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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

Thailand

How Cambodian worker exodus exposes Thailand’s fragile labour model

An estimated 780,000 Cambodian workers have left Thailand since last year’s border conflicts, affecting a wide range of industries.

5 hours agovideocam

Asia travel

Three-wheeling through Sri Lanka on a family tuk-tuk adventure

12 Aug 2026 - 8:00AM

India-Pakistan tensions

Maldives’ plea to restart South Asian bloc hits India-Pakistan brick wall

9 Aug 2026 - 2:00PMvideocam

Protests around the world

Opinion | South Asia’s Gen Z protests offer one lesson in common

From Sri Lanka and Nepal to Bangladesh and India, youth protests have shaken or even toppled governments, but creating lasting change has been more challenging.

9 Aug 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Protesters in Mumbai, India, celebrate after the country’s education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, resigned following nationwide protests over irregularities in the conduct of the national medical school admission exams, on July 26. Photo: AP

Hong Kong society

Li Ka Shing Foundation, Disney gift 24,000 domestic helpers Toy Story 5 tickets

Registration on Klook to open at 9pm on Wednesday in latest collaboration between Hong Kong tycoon’s charity foundation and The Walt Disney Company.

4 Aug 2026 - 3:37PM

Crime

Sri Lanka deploys troops to contain deadly riot at overcrowded Mahara Prison

The latest unrest comes almost a month after another prison riot in the same region, in which 10 guards and 21 inmates were killed.

2 Aug 2026 - 2:51PM

Sri Lanka bombings

Sri Lanka ex-police chief sentenced to death over 2019 Easter bombings

A three-judge court ruled that Pujith Jayasundara failed to stop the attacks which targeted churches and hotels, killing 279 people.

31 Jul 2026 - 11:13PM

Sri Lanka’s former police chief Pujith Jayasundara. File photo: AP

Asean

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

29 Jul 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

India

Opinion | How China and the US are sidelining India in its own neighbourhood

India is being denied the uncontested dominance it once held. The task ahead is not to restore the old hierarchy but to find a new path.

30 Jul 2026 - 7:24AM

Thailand

Thailand monastery added to Unesco heritage list, boosting tourism hopes

The Phra Mahathat monastery, the site has served as a regional Buddhist centre since its founding in the 8th century, according to Unesco.

27 Jul 2026 - 2:17AM

Visitors walks inside Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, a 13th-century Buddhist temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat city, Thailand, on July 3. Photo: AP

Drones

Sri Lanka deploys military drones to fight worst dengue outbreak in almost a decade

Air force drones are tracking stagnant water on rooftops, while its troops are helping overstretched hospital staff keep track of patients.

21 Jul 2026 - 9:48AM

A municipal worker fumigates a market area in Colombo on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Science

China’s AI weather warning system Mazu expanding across Global South

The system has been designed to provide ‘tailored’ services that help developing countries better prepare for extreme weather events.

19 Jul 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Science

China’s reusable rocket feat lights up the web: is SpaceX set to lose its crown?

The space race just became a real race again, says one online commentator, after net-and-cable recovery of rocket booster sparks awe.

11 Jul 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Video | Sri Lankan prison riot kills dozens, over 100 wounded

The clash between inmates from two drug gangs is Sri Lanka’s worst prison riot in more than five years.

7 Jul 2026 - 6:28PM

Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force (STF) personnel stand guard outside the Negombo prison near Colombo on July 6, 2026 following overnight clashes between inmates and guards. Clashes in a Sri Lankan jail have killed 23 people, including four guards, and wounded more than 100 in the country’s deadliest prison riot in more than five years, officials said July 6. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

02:45

Crime

Sri Lanka probes prison riot as death toll rises to 27

Rival gangs clashed inside the prison before overpowering guards, seizing their weapons and opening fire.

7 Jul 2026 - 6:31PMvideocam

A relative of a victim killed in clashes between inmates of two drug gangs, grieves in front of the Negombo prison on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Crime

Sri Lanka prison riot kills 26, wounds more than 100

The clash between inmates from two drug gangs is Sri Lanka’s worst prison riot in more than five years.

6 Jul 2026 - 9:27PM

Japan

Japan’s detention system under scrutiny after ruling on abuse of restraints

A court order to compensate the family of a detainee shows reforms to immigration centres are urgently needed, observers say.

2 Jul 2026 - 4:22PM

Crime

Sri Lanka arrests son of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa for corruption

Yoshitha Rajapaksa is accused of tapping state funds for overseas training during his career as a naval officer.

17 Jun 2026 - 6:55PM

Yoshitha Rajapaksa arrives at the Hulftsdorp Chief Magistrate’s Court in Colombo on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

India

Could India’s Cockroach Janta Party spark South Asia’s next youth uprising?

Analysts say the satirical party reflects real discontent but remains far from matching the movements that toppled neighbouring governments.

14 Jun 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Sri Lanka nursing home fire kills 12

51 people were rescued from the facility and the home’s director has been arrested.

4 Jun 2026 - 6:09PM

Crime

Sri Lanka’s top monk suspended over alleged child sex abuse

Police arrested the 71-year-old on May 9 over allegations that he had sexually abused an 11-year-old girl in 2022.

30 May 2026 - 8:30PM

Sri Lankans protest outside the Attorney General’s Department in Colombo earlier this month, calling for the acceleration of the investigation into a recent child abuse case in which a Buddhist monk is suspected to be involved. Photo: EPA

US-China relations

US agency goes back to the future to take on China’s Belt and Road Initiative

The US International Development Finance Corp mixes national security and foreign investment in its supply chain quest.

30 May 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

The US International Development Finance Corp, an agency set up to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative, has invested US$553 million to revamp the Lobito Atlantic Railway. Photo: AFP

China-India relations

What India’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ near Malacca means for its China ties

Uncertainty over Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran conflict has New Delhi moving on US$10 billion plan to transform Great Nicobar Island.

28 May 2026 - 5:21PMvideocam

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.

18 May 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

Climate change

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

Experts warn the heat could increase the risk of localised flooding, put pressure on drainage systems and threaten agricultural production.

13 May 2026 - 4:10PM

A man shields his face from the sunlight as he leaves a train station in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 29. Photo: AFP

Crime

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

Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, is the most senior monk in the country to be accused of such a crime. The child’s mother has also been arrested.

9 May 2026 - 11:27PM

Senior Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Pallegama Hemarathana. File photo: AFP

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

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

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Sri Lanka

How Cambodian worker exodus exposes Thailand’s fragile labour model

An estimated 780,000 Cambodian workers have left Thailand since last year’s border conflicts, affecting a wide range of industries.

Three-wheeling through Sri Lanka on a family tuk-tuk adventure

Maldives’ plea to restart South Asian bloc hits India-Pakistan brick wall

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | South Asia’s Gen Z protests offer one lesson in common

From Sri Lanka and Nepal to Bangladesh and India, youth protests have shaken or even toppled governments, but creating lasting change has been more challenging.

Li Ka Shing Foundation, Disney gift 24,000 domestic helpers Toy Story 5 tickets

Registration on Klook to open at 9pm on Wednesday in latest collaboration between Hong Kong tycoon’s charity foundation and The Walt Disney Company.

Sri Lanka deploys troops to contain deadly riot at overcrowded Mahara Prison

The latest unrest comes almost a month after another prison riot in the same region, in which 10 guards and 21 inmates were killed.

Sri Lanka ex-police chief sentenced to death over 2019 Easter bombings

A three-judge court ruled that Pujith Jayasundara failed to stop the attacks which targeted churches and hotels, killing 279 people.

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

Opinion | How China and the US are sidelining India in its own neighbourhood

India is being denied the uncontested dominance it once held. The task ahead is not to restore the old hierarchy but to find a new path.

Thailand monastery added to Unesco heritage list, boosting tourism hopes

The Phra Mahathat monastery, the site has served as a regional Buddhist centre since its founding in the 8th century, according to Unesco.

Sri Lanka deploys military drones to fight worst dengue outbreak in almost a decade

Air force drones are tracking stagnant water on rooftops, while its troops are helping overstretched hospital staff keep track of patients.

China’s AI weather warning system Mazu expanding across Global South

The system has been designed to provide ‘tailored’ services that help developing countries better prepare for extreme weather events.

China’s reusable rocket feat lights up the web: is SpaceX set to lose its crown?

The space race just became a real race again, says one online commentator, after net-and-cable recovery of rocket booster sparks awe.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Sri Lankan prison riot kills dozens, over 100 wounded

The clash between inmates from two drug gangs is Sri Lanka’s worst prison riot in more than five years.

Sri Lanka probes prison riot as death toll rises to 27

Rival gangs clashed inside the prison before overpowering guards, seizing their weapons and opening fire.

Sri Lanka prison riot kills 26, wounds more than 100

The clash between inmates from two drug gangs is Sri Lanka’s worst prison riot in more than five years.

Japan’s detention system under scrutiny after ruling on abuse of restraints

A court order to compensate the family of a detainee shows reforms to immigration centres are urgently needed, observers say.

Sri Lanka arrests son of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa for corruption

Yoshitha Rajapaksa is accused of tapping state funds for overseas training during his career as a naval officer.

Could India’s Cockroach Janta Party spark South Asia’s next youth uprising?

Analysts say the satirical party reflects real discontent but remains far from matching the movements that toppled neighbouring governments.

Sri Lanka nursing home fire kills 12

51 people were rescued from the facility and the home’s director has been arrested.

Sri Lanka’s top monk suspended over alleged child sex abuse

Police arrested the 71-year-old on May 9 over allegations that he had sexually abused an 11-year-old girl in 2022.

US agency goes back to the future to take on China’s Belt and Road Initiative

The US International Development Finance Corp mixes national security and foreign investment in its supply chain quest.

What India’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ near Malacca means for its China ties

Uncertainty over Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran conflict has New Delhi moving on US$10 billion plan to transform Great Nicobar Island.

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

Experts warn the heat could increase the risk of localised flooding, put pressure on drainage systems and threaten agricultural production.

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

Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, is the most senior monk in the country to be accused of such a crime. The child’s mother has also been arrested.

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.

Opinion | South Asia’s Gen Z protests offer one lesson in common

Video | Sri Lankan prison riot kills dozens, over 100 wounded