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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

This handout photograph taken on March 4, 2026 and released by the Sri Lankan President’s Office on March 6, 2026 shows Sri Lankan navy personnel evacuating rescued Iranian sailors from the IRIS Dena frigate after a US submarine attack off Sri Lanka’s southern coast in Galle. Sri Lanka has offloaded crew of an Iranian navy vessel and assumed countrol of it, the South Asian nation’s president said March 5, a day after a deadly US submarine attack on another ship. (Photo by SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT’S OFFICE / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO /SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT’S OFFICE/ HANDOUT / “ - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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

6 Mar 2026 - 8:35PMvideocam

Iran

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

6 Mar 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

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

A capsized ship at the Konarak Naval Base in Iran. Photo: Vantor via Reuters

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, 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

Demonstrators protest inside the President’s House in Colombo after president Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees on July 9, 2022. Photo: Reuters

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

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

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

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

Workers try to restore the damaged railway track after landslides in Badulla, Sri Lanka, on December 13. Many parts of the island were inundated in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah. Photo: EPA

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

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

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Sri Lanka

.css-rcruog{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

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

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-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.

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

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