The Sri Lankan president had dissolved the parliament on Saturday and ordered fresh polls on April 2
Closely following Air Sahara, premier private carrier Jet Airways said on Friday that it was already "operationally equipped" to commence international operations and connect Indian metros with Sri Lanka.\n\n\n\n
Some 404 houses were handed over to the Indian-origin people, mostly Tamils.
Rajapaksa arrived in Thailand with three other people on a chartered flight from Singapore at Wing 6 of the military airport adjacent to Don Mueang International Airport around 8 pm local time on Thursday.
Sri Lanka's ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa left Singapore for Thailand after his short-term visit pass expired on Thursday, according to a media report.
They assured that they will 'not try to topple the government' despite a ruling coalition partner threatening to quit over the issue.
The presidential secretariat which was occupied by the protesters from July 9 till Friday last is re-opened and the staff reported to work on Monday, officials said.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met behind closed doors for about two hours, but neither side showed signs of compromise, the sources said.
Pakistan have assured maximum security to the touring Sri Lankan cricket team after reports of a possible terrorist threat had put the limited over series in jeopardy.
President Kumaratunga has embroiled the nation in a crisis by sacking three ministers and suspending parliament.
The Sri Lankan prime minister also vowed to reopen Parliament, which was suspended on Tuesday by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
``We have full faith in the prime minister,'' declared Labor Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, quoting from a a letter signed by 124 of the nation's 225 MPs.
Sri Lanka's main Opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) on Tuesday handed over to the parliamentary Speaker motions of no-confidence against the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) coalition government and embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, even as the government announced the appointment of a cabinet sub-committee to look into the proposal for a new Constitution.
In a bid to further boost the growing bilateral trade, Sri Lanka is seeking to upgrade its free trade agreement with India to include services and investments, officials said in Colombo.
The academy is currently under construction in the central Sri Lankan town of Kandy
It was unhappy with the government's proposals on ways to rebuild war-hit Tamil parts of the country.
Riled by Sri Lanka's request to defer the planned docking of a high-tech Chinese research vessel at the strategic Hambantota Port, China on Monday took a dig at India, saying it was "senseless to pressure" Colombo by citing the issue of security concerns.
The prime minister, however, made it clear that he will not discuss the president's proposal to form a government of national unity.
In a letter to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, the LTTE said it was committed to a negotiated settlement to the war, but demanded that progress be made before proceeding.
The 73-year-old leader on Thursday emailed his resignation letter to the Speaker soon after he was allowed by Singapore to enter the city-state on a "private visit".
'No one in Sri Lanka could afford to stay at home, everyone came onto the street.'
Sri Lanka's former World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga says the administration of the game in the country is 'disgusting' and he has stopped following the national team for this reason.
Sri Lanka's former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, who is the youngest brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was stopped from boarding a flight to Dubai on Monday evening, local media reported.
Wishing the Sri Lankan team ahead of their quarter-final clash against South Africa, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned the Angelo Mathews-led side to "keep an eye on Proteas skipper AB de Villiers" who has been in rampaging form in the tournament.
The ex-president returned to Sri Lanka on a Singapore Airlines flight.
During the 13-minute special session, Dhammika Dassanayake, ecretary general of Parliament, announced the vacancy for the post of president.
Rajapaksa was appointed as the premier on October 26 by President Maithripala Sirisena after sacking Ranil Wickremesinghe, plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis.
'The worry among many international actors is whether there will be stability to provide assistance to the government because the political developments in the last few months are a real concern.'
Wickremesinghe will resign after an all-party government is established and the majority is secured in Parliament.
Security has been beefed up in Sri Lanka as the army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300.
Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka, made the announcement of the beginning of the flights during his address at the inauguration of the International Vesak Day, the biggest festival of Buddhists.
Sri Lankan security forces raided the main anti-government protest camp at the President's Secretariat in Colombo early on Friday, arresting nine people and injuring several others, as the protesters continued to occupy the sensitive area despite the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as president.
New Delhi has a chance to rid itself of its image as the bully in the subcontinent by helping a neighbour tackle problems that India, for once, has no role in creating. It should grab the opportunity with both hands, suggests Aditi Phadnis.
Sri Lankans were on the edge on Tuesday as they waited whether embattled Gotabaya Rajapaksa will honour his offer to resign as president, amid signs that key members of the erstwhile powerful ruling family were attempting to flee in the face of massive public anger against them for mishandling the economy that has bankrupt the country.
The President had been moved out of his residence on Friday, in anticipation of Saturday's protests.
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