With President Gotabaya Rajapaksa failing to announce his resignation by 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday as promised, angry protesters surrounded the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is tipped to be acting president in the absence of head of the state.
Category: Sri Lanka
PM declares emergency across Sri Lanka; protestors head towards his office
The Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday ordered to impose a curfew in the Western province with immediate effect and to impose emergency law across the island country, a spokesperson in the Prime Minister's office has said.
SL President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees to Maldives
Amidst severe public protest and an ultimatum to resign by protestors who took over the President's House in a violent protest on Saturday, Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country secretly, an emigration officer confirmed to IANS on early Wednesday.
SL Prez given deadline by protesters for exit, said to seek safe passage for family
Protesters in Sri Lanka on Tuesday declared a deadline for a peaceful resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa amid rumours that he would not step down from his post if his family was not allowed a safe passage from the country.
Sri Lankan Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa signs resignation letter
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has signed his resignation letter, dated for July 13 and the Speaker of Parliament will publicly announce it to the nation on Wednesday, the Daily Mirror reported.
Sri Lanka: Opposition leader ready to run for presidency
The SJB leader has been criticised for refusing to take the post of Prime Minister when it was offered to him in April. His rival Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed -- but has also indicated that he would resign to make way for a unity government.
Sri Lanka's Parliament to elect a new President on July 20
The Speaker had summoned more than 35 political party leaders from both government and the opposition to decide the next steps to appoint an all-party government. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was also at the meeting.
India denies reports about sending military to Sri Lanka
"The High Commission would like to categorically deny speculative reports in sections of media and social media about India sending her troops to Sri Lanka. These reports and such views are also not in keeping with the position of the Government of India" it tweeted.
Amidst public protest, SL President decides to resign on July 13
Following a massive public march to Colombo on Saturday morning and forcible occupation of the President's House, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe asked the Speaker to summon the leaders of all political parties and decide on the way to resolve the crisis.
Angry protesters set fire to Sri Lanka PM's private house
Later, the protesters marched to Wickremesinghe's private residence in Colombo 7 and surrounded it, demanding that he step down. However, the police's elite Special Task Force (STF) attacked the protesters and six journalists from a private television station.
Speaker to take over as SL Prez until all-party govt is formed
However, Wickremesinghe has not agreed to step down immediately, as he told the media that he would resign once the all-party government is formed and majority in the Parliament is proved by any group which wants to take over.
Ready to accept party leaders' decision: SL President
Making his stance clear for the first time amid massive public pressure to step down, Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he would respect any decision taken at the party leaders' meeting scheduled on Saturday evening.
Massive crowd to march to Colombo demanding Sri Lankan Prez, govt to step-down
Parties representing farmers, fishermen, clergies, medical experts, civil rights groups, political groups and university dons are to march to Colombo and ride their bicycles as transportation has come to complete standstill with no fuel supply.
Indo-Lankan lesbian lovers threaten suicide if not allowed to go to India
The couple had met on social media two years ago and the 24-year-old from Tamil Nadu had invited the Sri Lanka woman to India but due to the overwork in the Immigration Department with current economic crisis, she was not able to get her passport prepared.
Sri Lanka power supplier head resigns after controversial statements on Indian PM, Adani
The Chairman of Sri Lanka's state-run electricity supplier, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), resigned on Monday after repeated controversial statements made on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lanka's renewable energy project awarded to Adani Group.
PM Modi assures fertiliser to Sri Lanka facing food crisis
Facing a disaster of severe food shortage over the worst economic crisis in Sri Lanka, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of fertiliser for the ongoing cultivation season.
Sri Lanka, out of lifesaving drugs, receives consignment from India
Sri Lanka's medical system, ailing with the shortage of over 270 drugs including some life-saving medicines, received a boost on Friday with the receipt of a 25 ton consignment of drugs valued at SLR 260 million.
SL court bans ex-PM Rajapaksa, son & 14 others from leaving country
A Sri Lankan court on Thursday banned former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and 15 others, including his son, MPs and senior police officers from leaving the country, for instigating Monday's violence that killed nine people and injured over 300.
Ranil Wickremesinghe to be sworn-in as SL's new PM
Vacated after the controversial resignation of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder brother of President Gotabaya, Wickremesinghe is to take up the premiership for the record sixth time in the island nation.
Mahinda Rajapaksa to remain in naval base until normalcy returns
Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family will remain at the Trincomalee naval base until normalcy returns to the island nation following widespread violence that caused him to flee Colombo, Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne announced on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka's fleeing ex-PM, family take refuge at naval base
In the wake of the widespread violence in Sri Lanka that left five people dead, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family on Tuesday took refuge at a naval base in Trincomalee after leaving Colombo under heavy security.
Sri Lankan Navy seize 336 kg heroin, apprehend 7 Pakistanis
The Sri Lankan Navy has apprehended a trawler, allegedly involved in drug trafficking, in the high seas off Male, and brought it back to Colombo. Seven persons, all Pakistan nationals, were taken in custody, and 336 kg heroin was seized in the operation earlier this week.
Sri Lanka confirms first coronavirus case
Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus after a Chinese woman was diagnosed with the disease, making the island nation the second South Asian country after Nepal to report a confirmed case.
Congress in Tripura blocks rail stations to protest police fired-killing of 5 farmers in MP
The firing on Tuesday came during raucous protests to demand better crop prices in the drought-ravaged region that saw one farmer suicide every five hours in the past two years.
DMs, SPs of violence-hit MP districts transferred
The farmers agitation entered its eighth day on Thursday. The peasants have been on strike since June 1, demanding loan waiver and fair price for their produce.