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Sri Lanka

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Sri Lanka. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Colombo

Head of State

President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Head of Government

President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Police escort detained Indian and Nepalese nationals suspected of running cyber fraud centres to a court in Galle, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Cambodia

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

17 May 2026 - 2:37PMvideocam

Climate change

‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash

13 May 2026 - 4:10PM

Crime

Sri Lankan Buddhist monk arrested over alleged sex abuse of girl, 11

9 May 2026 - 11:27PM

Airbus

Ex-SriLankan Airlines head in US$16 million Airbus corruption case found dead

Kapila Chandrasena was arrested in March on charges of conspiring to accept a US$16 million bribe for the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft.

8 May 2026 - 3:11PM

A SriLankan Airlines plane takes off from Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake on September 13, 2022. Photo: AFP

Indonesia

‘I started crying’: Indonesian captain’s wife in agony over pirate attack

Captain Ashari Samadikun had sent a chilling warning to his wife before his fuel tanker was hijacked by pirates last month.

6 May 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

6 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Elephant in room: can Sri Lanka’s ‘world’s emptiest airport’ attract investors?

Since opening in 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has failed to generate enough revenue to cover even its electricity bills.

30 Apr 2026 - 4:50PM

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Sri Lanka. Photo: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport

Drugs

Sri Lanka arrests 22 monks with US$3.5 million worth of cannabis in record haul

Each monk was found with 5kg of kush concealed within false walls in his luggage at Colombo airport.

27 Apr 2026 - 2:46PM

India

Chinese drone discovery sharpens focus on Asia’s undersea security race

Experts say India is playing ‘steady catch-up’ in boosting undersea surveillance, while Southeast Asian nations’ capabilities differ widely.

24 Apr 2026 - 7:27PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers

The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.

24 Apr 2026 - 3:10PMvideocam

Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy patrols the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade on April 15. Photo: US Navy/AFP

Malaysia

US intercepts Iranian tankers near India, Malaysia amid Hormuz tensions

The vessels were ordered to move away from their positions as Washington and Tehran intensify their stand-off over the waterway.

23 Apr 2026 - 10:27AMvideocam

Iranian walks past a billboard reading “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed” at the Revolution Square in Tehran on Wednesday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

22 Apr 2026 - 5:06PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

14 Apr 2026 - 6:09PM

US, Israel war on Iran

UN warns 8 million in Asia-Pacific risk poverty if Iran war drags on

A new UNDP report has forecast job losses, crippling inflation and food insecurity, with the poorest nations brutally exposed to the oil shock.

14 Apr 2026 - 5:26PM

A farmer sprinkles fertiliser on crops in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on April 9. Experts have warned that the fertiliser crunch across Asia-Pacific may have lasting effects. Photo: AFP

The Philippines

Manila vs Hong Kong: the 2 sides of Asia’s housing affordability crisis

Asia is home to 60 per cent of the world’s slum dwellers and some of the planet’s most expensive real estate.

12 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Children walk through a flooded area in Baseco, one of the biggest slums in Manila, the Philippines. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Fuel, food and fury: how the Iran war could topple South Asian governments

Analysts warn the crisis is threatening to spill over into wider economic and political instability.

5 Apr 2026 - 1:30PM

Scams and swindles

Cambodia’s high-stakes war on online scam compounds

Cambodia has vowed to stamp out the scam compounds on its soil by month’s end – but perpetrators remain drawn to the potential for huge profits.

4 Apr 2026 - 6:22AMvideocam

Cybersecurity

152 arrested in Sri Lanka in alleged Chinese-run cyberscam

Among those arrested in a raid on a hotel rented by Chinese men in the coastal town of Chilaw were 133 Chinese people.

3 Apr 2026 - 11:23PMvideocam

Over 150 people, including 133 Chinese, have been arrested in Sri Lanka in relation to alleged cybercrime. File image: AFP

Iran

Sri Lanka’s refusal to host US warplanes before Iran war risks trade backlash

Trying to keep conflict at arm’s length by distancing itself from the US could bring Sri Lanka’s economy ‘to its knees’, analysts say.

25 Mar 2026 - 5:31PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Beyond oil, remittances and cultural ties, trade and defence pacts in recent years have added to strategic and security interconnectedness.

24 Mar 2026 - 9:04AMvideocam

India

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

20 Mar 2026 - 8:52PMvideocam

Fuel nozzles at a Bharat Petroleum gas station in New Delhi. Photo: AFP

War and conflict

Opinion | US attack on IRIS Dena shows that wars know no borders

The sinking of an Iranian naval frigate off Sri Lanka’s coast is a grim reminder of how easily conflicts can spill into unexpected places.

15 Mar 2026 - 8:20AMvideocam

Injured Iranian sailors are seen at Galle National Hospital on March 5, following a submarine attack on the Iranian military ship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

No longer safe: Iran war puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

As missiles fly, drone strikes from Dubai to Doha are shattering the illusion of safety for millions of Indian expats living in the Gulf.

14 Mar 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Iran

What happens to the Iranian sailors stranded in Sri Lanka?

The sinking of an Iranian frigate and a leaked US cable have dragged the debt-burdened South Asian nation into a Middle Eastern conflict.

11 Mar 2026 - 12:33PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Australia to send missiles to UAE, deploy reconnaissance plane, but no troops

Prime minister emphasises ‘purely defensive’ role for Australia as Iranian strikes escalate across the Gulf.

10 Mar 2026 - 9:15AM

A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft in formation with US and Australian fighter jets. Photo: Australian Defence Force via AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Sri Lanka hospital discharges 22 Iranian sailors rescued after warship sinking

The sailors were treated at Karapitiya Hospital in Galle after the IRIS Dena was torpedoed just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

8 Mar 2026 - 2:30PM

An injured Iranian sailor rescued from the IRIS Dena, after a US submarine torpedoed it off Sri Lanka’s coast amid the Middle East war, receives treatment at the Karapitiya hospital in Galle on Thursday. Photo: TNS

War and conflict

Video | Iranian sailors saved from sea after US torpedo strike

Sri Lanka’s president said ‘our approach is that every single life is as precious as our own’ after the naval rescue.

6 Mar 2026 - 8:24PM

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Not biased’: Sri Lanka takes control of Iranian ship, brings crew to shore

‘Every life is as precious as our own,’ said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, amid transfer of over 200 sailors after distress call.

6 Mar 2026 - 8:35PMvideocam

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Sri Lanka

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash

Sri Lankan Buddhist monk arrested over alleged sex abuse of girl, 11

Ex-SriLankan Airlines head in US$16 million Airbus corruption case found dead

Kapila Chandrasena was arrested in March on charges of conspiring to accept a US$16 million bribe for the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft.

‘I started crying’: Indonesian captain’s wife in agony over pirate attack

Captain Ashari Samadikun had sent a chilling warning to his wife before his fuel tanker was hijacked by pirates last month.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

Elephant in room: can Sri Lanka’s ‘world’s emptiest airport’ attract investors?

Since opening in 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has failed to generate enough revenue to cover even its electricity bills.

Sri Lanka arrests 22 monks with US$3.5 million worth of cannabis in record haul

Each monk was found with 5kg of kush concealed within false walls in his luggage at Colombo airport.

Chinese drone discovery sharpens focus on Asia’s undersea security race

Experts say India is playing ‘steady catch-up’ in boosting undersea surveillance, while Southeast Asian nations’ capabilities differ widely.

Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers

The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.

US intercepts Iranian tankers near India, Malaysia amid Hormuz tensions

The vessels were ordered to move away from their positions as Washington and Tehran intensify their stand-off over the waterway.

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

UN warns 8 million in Asia-Pacific risk poverty if Iran war drags on

A new UNDP report has forecast job losses, crippling inflation and food insecurity, with the poorest nations brutally exposed to the oil shock.

Manila vs Hong Kong: the 2 sides of Asia’s housing affordability crisis

Asia is home to 60 per cent of the world’s slum dwellers and some of the planet’s most expensive real estate.

Fuel, food and fury: how the Iran war could topple South Asian governments

Analysts warn the crisis is threatening to spill over into wider economic and political instability.

Cambodia’s high-stakes war on online scam compounds

Cambodia has vowed to stamp out the scam compounds on its soil by month’s end – but perpetrators remain drawn to the potential for huge profits.

152 arrested in Sri Lanka in alleged Chinese-run cyberscam

Among those arrested in a raid on a hotel rented by Chinese men in the coastal town of Chilaw were 133 Chinese people.

Sri Lanka’s refusal to host US warplanes before Iran war risks trade backlash

Trying to keep conflict at arm’s length by distancing itself from the US could bring Sri Lanka’s economy ‘to its knees’, analysts say.

Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Beyond oil, remittances and cultural ties, trade and defence pacts in recent years have added to strategic and security interconnectedness.

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

Opinion | US attack on IRIS Dena shows that wars know no borders

The sinking of an Iranian naval frigate off Sri Lanka’s coast is a grim reminder of how easily conflicts can spill into unexpected places.

No longer safe: Iran war puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

As missiles fly, drone strikes from Dubai to Doha are shattering the illusion of safety for millions of Indian expats living in the Gulf.

What happens to the Iranian sailors stranded in Sri Lanka?

The sinking of an Iranian frigate and a leaked US cable have dragged the debt-burdened South Asian nation into a Middle Eastern conflict.

Australia to send missiles to UAE, deploy reconnaissance plane, but no troops

Prime minister emphasises ‘purely defensive’ role for Australia as Iranian strikes escalate across the Gulf.

Sri Lanka hospital discharges 22 Iranian sailors rescued after warship sinking

The sailors were treated at Karapitiya Hospital in Galle after the IRIS Dena was torpedoed just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Iranian sailors saved from sea after US torpedo strike

Sri Lanka’s president said ‘our approach is that every single life is as precious as our own’ after the naval rescue.

‘Not biased’: Sri Lanka takes control of Iranian ship, brings crew to shore

‘Every life is as precious as our own,’ said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, amid transfer of over 200 sailors after distress call.

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

Video | Iranian sailors saved from sea after US torpedo strike