It was a year when death came abruptly to what otherwise were days of communal celebrations; when Britain lost a queen and Japan, its former premier; when inept leaders – corrupted by hubris – fell; and when nature again refused to be ignored. It was a year of another devastating war in Europe.

Sri Lanka's ousted president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is expected to arrive in Thailand on Thursday (Aug 11), seeking temporary shelter in a second Southeast Asian country after fleeing his island nation last month amid mass protests, two sources said.

Uncertainties remain even after the election of new president

Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled overseas this week to escape a popular uprising against his government, has said he took "all possible steps" to avert the economic crisis that has engulfed the island nation.

Sri Lanka's president was considering using a navy patrol craft to flee the island Tuesday following a humiliating standoff with airport immigration, official sources of AFP said.

Two dates – May 9 and July 9 – will remain significant for the Rajapaksa brothers in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s president has agreed to replace his older brother as prime minister in a proposed interim government to solve a political impasse caused by the country’s worst economic crisis in decades, a prominent lawmaker said Friday.

Sri Lanka's former wartime defence chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa is set to become president after his main rival conceded defeat in an election that came months after bombings by Islamist militants threw the country into turmoil.