Anura Kumara Dissanayake is Sri Lanka’s president since 2024, the first to be elected twice. Currently in the news amid regional tensions and crises.
Sri Lanka's parliament passed a bill to stop pension payments to lawmakers who already receive or qualify for pensions, fulfilling President Dissanayake's campaign promise amid ongoing economic crisis. The move aims to reduce government spending as the country recovers from bankruptcy and debt restructuring.
The Iranian navy logistics ship IRIS Dena sank outside Sri Lanka’s coast after an attack, with 32 rescued and over 100 missing. The cause remains unclear amid regional tensions and recent US-Israeli military actions against Iran. Sri Lanka is managing the rescue and vessel control under neutrality.
A U.S. submarine has sunk the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. The incident resulted in 87 confirmed deaths, with rescue efforts ongoing. The attack marks the first time since WWII that a U.S. submarine has sunk an enemy warship by torpedo.
On March 4, 2026, a US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka's southern coast, killing 87 sailors and rescuing 32. The warship had just completed naval exercises hosted by India. Sri Lanka is hosting survivors and the crew of a second Iranian vessel, IRIS Booshehr, amid ongoing US-Israeli military operations against Iran that have disrupted global markets and regional stability.
Sri Lanka has recovered 87 bodies and hospitalized 32 after a US submarine sank Iran's IRIS Dena on March 4. A second Iranian vessel, IRIS Booshehr, has been brought to a Sri Lankan port following engine trouble. The government has declined requests from the US and Iran to land or repatriate ships, emphasizing neutrality amid ongoing conflicts.