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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

A view of the Port of Balboa, managed by CK Hutchison Holdings based in Hong Kong, at the entrance to the Panama Canal in Panama City. On February 24, 2026, Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison objected to a takeover by Panamanian authorities of two ports its subsidiary previously controlled on the Panama Canal. Photo: AFP

Belt and Road Initiative

Panama out, but study says China investing US$23.9 billion in world’s seaports

Beijing funds 363 ports outside the Panama Canal to safeguard against East-West decoupling and US bid to curb China’s supply chain influence.

1 hour agovideocam

Israel-Iran conflict

US submarine sinks Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, at least 80 dead

4 Mar 2026 - 11:21PMvideocam

Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Sri Lanka ends MP pensions in continued crackdown on elite perks

17 Feb 2026 - 10:16PM

Australia

Australian man who sent lizards in popcorn bags jailed record 8 years

Investigators recovered 101 Australian reptiles from seized parcels destined for Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Romania.

17 Feb 2026 - 4:53PM

One of the reptiles rescued from being mailed in a package. Photo: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Foundation gifts 5,000 Disneyland tickets to domestic helpers

Expanded charity scheme will treat workers from six nations to free day at the theme park with meals and transport covered.

10 Feb 2026 - 4:24PM

South Korea

Outrage in South Korea over ‘importing virgins’ proposal to raise birth rate

Critics slammed a governor’s ‘crude’ suggestion to marry ‘Sri Lankan and Vietnamese virgins’ to local men as a fix for population decline.

5 Feb 2026 - 1:48PM

Pakistan

Pakistan bats away India match but stays in T20 World Cup

India and Pakistan agreed last year to play at neutral venues when either country is hosting an ICC event.

2 Feb 2026 - 9:52AM

Pakistani players celebrate winning the series and the third T20 international cricket match between Pakistan and Australia in Lahore on Sunday. Photo: EPA

Ukraine war

The foreigners who fought for Russia, now stuck in POW limbo in Ukraine

Captured foreigners describe journeys from joining the Russian side to a Ukrainian jail with no way home.

30 Jan 2026 - 4:32PM

Bangladesh

Not cricket? Political sticky wicket forces Bangladesh out of T20 World Cup

Bangladesh’s national election on February 12 has brought tensions among the South Asian neighbours to the forefront.

29 Jan 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Hong Kong society

Ex-Hong Kong cricketer completes charity run across Sri Lanka in record 6½ days

Beating logistical chaos and searing heat for a place in World Book of Records, Rahul Sharma also raises over HK$104,000 for children’s charity.

17 Jan 2026 - 6:07PM

Rahul Sharma during his run across Sri Lanka to raise funds for children’s cancer research. Photo: Handout

From our archives

On This Day | Drama in Hong Kong’s first international marathon in 1969 – SCMP archive

Ahead of Sunday’s Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon, we look back at Hong Kong’s first international marathon, more than 55 years ago.

17 Jan 2026 - 3:30PM

Runners taking part in the Tin Tin international marathon at Yuen Long Stadium in the New Territories on December 14, 1969. Photo: SCMP

Internet

‘Show your kinky side’: Sri Lanka probes syllabus error linking to gay site

Education chief quits as police probe ‘Bad Boys Club’ link in 400,000 English text books – since recalled. Officials suspect sabotage, AI errors.

2 Jan 2026 - 5:05PM

Extreme weather

Letters | Asia is not built for extreme weather. This must change

Readers discuss the urban planning features essential to climate resilience, the demise of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, and the Legislative Council election.

19 Dec 2025 - 11:30AM

Indonesia

627 dead in Sri Lanka landslides as rains batter South, Southeast Asia

At least 1,812 people have been killed in the natural disasters rolling across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

7 Dec 2025 - 7:45PM

An aerial view of flooded Niyamgamdora, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Indonesia

Indonesia’s flood death toll hits 908, hundreds still missing

The governor of hard-hit Aceh warns starvation has become the gravest threat to survivors in remote villages cut off by the devastation.

6 Dec 2025 - 7:23PMvideocam

An aerial photograph shows extensive flooding in Kuala Simpang, Indonesia’s Aceh province, on Friday following heavy rains. Photo: Reuters

Climate change

Editorial | Asia’s floods a deadly reminder of need to combat growing climate threat

Devastating flooding and landslides have focused attention on disaster preparedness efforts as rising temperatures threaten the region.

4 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

Extreme weather

Asia’s floods kill over 1,000, lay bare human cost of climate inaction

From Indonesia’s deadliest disaster since 2018 to a state of emergency in Sri Lanka, Asia reels from a week of climate-fuelled destruction.

3 Dec 2025 - 5:45PMvideocam

Indonesia

Soldiers deployed in Sri Lanka, Indonesia as Asian flood toll tops 1,000

Indonesia sent three warships carrying aid while Sri Lanka used military helicopters to reach people stranded by flooding.

2 Dec 2025 - 4:21PMvideocam

Army personnel ride a truck carrying boats to rescue stranded people in Wellampitiya, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Indonesia

Flood death tolls rise in Indonesia, Sri Lanka as aid trickles in

Flooding has killed hundreds in both countries and displaced thousands, as damaged roads and downed power lines hamper rescue efforts.

1 Dec 2025 - 4:40PMvideocam

Extreme weather

153 dead, 191 missing in Sri Lanka after cyclone wreaks havoc

The nation has appealed for international aid after the devastating Cyclone Ditwah caused most rivers and reservoirs to overflow.

29 Nov 2025 - 11:46PM

Food and Drinks

The rich history of cinnamon, from Ceylon to Cinnabon

A spice derived from the dried inner bark of evergreen trees, cinnamon’s warmth and versatility shine in sweet and savoury dishes alike.

22 Nov 2025 - 7:00AM

The US chain Cinnabon uses Makara cinnamon from Indonesia for its buns. Photo: Handout

Japan

Tokyo government ordered to pay US$247,970 in damages in Nepal man’s death

The court found that unreasonable force used by police led to Arjun Bahadur Singh’s death in 2017 while in custody.

21 Nov 2025 - 4:00PM

Arjun Bahadur Singh was arrested in 2017 and lost consciousness during questioning. Photo: Newsnepalaya

Hong Kong society

Ex-Hong Kong youth cricketer to run length of Sri Lanka for child cancer charity

Rahul Sharma to test endurance with 574km run to help raise at least A$20,000 for Sydney-based Children’s Cancer Institute.

2 Nov 2025 - 4:35PM

The Philippines

Has Philippines lost world’s trust over flood-control corruption scandal?

Stories of Filipinos being turned away in Oslo over ‘money-laundering issues’ point to a bigger problem of market confidence, analysts say.

9 Oct 2025 - 3:40PMvideocam

India

Opinion | India’s diplomatic weight is best exercised closest to its borders

New Delhi’s geopolitical strength comes not from looking East or West but from its ability to stabilise its own neighbourhood.

8 Oct 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How joining the RCEP will boost Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector

From supply chain alignment to financial services, the city’s membership would undoubtedly add value to its long-standing economic partners.

7 Oct 2025 - 9:30AM

Tourism

Why Hongkongers should venture beyond travel comfort zones like Japan

A Hong Kong psychiatrist explains how travel offers mental and emotional benefits, especially to countries that offer new life perspectives.

1 Oct 2025 - 5:15PM

Malaysia

Drug-resistant sepsis threatens newborns across Southeast Asia, study warns

Researchers found antibiotic-resistant bacteria driving nearly 80 per cent of sepsis cases in newborns in a number of Asian nations.

30 Sep 2025 - 10:25PMvideocam

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Sri Lanka

Panama out, but study says China investing US$23.9 billion in world’s seaports

Beijing funds 363 ports outside the Panama Canal to safeguard against East-West decoupling and US bid to curb China’s supply chain influence.

US submarine sinks Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, at least 80 dead

Sri Lanka ends MP pensions in continued crackdown on elite perks

Australian man who sent lizards in popcorn bags jailed record 8 years

Investigators recovered 101 Australian reptiles from seized parcels destined for Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Romania.

Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Foundation gifts 5,000 Disneyland tickets to domestic helpers

Expanded charity scheme will treat workers from six nations to free day at the theme park with meals and transport covered.

Outrage in South Korea over ‘importing virgins’ proposal to raise birth rate

Critics slammed a governor’s ‘crude’ suggestion to marry ‘Sri Lankan and Vietnamese virgins’ to local men as a fix for population decline.

Pakistan bats away India match but stays in T20 World Cup

India and Pakistan agreed last year to play at neutral venues when either country is hosting an ICC event.

The foreigners who fought for Russia, now stuck in POW limbo in Ukraine

Captured foreigners describe journeys from joining the Russian side to a Ukrainian jail with no way home.

Not cricket? Political sticky wicket forces Bangladesh out of T20 World Cup

Bangladesh’s national election on February 12 has brought tensions among the South Asian neighbours to the forefront.

Ex-Hong Kong cricketer completes charity run across Sri Lanka in record 6½ days

Beating logistical chaos and searing heat for a place in World Book of Records, Rahul Sharma also raises over HK$104,000 for children’s charity.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}On This Day | Drama in Hong Kong’s first international marathon in 1969 – SCMP archive

Ahead of Sunday’s Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon, we look back at Hong Kong’s first international marathon, more than 55 years ago.

‘Show your kinky side’: Sri Lanka probes syllabus error linking to gay site

Education chief quits as police probe ‘Bad Boys Club’ link in 400,000 English text books – since recalled. Officials suspect sabotage, AI errors.

Letters | Asia is not built for extreme weather. This must change

Readers discuss the urban planning features essential to climate resilience, the demise of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, and the Legislative Council election.

627 dead in Sri Lanka landslides as rains batter South, Southeast Asia

At least 1,812 people have been killed in the natural disasters rolling across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Indonesia’s flood death toll hits 908, hundreds still missing

The governor of hard-hit Aceh warns starvation has become the gravest threat to survivors in remote villages cut off by the devastation.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | Asia’s floods a deadly reminder of need to combat growing climate threat

Devastating flooding and landslides have focused attention on disaster preparedness efforts as rising temperatures threaten the region.

Asia’s floods kill over 1,000, lay bare human cost of climate inaction

From Indonesia’s deadliest disaster since 2018 to a state of emergency in Sri Lanka, Asia reels from a week of climate-fuelled destruction.

Soldiers deployed in Sri Lanka, Indonesia as Asian flood toll tops 1,000

Indonesia sent three warships carrying aid while Sri Lanka used military helicopters to reach people stranded by flooding.

Flood death tolls rise in Indonesia, Sri Lanka as aid trickles in

Flooding has killed hundreds in both countries and displaced thousands, as damaged roads and downed power lines hamper rescue efforts.

153 dead, 191 missing in Sri Lanka after cyclone wreaks havoc

The nation has appealed for international aid after the devastating Cyclone Ditwah caused most rivers and reservoirs to overflow.

The rich history of cinnamon, from Ceylon to Cinnabon

A spice derived from the dried inner bark of evergreen trees, cinnamon’s warmth and versatility shine in sweet and savoury dishes alike.

Tokyo government ordered to pay US$247,970 in damages in Nepal man’s death

The court found that unreasonable force used by police led to Arjun Bahadur Singh’s death in 2017 while in custody.

Ex-Hong Kong youth cricketer to run length of Sri Lanka for child cancer charity

Rahul Sharma to test endurance with 574km run to help raise at least A$20,000 for Sydney-based Children’s Cancer Institute.

Has Philippines lost world’s trust over flood-control corruption scandal?

Stories of Filipinos being turned away in Oslo over ‘money-laundering issues’ point to a bigger problem of market confidence, analysts say.

Opinion | India’s diplomatic weight is best exercised closest to its borders

New Delhi’s geopolitical strength comes not from looking East or West but from its ability to stabilise its own neighbourhood.

Opinion | How joining the RCEP will boost Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector

From supply chain alignment to financial services, the city’s membership would undoubtedly add value to its long-standing economic partners.

Why Hongkongers should venture beyond travel comfort zones like Japan

A Hong Kong psychiatrist explains how travel offers mental and emotional benefits, especially to countries that offer new life perspectives.

Drug-resistant sepsis threatens newborns across Southeast Asia, study warns

Researchers found antibiotic-resistant bacteria driving nearly 80 per cent of sepsis cases in newborns in a number of Asian nations.

On This Day | Drama in Hong Kong’s first international marathon in 1969 – SCMP archive

Editorial | Asia’s floods a deadly reminder of need to combat growing climate threat