Five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was reappointed on Thursday in an effort to bring stability to the island nation, engulfed in a political and economic crisis.

Sri Lanka’s president swore in a new prime minister yesterday to replace his brother, who was banned from leaving the country after his supporters launched violent attacks on a protest against the nation’s dire economic crisis.

Five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be reappointed on Thursday in an effort to bring stability to the island nation, engulfed in a political and economic crisis, a party official said.

A Sri Lankan court on Thursday banned former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his politician son Namal and 15 allies from leaving the country over violence against anti-government demonstrators.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Wednesday he would appoint a new prime minister and cabinet this week, after his elder brother and former premier Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned following deadly violence in the country.

Sri Lanka’s economy will “collapse” unless a new government is urgently appointed, the central bank chief warned yesterday, as security forces fanned out on the streets to restore order after spasms of mob violence. 

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the possibility of holding general elections prior to the appointment of a new army chief cannot be ruled out.

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka today refuted speculative Sri Lankan media reports about India sending its troops to Colombo, saying India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka’s democracy, stability and economic recovery.

Sri Lanka's president urged people on Wednesday to reject what he called attempts to foment racial and religious disharmony, as clashes broke out in many parts of the country over the government's handling of a devastating economic crisis.

Sri Lanka’s defence ministry yesterday ordered troops to shoot on sight people involved in looting or damaging property, a day after mobs targeted the homes of ruling-party politicians.

Protesters and a key trade group in Sri Lanka called for a new government to take control of the crisis-hit country on Tuesday as the president called for calm a day after clashes killed eight people, pushing his brother to quit as prime minister.

Sri Lanka's Mahinda Rajapaksa - who resigned as prime minister after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters and sparked a day of violence - will not flee the country, his son told AFP.

Protesters today blocked entry to the airport in Sri Lanka to bar lawmakers from leaving the country following a spree of violent protests across the island nation, local media reported.

Sri Lanka's former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family have taken shelter at a naval base at the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee district, as deadly protests continue amid the country's worst-ever economic crisis, NDTV reports.

Sri Lanka gave emergency powers on Tuesday to its military and police to detain people without warrants, after a day of clashes that killed seven people and injured more than 200, in violence that prompted Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa quit yesterday, as an outbreak of political violence killed five people including an MP and wounded almost 200.

Two people including an MP from the ruling party died and at least 139 were injured on Monday in a day of violence in Sri Lanka, police and hospital officials said.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today stepped down following nationwide protests, amid an unprecedented economic crisis the nation is facing, reports Deccan Herald citing local media and agencies.

Sri Lankan energy companies said on Monday they were running low on stocks of liquid petroleum gas mainly used in cooking, as shortages of foreign exchange put renewed pressure on the island nation.

A Nepali sherpa scaled Mount Everest for a record 26th time, beating his own previous record set last year, a government official said on Sunday.