The protesters left the main anti-government protest camp at Galle Face promenade where they had been staging sit-ins since April 9, branding it as the 'Gota go home village' (Rajapaksa go home).
Rajapaksa's decision was to ensure public security and maintain essential services so as to ensure a smooth functioning of the country, the presidential media division said.
On July 9, protesters occupied President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidential palace and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private house. The Prime Minister's Office was overrun on Wednesday.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed as the country's acting president after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on a military jet on Wednesday in the face of a public revolt against his government for mishandling the economy that has bankrupted the country.
The violence occurred following reports on Monday that Mahinda Rajapksa may offer to stand down as Prime Minister.
Ten days after announcing his retirement from international cricket, batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa made himself available to play for Sri Lanka "for years to come."
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his former army chief Sarath Fonseka were responsible for alleged war crimes and killing of Tamil civilians during the last phase of the 30-year-old civil war, according to a secret United States cable made public by WikiLeaks.
While Sri Lanka's state media chose to ignore Sarath Fonseka's release from prison, pro-government newspapers said on Tuesday that the former army chief had become a "political pawn" in the hands of foreign countries against President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka's new Finance Minister Ali Sabry on Tuesday resigned, a day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed him after sacking his brother Basil Rajapaksa amidst the island nation's worst economic crisis.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday fired Basil Rajapaksa from his post and invited the Opposition parties to join a unity Cabinet to tackle the raging public anger against the hardships caused by the economic crisis.
United Arab Emirates spinner Karthik Meiyappan dismissed Sri Lanka's Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and captain Dasun Shanaka to claim a hat-trick in the Twenty20 World Cup Group A match.
'They wanted the army commander to arrest me and he told the air force commander to put air force people at their airport take over their airport they sent the army to all broadcasting stations and television stations... they sent all the people on leave; they had only some people and the army these were indications of a military coup,' Fonseka told television channel NewsX.
Wickremesinghe will resign after an all-party government is established and the majority is secured in Parliament.
Glimpses of the protests in Colombo against the worsening economic crisis
Hasaranga claimed three wickets in one over and Pramod Madushan claimed a career-best 4-34 to bowl out Pakistan for 147 in exactly 20 overs.
There is no change in Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa's game plan in dealing with Indian leaders -- agree with what they say and carry on as before. Thus, we can expect the 'un-reconciled' reconciliation process in the island-nation to drag on further, says Col R Hariharan
A top Sri Lankan official, who claimed before a parliamentary panel that Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly influenced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to award a wind power project to the Adani Group in this island nation, resigned on Monday, a day after retracting his earlier statement.
"No petrol, no gas, no milk powder, no electricity", "Go home Gota", placard carrying protestors were then seen walking towards the Rajapaksa private residence in Colombo at Pangiriwatte Lane.
According to General Sarath Fonseka's retirement letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, it all boils down to the government's fears of a military coup and its mistrust of Sri Lanka's first and only serving four-star general.
Sri Lankan protesters have vowed to continue their struggle for a complete change of the system by abolishing the presidency, as the popular uprising that ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President marked the 100th day on Sunday.
On May 9, violence erupted in Sri Lanka after supporters of the 76-year-old former premier attacked peaceful anti-government protesters demanding his ouster over the country's worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power.
Rajapaksa said China indicated that it would help Sri Lanka, while adding that "usually they don't like" lending out more money to cover earlier debt payments.
Just when things looked to go well for Pakistan, Shadab dropped Bhanuka Rajapaksa at long on off Haris.
A Sri Lankan parliamentarian of the ruling party of the Rajapaksas and his personal security officer were killed on Monday in clashes between anti- and pro-government protesters in the country.
Glimpses of the continued protests in Sri Lanka against the worsening economic conditions and the Rajapaksas.
Thousands of protesters in Colombo broke through police barricades and stormed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in the Sri Lankan capital, demanding he resign and accept responsibility for the island's gravest economic crisis that has caused thousands of Sri Lankans to live on one meal a day.
This is the first appointment made by President Wickremesinghe on his first day in office.
Punjab went into the 2023 mini auction with the maximum purse and spent most of their money on England all-rounder Sam Curran, making him the costliest buy in IPL history at Rs 18.50 crore.
After nearly two days of political deadlock, the stakeholders are engaged in prolonged talks to try and appoint a successor to Mahinda Rajapaksa.
'Never expected, and never in history, not a single country has extended that kind of assistance'
glimpses of the aftermath of Monday's mayhem after pro-government supporters attacked opponents of the Rajapaksa regime in Colombo.
A statement issued by the presidential media division on Friday said an extremist group was behind the unrest near President Rajapaksa's residence in Mirihana.
His whereabouts was unknown as protesters have now occupied both his office and official residence.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said winning the Asia Cup will help the team's preparation for next month's Twenty20 World Cup.
Rulers in New Delhi and their political aides in sensitive states like Tamil Nadu have to be doubly careful not to provoke a situation whose consequences may be much more than visible now to the naked eye, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
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.
Ppolitical experts in Colombo said the ministers came under intense pressure from the public over the government's alleged "mishandling" of the economic crisis, triggered by the shortage in the foreign exchange reserve.
Full list of players released, retained and traded by all ten teams in the IPL.
Eyewitnesses said that a section of the protesters had remained for the all-night vigil.
During the 13-minute special session, Dhammika Dassanayake, ecretary general of Parliament, announced the vacancy for the post of president.
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