Sri Lanka Crisis: Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation as president to be announced at 7:30am local time, says speaker's office

The Swiss government advised travellers on Wednesday to avoid unnecessary trips to Sri Lanka given the country's political turmoil. "Tourist and other non-urgent travel to Sri Lanka is discouraged (except for air transit via Colombo International Airport)," the Swiss foreign ministry posted on its website, noting the country's declared state of emergency.

On Monday (11th) Sri Lankan PM held a meeting with the Members of the Cabinet. All ministers who participated were of the opinion that as soon as there is an agreement to form an all-party govt, they'll hand over the responsibilities to that govt. Accordingly, the ruling party & opposition must form an all-party government. Acting President & PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to nominate a Prime Minister who is acceptable to both the Government & Opposition: Sri Lanka's PM's Media Division

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was expected to head to Singapore after fleeing to the Maldives in the early hours of Wednesday, a government source in Sri Lanka told Reuters, as protests continued in Colombo. The source, who declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the subject, said Rajapaksa could send his resignation to the speaker of Sri Lankan parliament after landing in Singapore.

Sri Lanka's acting president and prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has asked the speaker of parliament to nominate a new prime minister, his media team said on Wednesday after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country."Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to nominate a prime minister who is acceptable to both the government and opposition," the team said in a statement.

Sri Lankans residing in the Maldives staged a protest on Wednesday against ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.They demanded that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is currently at a resort in the Maldives, be sent back to Sri Lanka, reported Newswire.Video footage shared by a social media user shows Sri Lankans staging a protest in the Maldives' capital, Male.The protesters are seen holding the Sri Lankan national flag and placards with anti-government slogans.

Sri Lanka's ruling party Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna on Wednesday called upon acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the country's armed forces to maintain law and order and appealed to the protesters not to vandalise state or private property. “Violent behaviour of unruly groups must be taken into serious consideration. In doing so, we pledge our fullest support to these efforts,” Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said in a statement.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President in accordance with the Article 37.1 of the Constitution, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhane said today.He said in a special statement that the President informed him that the Prime Minister was appointed as the Acting President as he was away from the country, the Daily Mirror reported

A 26-year-old protestor who was hospitalized after being tear-gassed outside the Prime Minister's Office in Flower Road today has died after developing breathing difficulties. The protestor was receiving treatment in a private hospital in Colombo: Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror

During the current crisis, China has provided over USD 73 million of aid and recently sent a large shipment of rice but for inexplicable reasons did not provide the large-scale monetary assistance sought by the Rajapaksas and their pleas to defer repayment of Chinese loans. China supports relevant financial institutions in discussing with Sri Lanka and properly resolving them. We also stand ready to work with relevant countries and international financial institutions to continue to play an active role in Sri Lanka's overcoming current difficulties, easing debt burden and realising sustainable development," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

While China has so far maintained a conspicuous silence on the dramatic fall of Sri Lanka's pro-Beijing Rajapaksa brothers, experts have warned that the current chaos in Colombo will have a “big impact” on the country's close ties and its large-scale infrastructure investments in the strategically located island nation. “In the short run, there will be a big impact on China's relations with Sri Lanka because the influence of the Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka's political circles will be undermined and a political comeback will be unlikely in the near future,” Lin Minwang, a South Asia expert at Fudan University in Shanghai said as quoted by Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Tuesday.

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.In a statement, Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva made "a special appeal" to the people, especially the youth, to support the three forces -- Army, Navy and Air Force -- and the police to maintain law and order in the county.He urged protesters not to vandalise state or private property.