sri lanka crisis
- Politics News
Exiled Sri Lanka president expected to arrive in Thailand tomorrow
After angry mobs of protesters drove him out of Sri Lanka and into exile, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is now planning to seek safe harbor in Thailand. According to two sources, he’s expected to arrive tomorrow after taking up temporary residence in Singapore for the past few weeks. Last month, party leaders in Sri Lanka met and agreed to ask both…
- World News
Sri Lanka’s military raids protest camp outside president’s office
Ever since Sri Lanka descended into chaos, protesters have been camping outside of the presidential office in Colombo. But police and military aren’t having it, and today, they pulled down tents and arrested protesters. A police spokesperson confirmed that nine men were arrested, and would appear in court today. Following the raid, the area around the office has been calm,…
- World News
Sri Lanka former PM now president, some protesters still aren’t happy
Sri Lanka’s parliament yesterday elected former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country’s new president. He won 134 votes from a possible 223. This news comes after protesters set fire to Ranil’s house on July 9, and also stormed the presidential palace in Colombo. After over 100,000 enraged protesters stormed the palace, former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and has…
- World News
UPDATE: Sri Lanka president reportedly plans to fly to Saudi Arabia
UPDATE Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reportedly plans to fly to Saudi Arabia, after he flies to Singapore. The Associated Press reported the development today, citing an unnamed Maldivian official. An unnamed security official in Colombo told CNN that Gotabaya was flying from Maldives to Singapore, as Sri Lanka’s rage has grown over his refusal to formally resign. Gotabaya is expected to reach…
- World News
Sri Lanka petroleum company in extreme debt, country hitting “rock bottom”
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is snowballing even further. The island nation’s PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka might be falling to “rock bottom” now that its major petroleum corporation is in extreme debt. He said that because of the debt, no other countries are willing to provide Sri Lanka with fuel. “Currently, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is $700 million in…
- World News
Sri Lankan officials say country has enough fuel for 5 more days
Sri Lanka’s crisis is going from bad to worse. The country’s energy minister announced yesterday that Sri Lanka’s fuel stocks will last for about 5 more days. Fuel shortages have already worsened this week with kilometres-long lines at some gas stations across the country. Some of the horrendously long lines have broken into protests as car owners wait, sometimes overnight,…
- World News
Sri Lanka to start 4 day work week so people can grow food amidst crisis
Amidst Sri Lanka’s unrest, the country’s government announced yesterday that it will start a 4 day work week for public sector workers for the next 3 months. The Department of Government Information said the day off could be a day for people to grow food, since Sri Lanka is expecting a food shortage. The department said… “It seems appropriate to…
- World News
Sri Lanka’s PM quits, goes into hiding
Following a wave of outraged protests that started in March, Sri Lanka’s PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has quit his position earlier this week, and is now hiding in a military base. This news comes after protestors have called for Mahinda’s brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the country’s president, to step down, along with other members of Sri Lanka’s powerful political family. On Monday,…
- World News
Sri Lanka’s police shoot and kill protestor
Sri Lankan police shot and killed a protestor yesterday in an incident that quickly spread across social media. Police had opened fire on a crowd in the central town of Rambukkana, and at least three others were injured. Police said the protestor killed, a man, had refused to move from a railway line and had parked a fuel truck across…
- World News
Sri Lanka president declares state of emergency, deploys army
Following a week of turmoil and unrest in Sri Lanka, the country’s president has now declared a state of emergency. This week, Sri Lankan protestors tried to storm the president’s house following the country’s longest power blackout ever recorded. The protestors called on the president and his powerful family, who hold a number of prominent political positions in Sri Lanka,…
- World News
Angry protestors try to storm Sri Lanka president’s house following blackout
Following Sri Lanka’s longest power blackout ever recorded, enraged protestors tried to storm the president’s house in Colombo yesterday. Unidentified activists had called for a rally against the president and his family on social media. One resident who lives nearby told AFP he cannot return home because his area is barricaded. The resident said the protestors are “shouting for the…
