At least six killed after ferry capsizes in Sri Lanka

A riot at a Sri Lankan jail has left at least eight inmates dead and more than 50 injured. Prisoners had been protesting over surging coronavirus infections in the country's overcrowded facilities.

The violent clashes broke out after prisoners vented their anger over coronavirus-related conditions at a high-security prison located near Colombo. Eleven people have since died, with over 100 wounded in the riots.

It was the worst peacetime disaster at sea in European waters. Sweden wants to lift a diving ban to re-examine why the ship sank.

An England cricket fan who waited 10 months in Sri Lanka to watch his team play is escorted away by police before a ball had been bowled in the first Test. Rob Lewis, who decided to stay in the country after the original tour was aborted over the coronavirus last March, tried to watch the game from the historic ramparts of Galle Fort, a vantage point which overlooks the city's cricket ground. But he was ordered off there just after the national anthems. The game was held behind closed doors because of the pandemic.

The child died in hospital after being beaten during a suspected exorcism. The girl's mother and the exorcist have been charged in connection with the death.

The authorities in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka pledged to close over 1,000 Islamic schools and formally ban burqas. The government also granted itself powers to detain suspects for "deradicalization."

The double-decker ferry packed with passengers capsized after being hit by a cargo vessel from the rear. Rescue workers were searching for survivors late into the night.

China has shipped hundreds of thousands of much needed coronavirus vaccine shots to Sri Lanka over the past few months. Observers say it could help support Beijing's geopolitical interests and bolster influence.

An almost 90-year-old car that once belonged to Britain's late Prince Philip is now the centrepiece of a seaside museum in Sri Lanka. "We've tried to preserve it as best we can", says the current owner of the car, a 1935 Austin Standard 9.

At least four victims have been confirmed dead, but rescuers fear more than 150 people could have drowned. A local official said the boat was carrying at least twice as many people as permitted.

Millions of plastic pellets from a container ship ablaze off Colombo have already washed up on beaches, along with other hazardous waste. The disaster threatens the lucrative fishing and tourism sectors.

A burnt-out container ship off the Sri Lankan coast is sinking, with several hundred tonnes of oil still in its fuel tanks, according to the navy. The MV X-Press Pearl was carrying hundreds of tonnes of chemicals and plastics.