COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The wife of Sri Lanka's powerful former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was detained Wednesday on allegations of misusing donations received for her charity when she was first lady.
Police questioned Shiranthi Rajapaksa at her home and later took her before a court, which ordered her detained for a week pending investigations. Police then escorted Rajapaksa, who had one eye bandaged from recent surgery, to a vehicle to be taken to a jail.
Rajapaksa was accused of misusing funds that her charity received as a donation from a state bank earmarked for the purchase of a scanner for a government hospital. The then-head of the bank also was arrested for allegedly circumventing procedures in releasing the money to the charity. The court released him on bail.
The former first couple's son, lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, also has been detained on charges of bribery.
Ex-President Rajapaksa and his family were adored by the country's majority ethnic Sinhala Buddhists after he and his brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa led a military campaign to defeat the now-defunct Tamil Tiger rebels and end a 26-year civil war in the island nation in 2009.
However, his popularity declined after his re-election in 2010 over allegations of bribery, corruption and the stifling of freedoms, leading to his defeat while seeking a third term in 2015. His family had wielded unbridled power — with his son, brothers, nephews and nieces holding top government positions.
The family made a comeback in 2019 when security emerged as a key concern following Islamic State-inspired suicide bomb attacks that killed 267 people in churches and hotels on Easter Sunday.
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was elected president later that year, but then the country suffered an economic crash brought on by the COVID-19 crisis, a tourism downturn and his economic decisions. He was forced to resign and flee the country amid massive public protests.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake became president on an anti-corruption platform in 2024 promising to take action against anyone suspected of corruption in the Rajapaksa family and previous administrations.
Prison officers escort Shiranthi Rajapaksa, the wife of Sri Lanka's former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to a prison vehicle outside a magistrate's court in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Lahiru Harshana)
CHICAGO (AP) — Jo Adell and José Ramírez powered Cleveland with a pair of two-out triples, and the Guardians avoided an AL Division Series sweep by cooling off the Chicago White Sox with a 9-3 victory in Game 3 on Wednesday.
Adell's three-run triple gave Cleveland a 4-1 lead in the third inning. Ramírez's three-bagger drove in Travis Bazzana and Patrick Bailey for a 7-3 advantage in the eighth.
“We continued to pile on,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “I think that’s been the difference of the first couple games to today was Game 2, we were able to get a couple runs but weren’t able to add on. But really good job by our guys today.”
The Guardians hit two triples in a postseason game for the first time in franchise history. They became the first major league team to accomplish the feat since the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees.
Adell, Ramírez, Bailey and Brayan Rocchio each had two of the team's 11 hits — a complete turnaround for the AL Central champions after they managed just three runs and seven hits in the first two games of the series combined.
Game 4 is Thursday in Chicago, with the White Sox leading 2-1 in the best-of-five matchup. Once again, they'll try to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs.
“Today has nothing to do with tomorrow. Nothing," White Sox catcher Kyle Teel said. "We come ready to go like we always do tomorrow.”
Chicago won its first four games in a surprising postseason appearance after going 60-102 last year. It was backed by a frenzied crowd of 40,590 for the franchise's first home playoff game since 2021, but there wasn't much for the fans to cheer in the final innings.
The White Sox struck out 19 times and went 2 for 11 with runners in position. Their bullpen faltered after coming up big during their fast postseason start.
“I think there was some stuff we could have played better, but they played good, too,” left-hander Hagen Smith said. “It’s a good team, and we’ll come back tomorrow and fight.”
Chicago jumped in front on Teel's RBI double off Daniel Espino with one out in the first. But then Espino fanned Chase Meidroth before Foster Griffin struck out Tristan Peters looking, stranding runners on second and third.
Griffin set a franchise record for a reliever with seven strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. The left-hander allowed one run and two hits in his first appearance since Sept. 23.
“Once we got the momentum going on our side, it was tough to stop it,” said Griffin, who came over in a trade with Washington in August.
Cleveland rallied in the third against Bryan Hudson, who entered after Sean Newcomb pitched two scoreless innings.
Bazzana walked and scored on Steven Kwan's one-out single to left. Facing Smith with two down and the bases loaded, Adell grounded a high fastball down the first-base line for a 4-1 lead.
Adell, acquired in an August trade with the Los Angeles Angels, also hit an RBI triple during Cleveland's 4-3 loss in Game 2. He hit one triple during the regular season in each of the last two years.
“It was huge,” Adell said. “Really just proud of how I kind of cleaned that at-bat up.”
Playing in his 48th postseason game — all with Cleveland — Ramírez manufactured an insurance run for the Guardians in the fifth. He doubled, stole third and scored on Chase DeLauter's grounder to second, beating Teel's tag with a headfirst slide.
Ramírez's savvy baserunning gave the Guardians a 5-2 lead. The seven-time All-Star went 0 for 6 with two walks in the first two games of the series.
The 34-year-old Ramírez also made a diving stop on Miguel Vargas' bases-loaded smash in the sixth, preserving Cleveland's 5-3 advantage.
“I felt it was a significant shift in momentum in the game when we were able to make that play,” Ramírez said through a translator. “I felt like this is going to be our game.”
Parker Messick starts for Cleveland in Game 4. Messick permitted two runs and four hits over 4 1/3 innings in the series opener. The rookie left-hander went 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts during the regular season.
Chicago hadn't announced its pitching plans for Game 4. Smith started Game 1 for the White Sox, striking out four in 2 2/3 hitless innings.
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Cleveland Guardians' Foster Griffin pitches during the first inning in Game 3 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox's Noah Schultz pitches during the fourth inning in Game 3 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters celebrates after hitting a run-scoring double against Cleveland Guardians pitcher Foster Griffin during the fourth inning in Game 3 of baseball's American League Division Series Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Cleveland Guardians' Jo Adell celebrates after hitting a three-run triple against Chicago White Sox pitcher Hagen Smith during the third inning in Game 3 of baseball's American League Division Series Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez, left, celebrates after scoring on a fielder's choice by Chase DeLauter during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
