Sri Lankan prime minister quits after weeks of protests

The Indian Ocean island nation is on the brink of bankruptcy and has suspended payments on its foreign loans

A Sri Lankan man reacts to tear gas as he walks past the vandalised site of anti-government protests outside the President’s office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Monday May 9 2022 (Eranga Jayawardena/AP)

Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has resigned after weeks of protests demanding he and his President brother quit, an official said.

It comes after troops were deployed to the capital after government supporters attacked protestors camped outside the President and prime minister’s offices.