Police in Sri Lanka use tear gas to disperse opposition protest against dire economic conditions

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse an opposition protest in the island nation facing its worst economic crisis while gearing up for a national election later this year. Protesters from the main opposition United People’s Power party gathered Tuesday in the capital and accused President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration of overburdening citizens by increasing taxes, as well as hiking prices for electricity and fuel. Sri Lanka plunged into its worst-ever economic crisis in 2022. The International Monetary Fund approved a four-year bailout program last March to help the South Asian country. The government defended the measures taken, saying they were necessary to meet the IMF targets.