Ranil Wickremesinghe  

Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said the airport built with Indian assistance marks an important development for the region as well as the whole of Sri Lanka. Alliance Air (the subsidiary of Air India) launched a flight to the airport with invitees from the aviation industry

The motion, moved by the Marxist JVP, against Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's government was defeated by a vote of 119-92 after two days of debate

Before paying obeisance to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara, the 73-year-old Wickremesinghe performed ages-old 'Tulabharam' ritual. This is his fourth visit to the ancient shrine
 

A seven-member apex court bench said that the President cannot dissolve Parliament till it completes a 4 1/2 year term. Authorities beefed up the security around the Supreme Court and deployed the elite special task force in the area

The Sri Lankan Parliament passed a motion with a majority of 117 out of 225 members in favour of ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

The Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday overturned President Maithripala Sirisena's controversial decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls on January 5.

The political crisis in the country began when Maithripala Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and named former President Mahinda Rajapakse as the premier on October 26. However, Wickremesinghe has refused to leave the official residence

Political turmoil in the island nation was triggered late on October 26 when Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena appointed his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. It was opposed by Ranil Wickremesinghe, who insists he's still in charge. The two are now set to face off in parliament in a confidence vote.

From India-assisted housing projects in Jaffna to the Tamil issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremsinghe held talks on a gamut of bilateral issues, pledging to enhance mutual cooperation in various fields. Emphasis on the immediate neighbourhood has been a hallmark of the Modi government's foreign policy right from the day of the current premier's oath-taking ceremony in 2014.