Live: Sri Lanka president digs in heels, expands cabinet ahead of IMF talks

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Live news updates: Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced 17 new ministerial appointments on Monday – but notably left out some members of his own family in the wake of protests over the government’s handling of a devastating economic crisis.


The president and his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, will stay on despite demands from protesters and the opposition for them to quit. Rajapaksa has governed the South Asian island nation since 2019 with numerous other family members in top government positions.


The island nation is experiencing prolonged power cuts and fuel and medicines shortages triggered by a tumble in its foreign exchange reserves that has stalled imports of essentials, leading to daily protests in the commercial capital Colombo, Reuters reported.



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