Sri Lanka’s former pro-Chinese ‘strongman’ President Mahinda Rajapaksa was voted out of office in January 2015. The new administration, led by President Maithripala Sirisena, is committed to more ‘balanced’ major power relations.

Sri Lanka's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have averted a crisis, but the bailout may undermine a key source of strength: the country's impressive economic growth rate.

Sri Lanka is seeking to raise 100 billion rupees (US$685.6mil) in revenue in 2016 by increasing the value added tax (VAT) and new taxes effective from Monday, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said late on Sunday.

The withdrawal of 50 well-trained army personnel has placed the life of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in danger, says his media secretary Rohan Welivita in a statement.

India and the United States are in talks to help each other track submarines in the Indian Ocean, military officials say, a move that could further tighten defense ties between New Delhi and Washington as China steps up its undersea activities.

With the army being removed from his family's security detail, former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa's son today accused the government of carrying out a political witch-hunt and said they have been facing such "harassment" from a long time.

Sri Lanka expects tourist arrivals from Oman to increase to 20 per cent of the total in 2016.