Sri Lankan leader begins 2nd visit to India in 17 months

Sri Lanka's leader began his second state visit to India in 17 months Friday in a trip that underscores his island nation's delicate efforts to balance relations with regional superpowers India and China.

President Maithripala Sirisena was slated to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi for dinner after arriving during the day from Britain. On Saturday, the two men plan to participate in Kumbh Mela, a Hindu religious ritual of plunging into a river believed wash away sins.

Sri Lankan leader to visit India in delicate balancing act

Sri Lanka's leader was to visit neighboring India on Friday for a second state visit in 17 months, underscoring his island nation's delicate efforts to balance relations with regional superpowers India and China.

President Maithripala Sirisena, returning to the region from Britain, was expected to arrive in New Delhi in time to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi for dinner. On Saturday, the two men plan to participate in Kumbh Mela, a Hindu religious ritual of plunging into a river believed wash away sins.

Biographical information on Sri Lanka's Sirisena

NAME: Maithripala Sirisena (pronounced my-three-PA'-la si-ri-SAY'-na)

AGE-BIRTHPLACE: 63. Born in the village of Yagoda, north of Colombo, but moved in the 1950s with his family to the farming district of Polonnaruwa under a government agriculture development project.

Monitors say voters obstructed in Sri Lankan election

Election monitors said Thursday that voters in northern Sri Lanka were prevented from casting their ballots in an election that pits President Mahinda Rajapaksa against an ally who suddenly defected from the ruling party to run against him.

The Center for Monitoring Election Violence, based in the capital of Colombo, also said a hand grenade exploded near a voting station in the northern Jaffna peninsula in the Tamil minority heartland, but that no injuries were reported.

President faces fierce battle in Sri Lanka vote

Voters went to the polls Thursday in Sri Lanka, where President Mahinda Rajapaksa faces a fierce political battle after his onetime ally suddenly defected from the ruling party to run against him.

November defection by former Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena turned the race, which Rajapaksa had been widely expected to easily win, into a referendum on the president and the enormous power he wields over the island nation of 21 million.

Political revolt roils Sri Lanka presidential vote

Until just a few weeks ago, Sri Lanka's upcoming election seemed a mere formality. Nothing, it seemed, could keep President Mahinda Rajapaksa from rolling to a third term in office.

He was the president hailed as a king after crushing the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 and ending the island nation's 25-year civil war. He is a charismatic campaigner with vast campaign funds. He has turned the government into an extended family business, with politically powerful brothers, sons and nephews who can all help his candidacy.

But times change. Quickly.