Six-time prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as crisis-wracked Sri Lanka’s new president by the country’s parliament yesterday, with the backing of the party of the ex-leader -- who fled abroad after his palace was stormed by protesters.

New Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s election yesterday is the fulfilment of a lifetime’s ambition for a veteran political operator who is the nephew of one of his predecessors.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s determined steps against terrorism and extremism have been instrumental in ensuring peace both “inside and outside” Bangladesh, Himanta Biswa Sarma, chief minister of the Indian state of Assam, has said.

Sri Lankan lawmakers chose six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president Wednesday to succeed the ousted leader who fled the country in a vote that risks reigniting political turmoil in the troubled South Asian island nation.

Sri Lanka’s Parliament will vote by secret ballot Wednesday for a new president to lead the country out of the deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis that toppled the previous leader and has left simmering tensions in the island nation.

Three candidates were nominated yesterday to replace former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country and resigned last week after protesters overran his residence.

The leader of Sri Lanka’s main opposition party withdrew his candidacy for president on Tuesday, throwing his support to another contender as lawmakers prepared to choose a successor to the ousted leader who fled the country last week.

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan yesterday called again for an early national election after his party seized control of the state assembly in Punjab, the country’s most populous province.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva has cited the example of the unprecedented economic crisis in Sri Lanka to warn other countries that they could also face a similar situation in the face of high debt levels and limited policy space.

Sri Lanka’s acting president renewed the country’s state of emergency yesterday ahead of a parliamentary vote to pick a new head of state -- a poll in which he is a leading candidate.

At least 18 women drowned and dozens more people are missing after an overcrowded boat carrying a Pakistan wedding party capsized yesterday, officials said.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Sunday routed the PML-N by winning at least 15 seats in the crucial by-elections on 20 seats that got vacated after the disqualification of PTI members who had voted for Hamza Shehbaz for Punjab chief minister’s office.

Sri Lanka’s protest movement reached its 100th day yesterday, having forced one president from office and now turning its sights on his successor as the country’s economic crisis continues.

The Indian government has convened an all-party meeting on July 19 to discuss the current economic turmoil in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan parliament yesterday met to begin choosing a new leader to serve the rest of the current term after the president fled abroad and resigned following mass protests over the country’s economic collapse.

Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled overseas this week to escape a popular uprising against his government, has said he took "all possible steps" to avert the economic crisis that has engulfed the island nation.

India is happy that Bangladesh is making all-round progress and moving fast on the path of development – adopting modernisation, secularism and empowerment of women, the country’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said. He also asked Pakistan to take a cue from Bangladesh.

Sri Lankan lawmakers met Saturday to begin choosing a new leader to serve the rest of the term abandoned by the president who fled abroad and resigned after mass protests over the country’s economic collapse.

Sri Lanka’s parliament accepted the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday after he fled the country, paving the way for lawmakers to start repairing the island’s shattered politics and resume efforts to ease its economic crisis.

Sri Lanka's top court on Friday barred former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa from leaving the country without permission until July 28, anti-corruption group Transparency International Sri Lanka said.