Though Anura Kumara Dissanayake's lead has decreased since early morning, he's still expected to come out on top. Everyone except Dissanayake & Premadasa have been eliminated from running.
Voting is underway at 13,134 polling stations in Sri Lanka, began at 7 am and will close at 4 pm local time. The counting of votes is expected to begin at 9:30 pm local time.
Sri Lanka is struggling with its worst financial crisis after the country's foreign exchange hit record lows and triggered its first foreign debt default last year.
The increase is the latest measure to clinch a $2.9 billion loan from IMF to tackle a crisis that evolved from pandemic, rising oil prices and populist tax cuts by previous govt.
Previously, Sri Lanka was placed in the lower-middle economy category. The categorisation as a 'low income' country would ease access to concessional funding, the cabinet spokesman said.
Basil reportedly tried to take a flight out of the country amid the ongoing economic crisis but airport officials refused to let him leave following protests by passengers.
The government is seeking a loan of about Rs 31,000 crore this year from the International Monetary Fund and creditors including China and Japan to help pay for food and fuel.
Indian govt officials last month skipped Turkish National Day celebrations in Delhi, in a message to Ankara following its support for Islamabad, particularly during Operation Sindoor.
Bihar is blessed with a land more fertile for revolutions than any in India. Why has it fallen so far behind then? Constant obsession with politics is at the root of its destruction.
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