Sri Lanka's Parliament Elects Six-Time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe As President

 

ABC News Australia: Sri Lanka's parliament elects six-time prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president 

Sri Lanka's parliament has chosen six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president to succeed the ousted leader who fled the country amid an economic crisis. 

"I thank parliament for this honour," the 73-year-old said after his victory was announced by the secretary-general of the legislature. 

He secured 134 votes in the 225-member house, while his main rival, ruling party politician Dullas Alahapperuma, got 82. 

The Marxist candidate, Anura Dissanayake, won three votes. Mr Wickremesinghe became acting president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country last week and resigned by email.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This is not the change that most Sri Lankans were hoping for. 

Sri Lanka's Parliament Elects Six-Time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe As President  

Sri Lankan Parliament elects Ranil Wickremesinghe as President, but some protesters vow to fight on -- CNN  

Unpopular Sri Lankan PM elected president; risks new turmoil -- AP  

Wickremesinghe, a wily political survivor, elected Sri Lanka's president -- Reuters 

Sri Lanka president vote: Ranil Wickremesinghe wins amid protests -- The Guardian  

Sri Lanka lawmakers elect unpopular PM Ranil Wickremesinghe as new president -- UPI 

Sri Lanka parliament votes in new president Ranil Wickremesinghe -- SKY News  

Sri Lanka's Parliament elects Ranil Wickremesinghe as new president to help devastated economy -- FOX 

Sri Lanka New President: Wickremesinghe Wins Majority Votes From Rajapaksa Party -- Bloomberg

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister And Acting President Orders Military To Do 'Whatever Is Necessary' To Restore Order

 

BBC: Sri Lanka PM tells military to do whatever necessary to restore order 

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the military to do "whatever is necessary to restore order" after protesters stormed his office on Wednesday. 

Mr Wickremesinghe has been appointed acting president by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled the country. 

But the decision to leave him in charge triggered further protests demanding that the prime minister must also go. Sri Lanka has been suffering from its worst economic crisis in decades. 

Many blame the Rajapaksa administration for the crisis and see Mr Wickremesinghe, who became prime minister in May, as part of the problem.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: A curfew has now been imposed .... Sri Lanka declares curfew in capital (CNBC).

Sri Lankan President Sends Resignation Letter By Email After Fleeing To Singapore

 

CNBC/Reuters: Sri Lankan president sends resignation letter after fleeing to Singapore 

* Rajapaksa emailed a letter of resignation to the speaker of the country’s parliament late on Thursday, two sources said. 

* It was not immediately clear if the letter, sent shortly after Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore, would be accepted in email form, the sources added. 

Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has submitted a letter of resignation, two government sources said on Thursday, after he fled to Singapore following mass protests over his country’s economic meltdown. 

Rajapaksa emailed a letter of resignation to the speaker of the country’s parliament late on Thursday, two sources said. 

The letter was received by the country’s parliamentary speaker, his office said in a statement on Thursday, after it was flown from Singapore, where the leader fled to.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: History is not going to be kind to former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

Sri Lankan President Sends Resignation Letter By Email After Fleeing To Singapore  

Sri Lanka: President Rajapaksa emails overdue resignation -- DW  

Sri Lanka: Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns after fleeing Sri Lanka -- BBC  

Sri Lankan president resigns by email after fleeing to Singapore -- CNN  

Sri Lanka’s president quits after fleeing protests in crisis-hit country -- The Guardian 

Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa submits resignation after fleeing -- Al Jazeera  

Protesters retreat as Sri Lankan president sends resignation -- AP 

'He is a coward': Sri Lanka's President Rajapaksa resigns after fleeing to Singapore -- Euronews/AFP  

Sri Lanka president resigns day after fleeing country -- Axios

Why Is Sri Lanka Experiencing A Political And Economic Crisis?

 

Ayeshea Perera, BBC News: Sri Lanka: Why is the country in an economic crisis? 

A state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka, and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country. 

His departure follows months of mass protests over soaring prices and a lack of food and fuel. The country's foreign currency reserves have virtually run dry, and it has already missed debt interest payments.  

Read more ....  

Update: Sri Lanka in crisis: What, why and how? (Al Jazeera)  

WNU Editor: There are many reasons why Sri Lanka has collapsed. Government mismanagement starting with the printing of massive amounts of money. Insane fiscal and green policies that banned the imports of fertilizer that crippled Sri Lanka's agriculture sector. Too much debt. 

And while the Western narrative is to blame China for Sri Lanka's unsustainable debt levels that has led to the current crisis, the truth is that it is the Western countries that are the main creditors (see below):

Sri Lanka owes 81% of its external debt to US and European financial institutions and Western allies Japan and India.

China owns just 10%.

But Washington blames imaginary "Chinese debt traps" for the nation's crisis, as it negotiates a 17th IMF bailout.https://t.co/Tk49cuLvNS

— Benjamin Norton (@BenjaminNorton) July 11, 2022

State Of Emergency Declared In Sri Lanka After President Flees The Country

 

DW: Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after president flees 

Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency after President Rajapaksa and his wife fled to the Maldives hours before he was due to resign. 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has become acting president. 

Hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka early on Wednesday, the country's prime minister's office announced a state of emergency. 

The move came even as thousands of protesters stormed the office compound of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe — who has been appointed acting president — calling again for his resignation, while police responded with tear gas.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: And what is even more scary than the current unrest is that there is no leader in Sri Lanka who has a solution to solve the crisis. 

State Of Emergency Declared In Sri Lanka After President Flees The Country  

Live: Sri Lanka prime minister tells military to 'restore order' -- BBC 

Live: Protesters storm Sri Lankan PM's office after president flees -- France 24

Sri Lanka president flees country, protesters storm prime minister's office as state of emergency is declared -- FOX News  

Sri Lanka: furious protesters breach PM’s offices after president flees -- The Guardian  

Sri Lanka in crisis: President flees and ire turns to PM -- AP 

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees the country -- ABC News Australia  

Photos: Sri Lanka protesters storm PM’s office as president flees -- Al Jazeera

Sri Lanka President Has Fled The Country

Sri Lanka's embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew out of the country early Wednesday.  

Daily Mail: Sri Lanka's embattled president FLEES his country after months of widespread protests over the island nation's worst-ever economic crisis 

* Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday 

* He, his wife and a bodyguard were among four passengers on board an Antonov-32 military aircraft which took off for the Maldives, immigration sources say 

* 'Their passports were stamped and they boarded the special air force flight,' an immigration official involved in the process said 

Sri Lanka's embattled president flew out of his country early Wednesday, in a probable prelude to his resignation after months of widespread protests over the island nation's worst-ever economic crisis. 

Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday and clear the way for a 'peaceful transition of power', after fleeing his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it. 

As president, Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest, and he is believed to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.  

Read more .... 

Sri Lanka President Has Fled The Country  

Sri Lankan president flees the country amid economic crisis -- AP 

Sri Lanka's President Rajapaksa flees country before scheduled resignation -- Reuters  

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees to Maldives ahead of expected resignation -- AFP  

Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees the country -- The Guardian  

Sri Lanka: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees the country on military jet -- BBC 

Sri Lanka president flees to Maldives ahead of expected resignation -- RFI 

Sri Lanka's President leaves the country after mass protests forced him to resign -- CNN 

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees the country -- ABC News Australia

Unrest In Sri Lanka -- News Roundup July 10, 2022

 

The Guardian: Sri Lankan opposition parties plan unity government after president quits  

Prime minister as well as Rajapaksa will step down after months of protests culminated in attacks on their homes 

Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties have hurriedly moved to form an all-party unity government a day after the president and the prime minister said they would resign from office after mounting public pressure. 

On Sunday, leaders from the main opposition political parties met to discuss an effective transition of power, following the much anticipated resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 13 July.  

Read more .... 

Unrest In Sri Lanka -- News Roundup July 10, 2022 

 Sri Lanka: Opposition meets to discuss new government as president steps down -- DW 

Sri Lanka protesters have vowed to stay in the presidential palace until the Rajapaksa government is over -- ABC News Australia  

Sri Lanka: Protesters 'will occupy palace until leaders go' -- BBC  

Sri Lanka protesters staying put until president, PM leave office -- Al Jazeera  

In Sri Lankan capital, 'surreal atmosphere, a mixture between revolution and party' -- DW 

 Inside the presidential palace now full of Sri Lankans -- BBC  

Sri Lanka's prime minister and president will resign after protesters stormed their homes. How did it get to this? -- ABC News Australia 

Sri Lanka crisis: Daily heartbreak of life in a country gone bankrupt -- BBC  

Sri Lanka protests: How did we get here and what comes next? -- Al Jazeera  

EXPLAINER: Why Sri Lanka’s economy collapsed and what’s next -- AP  

In pictures: Sri Lanka unravels into political turmoil -- DW

Sri Lankan Protesters Attack Homes Of President And PM. Prime Minister's Home Ablaze

Protesters have broken into the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and have set it on fire - PM media. #DailyMirror #SriLanka #SLnews pic.twitter.com/tpjQob9p5j

— DailyMirror (@Dailymirror_SL) July 9, 2022

ABC News Australia: Sri Lankan protesters attack homes of President and PM as pair promise to resign 

Sri Lanka's President and Prime Minister have agreed to resign after protesters stormed both officials' homes and set fire to one of the buildings in a rage over the nation's severe economic crisis. 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would leave office once a new government was in place.

 Hours later, the Speaker of parliament said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would step down on Wednesday.  

Read more .... 

More News On The Unrest In Sri Lanka  

Sri Lanka: President Rajapaksa to resign after protesters storm residences in fury at economic chaos -- Euronews/Reuters  

Sri Lanka Parliament speaker: President to resign Wednesday -- AP 

Sri Lanka: president agrees to resign amid unrest -- The Guardian 

Sri Lankan protesters set fire to prime minister's home and force leaders to quit -- SKY 

News Protesters storm Sri Lanka’s presidential palace, set prime minister’s home ablaze -- Axios 

Sri Lankan president, prime minister to resign after protesters storm residences, set fire -- FOX News 

Sri Lanka’s President Rajapaksa to step down on July 13: Official -- Al Jazeera

Sri Lanka Prime Minister says he’s willing to resign as protesters storm President’s residence -- CNN  

Extraordinary scenes in Sri Lanka are the product of a man-made disaster -- SKY News

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Says The Country Is 'Bankrupt' As The Financial Crisis Ravaging The Country Deepens

 

CNN: Sri Lanka is 'bankrupt,' Prime Minister says 

Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN)Sri Lanka is "bankrupt," Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Tuesday, as the country suffers its worst financial crisis in decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine and fuel. 

Wickremesinghe told lawmakers that negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revive the country's "collapsed" economy are "difficult," because the South Asian nation of 22 million has entered the talks as a bankrupt country, rather than a developing one. 

"We are now participating in the negotiations as a bankrupt country. Therefore, we have to face a more difficult and complicated situation than previous negotiations," Wickremesinghe said in parliament.  

Read more .... 

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Says The Country Is 'Bankrupt' As The Financial Crisis Ravaging The Country Deepens  

Sri Lanka says it is 'bankrupt' as financial crisis ravaging the country deepens -- Business Insider  

Record inflation and skyrocketing prices leave over 6 million Sri Lankans food insecure -- UN News  

Sri Lankans return to cooking with firewood as economy burns -- France 24  

Sri Lankan president calls Russian leader seeking fuel -- AP  

Sri Lanka president asks Russia’s Putin to help import fuel -- Al Jazeera  

Sri Lanka Is Running on Empty, Less Than a Day of Fuel Left -- Jalopnik  

Sri Lanka Hikes Rates by 100 Basis Points to Tame Prices -- Bloomberg

 Sri Lanka's economic crisis is driving people to flee the country in desperation -- DW

With No Fuel Sri Lanka Grinds To A Halt

Motorbikes, cars and three-wheelers wait in a queue to buy petrol due to fuel shortage, during the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, June 29, 2022.  

VOA/Reuters: Minister: Sri Lanka Struggling to Pay for Fuel Shipments  

Colombo — Sri Lanka is struggling to raise $587 million to pay for about half a dozen fuel shipments, a top minister said Sunday as the cash-strapped country tries to cope with its worst financial crisis in decades. 

The country of 22 million people is unable to pay for essential imports of food items, fertilizer, medicines and fuel — due to a severe dollar crunch. 

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said new fuel shipments were being lined up, but the country is struggling to raise enough funds to pay as the central bank can supply only about $125 million. 

Sri Lanka only has 12,774 tons of diesel and 4,061 tons of petrol left in its government reserves, he told reporters in Colombo, the commercial center of the island nation.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: With no fuel and no cash, Sri Lanka keeps schools closed (AP)

Update #2: Sri Lanka grinds to a halt as fuel reserves shrink (France 24)  

WNU Editor: Sri Lanka's economic crisis continues to get worse .... Bankrupt Sri Lanka's inflation jumps beyond 50% (CNA/AFP).

This Is What A Country Looks Like When It Runs Out Of Fuel

 

VICE News: Here’s What Life Looks Like in a Country That’s Run Out of Fuel 

Sri Lanka is telling its citizens to stay home and grow their own food, as a government minister announced that fuel reserves have hit “rock bottom.” 

Jason Anthony has been in a two-kilometre fuel queue for two days now. In the capital city of Colombo, in the crisis-hit South Asian nation of Sri Lanka, the 35-year-old sleeps in his tuktuk when he’s exhausted, or sits on the pavement with other drivers who have been there for several days too. When the fuel station closes for the day, he walks several kilometres back home, only to return the next day to queue up. He showed VICE World News his makeshift home by the road over a video call.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: More bad news for Sri Lanka. There is going to be no short-term relief .... IMF-Sri Lanka bailout talks end without a deal (CNBC). 

Update: Here is a photo-gallery on what Sri Lankans are going through .... Sri Lanka Fuel Shortages (National Review). 

More News On The Crisis In Sri Lanka  

Non-essential petrol sales halted for two weeks in Sri Lanka -- BBC  

Sri Lanka suspends fuel sales for two weeks as economic crisis worsens -- The Guardian/AFP  

Sri Lanka rushes to find fuel as shortages hit schools, workers -- Reuters  

Sri Lanka faces humanitarian crisis and is dependent on aid -- AP  

As Sri Lanka runs out of fuel, doctors and bankers protest ‘impossible situation’ -- CNN  

What are the consequences for Sri Lanka of its economic crisis? -- Al Jazeera

Sri Lanka Suspends Fuel Sales. Only Essential Services Will Be Supplied With What Is Left

Three-wheeler drivers wait in a queue to buy petrol due to fuel shortage, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Reuters image) 

 CNBC/Reuters: Sri Lanka stops fuel supply to non-essential services as crisis worsens 

* Sri Lanka will shut schools and only allow fuel supplies to services deemed essential like health, trains and buses for two weeks starting Tuesday. 

* Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis, with foreign exchange reserves at a record low and the island of 22 million struggling to pay for essential imports of food, medicine and, most critically, fuel. 

* The government is talks with the International Monetary Fund on a possible bailout, but many people can’t wait that long. 

Sri Lanka will shut schools and only allow fuel supplies to services deemed essential like health, trains and buses for two weeks starting Tuesday, a minister said, in a desperate attempt to deal with a severe shortage. 

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis, with foreign exchange reserves at a record low and the island of 22 million struggling to pay for essential imports of food, medicine and, most critically, fuel.  

Read more .... 

Sri Lanka Suspends Fuel Sales. Only Essential Services Will Be Supplied With What Is Left  

Sri Lanka Runs Out Of Fuel, Only Essential Services To Operate Till July 10 -- NDTV  

Sri Lanka suspends fuel sales as economic crisis worsens -- AFP  

Sri Lanka struggling to secure fresh fuel supplies, minister says -- CNN  

Sri Lanka halts fuel supplies for private vehicles -- Financial Times  

Sri Lanka Is Put on Virtual Lockdown as Fuel Supplies Are Halted -- Bloomberg  

Sri Lanka struggles to secure new fuel shipments as supply runs dry -- Arab News 

 Sri Lanka has barely enough fuel to last one day – media -- RT

Sri Lanka Is Screwed

 

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog: Sri Lanka Is Screwed 

Remember how Sri Lanka managed to wreck agricultural yield by forcing the country to use organic fertilizer? “Not only had Sri Lanka’s ban on fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides, and fungicides resulted in massive food shortages, it also led to the doubling in price of rice, vegetables, and other market staples.” 

Turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg. 

Sri Lanka’s prime minister is increasing efforts to revive the country’s “completely collapsed” economy amid a lack of foreign exchange reserves and severe shortages of essential items.  

“We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity, and food. Our economy has faced a complete collapse,” Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament on June 22. 

“It is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves,” he said. This video goes into more depth of just how badly Sri Lanka is screwed.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Sri Lanka is not the only country that is going to be facing unrest because of massive food shortages .... UN Secretary General Warns Worsening Food Shortages Could Lead To A Global "Catastrophe.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Says The Country's Economy Has 'Completely Collapsed'

 

ABC News Australia: Sri Lankan economy 'completely collapsed', Prime Minister says 

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister says its debt-laden economy has "collapsed" after months of shortages of food, fuel and electricity. 

Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament the South Asian country is "facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity and food". 

"Our economy has completely collapsed," he said. Wickremesinghe is also the Finance Minister tasked with stabilising the economy.  

Read more .... 

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Says The Country's Economy Has 'Completely Collapsed'  

Sri Lankan PM says says economy has collapsed, will hold talks with IMF for additional credit -- Bloomberg  

Sri Lanka PM says economy 'has collapsed,' unable to buy oil -- AP  

Sri Lankan economy has 'completely collapsed', leader says -- SKY News 

Sri Lanka’s prime minister says economy has ‘completely collapsed’ -- The Independent

UN Says Sri Lanka Is Facing A 'Full-Blown Humanitarian Emergency'

Queues are now part of everyday life in Sri Lanka as the country experiences its worst economic crisis in 70 years.(Reuters: Dinuka Liyanawatte)  

Reuters: Sri Lanka Risks Full-Blown Humanitarian Emergency, UN Agency Says 

GENEVA (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is at risk of tipping into a full-blown humanitarian crisis as the country's economy suffers its biggest shock in decades, the U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA) said on Friday. 

Sri Lanka's 22 million people are suffering the country's most serious financial turmoil in seven decades, with severe shortages of fuel, medicines and other essentials amid record inflation and a devaluation of its currency. 

"Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. We are concerned that this could develop into a full-blown humanitarian emergency," OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told a regular U.N. news conference in Geneva. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: A very good friend of mine spent two weeks in Sri Lanka before the pandemic on a holiday. He had a great time, and enjoyed his time there. He is stunned on how quickly everything changed for that country in just three years. 

 UN Says Sri Lanka Is Facing A 'Full-Blown Humanitarian Emergency'  

Sri Lanka: UN appeals for $47 million for life-saving aid to 1.7 million people -- UN News  

UNICEF appeals for US$25 million to meet the urgent needs of 1.7 million children affected by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka -- UNICEF  

Thousands of Children in Sri Lanka at Risk of Dying as Economic Crisis Worsens -- VOA  

Sri Lanka will need $7b over next six months to pay for food, fuel and fertiliser, says Prime Minister -- ABC News Australia  

Sri Lankan PM requests patience as UN calls for relief funds -- AP

With No Fuel In The Country Sri Lanka Takes Russian Oil

 

Bloomberg: Bankrupt Sri Lanka Takes Russia Oil as Fuel Crisis Persists 

(Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka is receiving Russian crude oil that it will use to make fuel as the bankrupt nation faces crippling shortages of everything from gasoline to diesel. 

The Russian grade of Siberian Light will be processed at Ceylon Petroleum Corp.’s refinery in Sapugaskanda, Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe said in a phone interview. The country’s sole refinery is set to receive crude on May 28, enabling its restart for the first time in over two months, according to its power and energy minister in an earlier tweet. 

Sri Lanka is the latest Asian nation to accept Russian crude after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine prompted widespread condemnation and sanctions. Most refiners in the US and across Europe have halted purchases from the OPEC+ producer, prompting the cost of Russian oil to plummet, while opportunistic buying from Asian customers in China and India has surged. 

Read more ....  

Update: Bankrupt Sri Lanka Takes Russian Crude As Fuel Crisis Depletes Stocks, Mulls Loan From China (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: It looks like China is bailing out Sri Lanka .... China becomes wild card in Sri Lanka's debt crisis (ABC News).

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Warns Of Fuel And Food Shortages Amid Economic Crisis

 

Reuters: Thousands queue for petrol, gas in Sri Lanka amid warnings of food shortages 

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Thousands of people queued for cooking gas and petrol in Sri Lanka's commercial capital on Friday and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned of a food shortage as the island nation battles a devastating economic crisis. 

Lines formed in many parts of Colombo, a city of around 900,000 people, as residents tried to stock up on fuel, which is mostly imported and is in extremely short supply with the government running out of foreign exchange.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Sri Lanka Prime Minister warns of food shortages amid economic crisis and lack of fertiliser (ABC News)  

Update #2: Food shortages add to Sri Lanka's woes (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: It looks like Sri Lanka is not going to be the only country facing an economic crisis .... Is Bangladesh heading toward a Sri Lanka-like crisis? (DW).

Sri Lanka Defaults On Its Foreign Debts

 

BBC: Sri Lanka defaults on debt for first time in its history 

Sri Lanka has defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history as the country struggles with its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years. 

It comes after a 30 day grace period to repay $78m (£63m) of unpaid debt interest payments expired on Wednesday. 

The governor of Sri Lanka's central bank said the country was now in a "pre-emptive default". 

Defaults happen when governments are unable to meet some or all of their debt payments to creditors.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Sri Lanka is not alone. Other countries in talks with the IMF and are near default are Egypt, Tunisia and Pakistan. 

Sri Lanka Defaults On Its Foreign Debts  

Sri Lanka Falls Into Default For The First Time Ever -- Times of India/Bloomberg

Sri Lanka defaults on debts for first time -- The Guardian 

Sri Lanka slips into default, central bank head agrees to stay on -- Al Jazeera 

Sri Lanka Falls Into Default, Sending Warning Across Emerging World -- Investing

Sri Lanka Warns The Crisis Will Worsen As Petrol Stations Run Dry And A Default On Their Sovereign Debt To Be Announced

 

Times Of India: Crisis-hit Sri Lanka to default on debt, minister says no money to buy petrol: Key developments 

NEW DELHI: Shortage of petrol, medicines, foreign reserves, cooking gas and other essentials has put once-booming Sri Lanka is in a mess. The island nation is going through the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, and power cuts and soaring food prices have just added to the misery of its people. 

The economic crisis also triggered a political crisis in Sri Lanka and a demand for the resignation of the powerful Rajapaksas. 

Read more ....

Update: Sri Lanka can’t find cash to pay even one ship for petrol (Bloomberg).  

Update #2: Crisis-Hit Sri Lanka Defaults On Debt As It Runs Out Of Fuel (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: This is making the crisis worse .... Sri Lanka faces ‘man-made’ food crisis as farmers stop planting (Al Jazeera).  

Update #3: I concur with this analysis .... Analysis-More Pain in Sri Lanka Before Any Resolution to Crisis (Reuters).

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Says The Country Has Enough Petrol Left For Only One Day

Fuel and medicine shortages, along with record inflation and lengthy blackouts, have brought severe hardships to Sri Lankans, in the worst financial crisis since independence from Britain in 1948  

Daily Mail: Sri Lanka is down to its last day of petrol and faces 'severe' shortage of medicine, new PM warns amid economic crisis that plunged country into turmoil sparking deadly riots 

* The nation has suspended repayment of $7 billion in foreign loans due this year 

* Sri Lanka's total foreign debt is $51 billion, about half of which is due in 2026 

* People face major shortages of petrol and essential medicine among other items 

* 'We must prepare ourselves to make some sacrifices,' PM Wickremesinghe said 

* The country has seen widespread protests in recent weeks amid the crisis 

* Nine people were killed and 300 injured in clashes with government supporters last week Sri Lanka's new prime minister today declared the crisis-hit nation was down to its last day of petrol, as the country's power minister told citizens not to join the lengthy fuel queues that have galvanised weeks of anti-government protests. 

Ranil Wickremesinghe, appointed prime minister on Thursday, said in an address to the nation the country urgently needed $75 million in foreign exchange to pay for essential imports. 

Read more .... 

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Says The Country Has Enough Petrol Left For Only One Day  

First Default on Foreign Debt Likely This Week: Sri Lanka Latest -- Bloomberg  

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka has enough petrol left for only one day, new leader warns -- Sky News  

"We Have Run Out Of Petrol": Lanka PM In Address To Nation Amid Crisis -- AFP  

Sri Lanka needs $75 million in next few days for essential imports - PM -- Reuters  

Sri Lanka’s new PM warns ‘most difficult months of our lives’ ahead -- The Guardian