Sri Lankan lawmakers elect Ranil Wickremesinghe as new president

Sri Lankan lawmakers elect Ranil Wickremesinghe as new president

Colombo: Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Wednesday elected as Sri Lanka’s new President by Parliament, following a high-voltage political drama which saw his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country and resigning after a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the economy. The 73-year-old six-time prime minister secured 134 votes in the 225-member House […]

Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns as Sri Lanka President

Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns as Sri Lanka President

COLOMBO: Amid pressure from the public uprising in Sri Lanka, the country’s embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday tendered his resignation to the Speaker of the Parliament.Sri Lankan Speaker’s office said that the Speaker of Parliament has received the resignation letter of Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Rajapaksa has been allowed […]

Sri Lanka Prez still in Maldives, awaits private jet to depart for Singapore: Report

Sri Lanka Prez still in Maldives, awaits private jet to depart for Singapore: Report

Colombo: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled to the Maldives, could not board a scheduled Singapore Airlines flight from Male to Singapore due to security concerns and is now waiting to travel on a private aircraft, according to a media report on Thursday.Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, […]

Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after president flees

Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after president flees

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday, hours after President gotabaya rajapaksha fled the country, the Prime Minister’s office saidSince the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country,” Prime Minister’s spokesman Dinouk Colombage said. The island nation is mired in […]

Sri Lankan President’s whereabouts remain uknown; protesters occupy his office, residence

Sri Lankan President’s whereabouts remain uknown; protesters occupy his office, residence

Colombo: Embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s whereabouts was not known after he was moved out of his residence on Friday ahead of Saturday’s protests during which thousands of irate anti-government protesters stormed into his official residence in Colombo. Rajapaksa, who was facing calls for resignation since March, was using the President’s House as his […]

Boris Johnson quits as British PM

Boris Johnson quits as British PM

London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned Thursday, acknowledging that it was “clearly the will” of his party that he should go. He stepped down immediately as leader of his Conservative Party but plans to remain as prime minister while the leadership contest is held. He said he has appointed a new Cabinet following a […]

Covid concern again, new sub-variant in India; Cases on rapid rise globally, says WHO

Covid concern again, new sub-variant in India; Cases on rapid rise globally, says WHO

GENEVA: A new sub-lineage BA.2.75 of the Omicron variant has been detected in countries including India, said the World Health Organization (WHO). “In countries like India, a new sub-lineage has been detected, which we’re following, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “On Covid-19, globally reported cases have increased nearly 30 per cent over the past […]