Sri Lanka crisis Highlights: Nationwide curfew imposed until Thursday morning

Sri Lanka imposes nationwide curfew until Thursday morning, reports Reuters

Police fire tear gas and use water cannons to disperse protestors near Speaker's residence close to Parliament, according to local media. 

Sri Lanka president and prime minister informs Parliament speaker to nominate prime minister who is acceptable to both government and opposition, reports Reuters citing official statement.

Hundreds of protestors have broken the first line of barricades set up outside parliament while forces are firing tear gas to disperse the crowds, Daily Mirror reported. Protests are swelling, calling for the ouster of President Rajapaksa -- who fled the country Wednesday -- and Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

A 26-year-old died of breathing issue after bein tear-gassed by the police during protests poutside the Prime Minister's house. 

The current crisis in Sri Lanka provides an opportunity to both rebuild the nation economically and fulfill the aspirations of the Tamil people, refugees from the island nation said here on Wednesday.

Before he fled Sri Lanka on Wednesday amid a crushing economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the last of six members of the country's most influential family still clinging to power. Read More

Sri Lanka's military and the police on Wednesday requested the Speaker of Parliament to call an all-party leaders' meeting and inform them of the steps they will take to ensure a political resolution to the "current conflict" in the run up to the appointment of a new president, reported PTI.

Escaping Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa faced protests in the Maldives Wednesday with dozens of compatriots urging Male not to provide him safe heaven, according to AFP report.

Sri Lanka's defence chief, General Shavendra Silva, said on Wednesday the armed forces and police would respect the constitution, and called for calm after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives, Reuters reported.

"We have requested political leaders to decide the way forward till a new president is sworn in and notify us and the public by this evening," Silva said. 

Lanka IOC, the unit of India's biggest oil firm, has asked all its 216 petrol pumps in Sri Lanka to maintain a separate fuel stockpile for supply to ambulances in the crisis-hit island nation. The company, which is a subsidiary of state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), is operating all its petrol pumps normally and is provisioning to meet the increased rush, Lanka IOC Managing Director Manoj Gupta told PTI.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who left for Maldives early this morning is to leave for Singapore later today, ANI quotes Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror citing sources

Four protesters agitating against the Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led government in Sri Lanka were hospitalised after receiving injuries during a clash at Galle Face Green park here early on Wednesday.

The injured, who are residents of Colombo and Wellampitiya, were aged between 17 and 20 years, the Daily Mirror reported citing sources.

More than 30 people have been injured and hospitalised during protest at Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office, Newswire reported.

Acting President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday said there was a fascist threat to democracy in the country and vowed to restore normalcy as well as stop the destruction of state property, hours after anti-government protesters stormed his office. Read more

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the military and police "to do what is necessary to restore order", he said in a televised statement Wednesday after protesters stormed his office, AFP reported. The demonstrators "want to stop me from discharging my responsibilities as acting president", he added. "We can't allow fascists to take over."

Sri Lanka's Catholic church Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith on Wednesday appealed for peace and requested all parties to act with restraint, warning that external forces could intervene in the country's internal affairs during this vulnerable situation. Cardinal Ranjith also called for the people to remain as they are, and to support the ongoing struggle, PTI quoted News First Lanka portal.

The situation in crisis-hit Sri Lanka worsened on Wednesday as the agitation intensified wit the fleeing of embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa while handing over charges to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. According to latest reports from local media, the anti-government demonstrators stormed into Wickremesinghe's office, hours after he was named as acting president. Full report

Amid the pandemonium in Sri Lanka following President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country, state-run television channel Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation (SLRC) went off air temporarily on Wednesday. The step was taken after protestors stormed into the office premises and demanded that news on "anti-government" stir and entertainment programmes only be shown, local media reported. Read more

Thousands of anti-government protesters stormed into Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office Wednesday, hours after he was named as acting president. In a video shared by news agency ANI, the protesters are seen inside the PM's residence with the Lankan flags.

Former cricket captain Sanath Jayasuriya tweets,“Imagine Mr Bean brought into the team despite selectors rejected him because he is an ACTOR & not a cricketer! However, not only does he play when umpire rules him out refuses to leave the crease ! No more games. Last man has no chance to bat alone in cricket. Leave GRACEFULLY”

Sri Lanka's anti-government protesters broke into the main state television station Wednesday and briefly took over broadcasts, footage showed. An unidentified man barged into the studio of Rupavahini network during a live programme and ordered that only protest-related news should be broadcast. The transmission was cut off and replaced with a recorded programme, AFP reported.

Protestors breach the premises of Sri Lankan PM's office in Colombo, raise flag atop the building. 

Sri Lanka President to give his resignation today, while a new President to be elected on July 20, reported NewsWire, citing the speaker of country's Parliament.

The Maldives' Foreign Ministry refused to comment on Rajapaksa's arrival in the country along with his wife and two security officers on board a military aircraft that took off from Colombo’s main international airport.

India on Wednesday rejected the “baseless and speculative” reports of New Delhi facilitating Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's travel to Maldives on late Tuesday. The Indian High Commission in Colombo said that India will continue to support the people of Sri Lanka “as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values , established democratic institutions and constitutional framework”. Read more

Sri Lankan protesters have now stormed the prime minister's office, Lankan media NewsWire shared video on its Twitter handle.

US Embassy in Sri Lanka cancels its all consular services for today & tomorrow amid fresh protests, ANI reported.

The Sri Lankan military has now upped teargas shelling to disperse protesters in Colombo. Pictures shared by news agency ANI show protesters on streets as the forces try to control the situation. 

The Sri Lanka government has declared a state of emergency after embattled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled late Tuesday night to Maldives, news agency AFP said citing sources within prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office. "The prime minister, as acting president, has declared a state of emergency (countrywide) and imposed a curfew in the western province," the PM's media secretary, Dinouk Colombage, told news agency Reuters. Full story

After Rupavahini, another Sri Lankan broadcaster ITN has suspended its telecast amid protests across the country, Lankan media reported.

Sri Lanka’s president has fled the country and the prime minister has promised to resign in the face of massive protests and the economy’s collapse. To get up to speed, here’s a short FAQ with the key facts.

Sri Lanka's national TV channel Rupavahini Corporation goes off-air as it suspends its telecasts amid its premises being surrounded by protesters in Colombo, ANI quotes Lankan media.

Sri Lanka opposition leader Sajith Premadasa - nominated this week as a candidate to replace president Gotabaya Rajapaksa - has criticised prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for declaring an emergency. He said only the president could make this call and the PM could only do so as 'acting president' - a post he does not hold at this time since Rajapaksa has not formally resigned. Read more

Protests continue across Sri Lanka amid president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country and emergency being declared by the acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe. In this video shared by news agency ANI, the Lankan military is firing tear gas shells on the protesters.