Sri Lanka sets presidential poll for Jan. 8
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Election Commission on Friday scheduled the presidential election for Jan. 8, a day after President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared his intention to seek an unprecedented third term. Rajapaksa, 69, came to power in 2005 and won a second six-year term in 2010 on a wave of popularity after the military defeated Tamil Tiger separatists, ending a 26-year civil war. His poll ratings have fallen sharply since. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Writing by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Nick Macfie)