwide experienced hours-long disruptions Friday as a widespread technology outage affected services across industries. Flights were grounded and numerous hospitals, small businesses and government offices were disrupted. At the heart of the massive...