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January 9, 2015

Sri Lanka Elects New President in Surprise Upset 
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The South Asian nation of Sri Lanka has elected a new president, dealing
an unexpected defeat to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has ruled the
country for nearly a decade. Rajapaksa is credited with defeating the
Tamil Tigers in 2009 after a 26-year civil war, but accused of presiding
over war crimes in the conflict's final stages. His opponent,
Maithripala Sirisena, who won the election, was acting defense minister
in the bloody final days of the conflict.

 

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