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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 US F-35C Lightning II prepares to land on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on March 3. It is not clear which warplanes the US asked Sri Lanka to host. Photo: US Navy/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

24 Mar 2026 - 9:04AMvideocam

India

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

20 Mar 2026 - 8:52PMvideocam

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

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

Iran

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

6 Mar 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

The sun sets behind a plume of smoke from a US-Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran damage report: who and what has been targeted in US-Israel strikes?

The US says it has hit more than 2,000 targets in less than a week, while Israel says it has hit hundreds of sites across the country.

6 Mar 2026 - 10:36AM

Australia

Albanese says Australian troops were on board US sub that sank Iranian ship

The prime minister said the military personnel were on the vessel as part of training arrangements under the Aukus deal.

6 Mar 2026 - 9:34AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump demands Iran forces surrender or die, wants say on next leader

US president dismisses Khamenei’s son as a ‘lightweight’ and orders Iranian forces to lay down arms or face ‘guaranteed death’.

6 Mar 2026 - 5:40PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump at the White House on Sunday. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

US submarine strike on Iranian warship near Sri Lanka rattles the region

Experts say the strike highlights the risk of the conflict spreading into Asian waters and tests India’s careful diplomatic balancing.

5 Mar 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during the International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, India, on February 18. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

5 Mar 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

China trade

Despite loss of Panama Canal, China investing US$23.9b in global seaports: study

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

6 Mar 2026 - 10:20AMvideocam

Israel-Iran conflict

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

Sri Lanka said it had launched a search-and-rescue ⁠operation to locate survivors after ⁠receiving a distress call, with 32 people rescued.

4 Mar 2026 - 11:21PMvideocam

Iranian frigate IRIS Dena anchored in the port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2023. Photo: EPA

Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Sri Lanka ends MP pensions in continued crackdown on elite perks

The government scrapped the privileges of former leaders after ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa refused to vacate a government bungalow.

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

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

The Li Ka Shing Foundation and the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort are providing 5,000 domestic helpers with a free visit to the theme park. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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

Nurses take care of babies at a postnatal care centre in Seoul. South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world. Photo: EPA-EFE

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

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

Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain (right) is congratulated by teammate Mahmudullah during a T20 World Cup cricket match on June 20, 2024. Photo: AP

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

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

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Sri Lanka

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.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

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.

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

Iran damage report: who and what has been targeted in US-Israel strikes?

The US says it has hit more than 2,000 targets in less than a week, while Israel says it has hit hundreds of sites across the country.

Albanese says Australian troops were on board US sub that sank Iranian ship

The prime minister said the military personnel were on the vessel as part of training arrangements under the Aukus deal.

Trump demands Iran forces surrender or die, wants say on next leader

US president dismisses Khamenei’s son as a ‘lightweight’ and orders Iranian forces to lay down arms or face ‘guaranteed death’.

US submarine strike on Iranian warship near Sri Lanka rattles the region

Experts say the strike highlights the risk of the conflict spreading into Asian waters and tests India’s careful diplomatic balancing.

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

Despite loss of Panama Canal, China investing US$23.9b in global seaports: study

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 said it had launched a search-and-rescue ⁠operation to locate survivors after ⁠receiving a distress call, with 32 people rescued.

Sri Lanka ends MP pensions in continued crackdown on elite perks

The government scrapped the privileges of former leaders after ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa refused to vacate a government bungalow.

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-19im5qg{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.

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

Video | Iranian sailors saved from sea after US torpedo strike

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