Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal on Monday accepted a legal challenge against newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet, deepening the political crisis that enters its second month in the island country, local media reported.

The court accepted the petition filed by 122 legislators against Rajapaksa and 48 others who have been named as ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers in the new government appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The case is to be taken up for preliminary hearing on Friday.

25 Nov 2018; AFP: President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday reignited the power struggle that has crippled Sri Lanka's government for more than a month, vowing never to reappoint arch-rival Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

Wickremesinghe's party has a majority in parliament and Sirisena's bid to bring back the country's former strongman Mahinda Rajapakse has already failed.

14 Nov 2018; AFP: Sri Lanka's parliament on Wednesday voted out the bitterly disputed government of former strongman Mahinda Rajapakse, removing one controversial figure but leaving the country in a power vacuum.

The island nation has been in crisis since the president sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on October 26 and replaced him with Rajapakse, who served as president until being voted out three years ago.

COLOMBO, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's party, the United National Party (UNP), said Saturday it would file a case in the Supreme Court against the early dissolution of parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena.

UNP Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera told journalists in a media briefing here that the party would early next week file a challenge in the Supreme Court, calling the president's decision to dissolve parliament "illegal."

9 Nov 2018; AFP: Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday dissolved parliament and called a snap election after failing to gain enough support for his nominee for prime minister, deepening the island's political crisis with a gamble deemed illegal by the ousted premier's party.

Sirisena sparked the two week-old drama last month by sacking Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and naming Mahinda Rajapakse -- the country's authoritarian president from 2005 until 2015 -- as his replacement.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s president has summoned Parliament to meet next week as pressure grows for him to resolve the turmoil set off when he sacked the Cabinet last week, his chosen prime minister said Thursday.

President Maithripala Sirisena made the decision a day after meeting with Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who previously warned of possible violence if lawmakers were not summoned immediately.

Colombo, Oct 28 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday said that Ranil Wickremesinghe was sacked due to his "arrogant" behaviour, and asserted that former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa has been made the new premier in strict accordance with the Constitution.

In his first address to the nation after the dramatic move to sack Wickremesinghe on Friday night, Sirisena said Wickremsinghe's political conduct since the victory in 2015 was unbecoming.

Colombo, Oct 27; PTI: Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday suspended the parliament till November 16 after sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sought an emergency session to prove his majority, deepening the political crisis in the island nation.

Sirisena's move is seen as an effort to allow former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa to buy more time to seek majority in the parliament.

COLOMBO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has claimed the top spot in the world's leading travel guide, the Lonely Planet as the best travel destination in 2019, local media reported Tuesday.

Sri Lanka topped the list of best countries to visit primarily because travel has become much easier in the island country since the civil war ended in 2009, the Lonely Planet said.

Sri Lanka ranked first followed by Germany and Zimbabwe.

Colombo, Sep 26; PTI:  An Indian national who was aware of an alleged plot to assassinate Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has been arrested, a court was told.

The Indian national, identified as M Thomas by Lankan media, was arrested on Tuesday from the residence of the Anti Corruption Movement operations director Namal Kumara, who exposed the assassination plot, CID Chief Inspector Ranjith Munasinghe informed the Fort Magistrate Court.