Sri Lanka

Heavily armed Tamil Tiger rebels walk down a street in Achchuveli village, north east of Jaffna City, Sri Lanka, on Nov. 4, 1987. 

'A murder mystery and a ghost story' about Sri Lanka's civil war wins Booker Prize

Shehan Karunatilaka, author of "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida," is winner of the 2022 Booker Prize. Karunatilaka talked with The World's host Marco Werman about the ways in which Sri Lanka's grim history of civil war — along with a bit of "gallows humor" — shaped the ideas in his award-winning novel.

'A murder mystery and a ghost story' about Sri Lanka's civil war wins Booker Prize
A porter carries sacks of imported food items at a market place in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's financial crisis is impacting families across the economic spectrum

Sri Lanka's financial crisis is impacting families across the economic spectrum
People wait in a queue expecting to buy cooking gas near a distribution center in Colombo, Sri Lanka

A community kitchen in Colombo feeds Sri Lankans in need

A community kitchen in Colombo feeds Sri Lankans in need
A hospital worker carries a tray of medicine at a government-run hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan doctors say the country can't survive on donated drugs forever

Sri Lankan doctors say the country can't survive on donated drugs forever
An auto rickshaw driver pushes his vehicle next to a banner that says only those vehicles with QR codes will be given fuel at a fuel station in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Amid fuel crisis in Sri Lanka, bicycling is no longer a 'poor person's mode of transport'

Amid fuel crisis in Sri Lanka, bicycling is no longer a 'poor person's mode of transport'
Double the usual number of fishing boats are seen at the Dikkowita Fisheries Harbor, a main harbor in the Colombo area of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s fuel shortage is hurting the country’s fishing industry

Sri Lanka, which imports its fuel, currently lacks enough dollars to buy adequate supplies of gasoline, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene. That's impacting the country's fishing industry, with people running out of fuel for their boats.

Sri Lanka’s fuel shortage is hurting the country’s fishing industry
cars in line

Sri Lankans wait in line for days to refuel their vehicles amid shortages, economic crisis

Traffic has begun trickling back into the streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka. But the economic crisis and fuel shortages have many people still waiting in long queues to refuel their vehicles. Some people have even been stuck in line for days.

Sri Lankans wait in line for days to refuel their vehicles amid shortages, economic crisis
woman in blue dress

'We are ready to face any violence': Protesters in Sri Lanka brace for a crackdown

Sri Lankan protesters ousted the previous president last week, and now, they’re taking aim at the new president, calling for him to resign, too.

'We are ready to face any violence': Protesters in Sri Lanka brace for a crackdown
Sri Lankan fans take a selfie during a cricket match with Australia in Colombo.

'An air of hope': Sri Lankans see cricket as a welcome distraction from the country's economic, political woes

Australia and Sri Lanka are usually bitter rivals on the pitch during cricket matches. But Sri Lankans are welcoming the Australian team and its fans as a much-needed distraction from their country's recent political and economic turmoil.

'An air of hope': Sri Lankans see cricket as a welcome distraction from the country's economic, political woes
People stand holding a national flag at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office on the second day after it was stormed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka in political vacuum as talks go on amid crisis

Sri Lanka still to decide on who will lead the country, after protesters stormed and occupied the residences of the president and prime minister, calling on them to vacate their roles, after forcing them to resign.

Sri Lanka in political vacuum as talks go on amid crisis
A large cargo ship is shown smoking and sinking into the ocean.

Sri Lanka faces an environmental disaster

Sri Lanka faces an environmental disaster as it scrambles to contain a sinking ship carrying chemicals north of Colombo. And, the WHO approves the Chinese-made Sinovac Biotech vaccine. Also, the Biden administration suspends Trump-era oil and gas leases in the Arctic.

Sri Lanka faces an environmental disaster
A man and woman are shown sitting in chairs while medical workers administer vaccinations.

Virus surge, vaccine shortages spread beyond India's borders

The surge in coronavirus cases in India has created huge worries for neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal.

Virus surge, vaccine shortages spread beyond India's borders
A woman weeps while holding a picture of her dead son, with a hand to her cheek, and eyes closed.

The stuff of life and death: Part I

This week, Critical State takes a deep dive into new research on the objects that make up the world of political violence.

The stuff of life and death: Part I
A demonstrator displays a picture of the defaced image of the commander in chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, also chairman of the State Administrative Council to protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb. 17, 2021. The UN expert on human

UN Human Rights Council starts work to address a ‘pandemic of human rights abuses'

Experts say that as the US rejoins the UN Human Rights Council, it should hold allies — and itself — accountable for human rights violations. 

UN Human Rights Council starts work to address a ‘pandemic of human rights abuses'
Violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump storm the US Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington.

'Even if a coup fails, it still damages your government': What the US can learn from Sri Lanka's coup attempt

Back in November, Sri Lankan writer Indi Samarajiva wrote a prescient essay titled, "I lived through a stupid coup. America is having one now." After a violent Trump-backed mob attacked the US Capitol on Wednesday, Samarajiva shares what the US might learn from Sri Lanka.

'Even if a coup fails, it still damages your government': What the US can learn from Sri Lanka's coup attempt