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Image: Pradeep Dambarage/NurPhoto/picture alliance Image: Pradeep Dambarage/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, close to India. There are three main demographic groups among the country's almost 23 million people: Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim.

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Reports & Analysis

Tea pickers in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Tamil tea pickers struggle for rights

Sri Lanka's Tamil tea pickers struggle for rights

The hill country Tamils in Sri Lanka, who have shaped the nation's tea industry, continue to live on the margins.
Food SecurityOctober 17, 202403:10 min
Sri Lanka's newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addresses a gathering after taking his oath of office

Will a new president shift Sri Lanka's foreign policy?

Will a new president shift Sri Lanka's foreign policy?

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to maintain a delicate balance in relations with both India and China.
PoliticsSeptember 25, 2024
Commanders of the security forces stand behind as Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addresses a gathering

Sri Lanka: Can Anura Dissanayake revive a struggling nation?

Sri Lanka: Can Anura Dissanayake revive a struggling nation?

Sri Lanka’s new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, must lead the nation out of its worst economic crisis in decades.
PoliticsSeptember 23, 2024
Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake leaves a polling station after casting his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: Left-wing lawmaker becomes next president

Sri Lanka: Left-wing lawmaker becomes next president

What has made the Marxist-leaning lawmaker Dissanayake popular among Sri Lankans since the 2022 government ousting?
PoliticsSeptember 22, 202402:17 min
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka began voting for its next president September 21 in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.

Sri Lanka begins poll counting as police brace for violence

Sri Lanka begins poll counting as police brace for violence

Sri Lankans enduring years of economic hardship hope that the nation's next leader will alleviate their struggles.
PoliticsSeptember 21, 202402:34 min
A street view of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Why young Sri Lankans are staying, despite economic crisis

Why young Sri Lankans are staying, despite economic crisis

Although many young people have fled for better opportunities abroad, some say they want to help rebuild their country.
BusinessSeptember 20, 202402:58 min
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Sri Lanka Thalawakele | Teeplantagenarbeiter vor der Präsidentschaftswahl

Sri Lanka goes to the polls as economy sees upswing

Sri Lanka is slowly coming out of an economic crisis. The upcoming elections will decide where the country is going.
BusinessSeptember 19, 202403:15 min
UN Peacekeepers | Bangladeschische Soldaten der Mission der Vereinten Nationen in der DR Kongo (MONUSCO)

Torturers deployed as UN peacekeepers

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka sent officers implicated in abuses as UN peacekeepers. The UN seemingly turned a blind eye.
PoliticsMay 21, 2024
Refugees and asylum seekers protesting in front of the UNHCR office in Colombo

Sri Lanka: Refugees anguish as UNHCR office set to close

With the UN's refugee agency bureau set to close, those in limbo fear their situation is about to get worse.
Human RightsJune 1, 2023
A person walks over a flooded rice paddy

Sri Lanka on brink of food crisis

Around 30% of Sri Lankans are coping with food insecurity, and one out of four are skipping meals regularly.
Food SecuritySeptember 15, 2022
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