Protesters in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo continue to occupy the offices of the president and prime minister for a second consecutive day, vowing they will stay put until both officially have resigned. Determined to see the country’s top leaders step down amid an unprecedented economic crisis, thousands of people stormed the president’s residence on Saturday and later set fire to the prime minister’s house, forcing the two leaders into hiding. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he will leave office once a new government is in place, while Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 73, would step down as president on Wednesday. But protesters are refusing to […]
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has agreed to step down next week, an official said, after protesters stormed the presidential palace and set fire to the prime minister’s home to vent their anger over a worsening economic crisis. Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said in a televised statement on Saturday that Rajapaksa has agreed to resign on July 13. “The decision to step down on July 13 was taken to ensure a peaceful handover of power,” Abeywardena said. “I therefore request the public to respect the law and maintain peace.” The news of president’s decision triggered an eruption of celebratory fireworks in parts of the capital, Colombo. Al Jazeera’s Minelle […]
Protesters in Sri Lanka have marked 50 days of their campaign that calls for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters to stop them from heading towards the President’s house. Rajapaksa has refused to resign and is battling the protests amid the worst economic crisis the country has faced since independence in 1948. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo, Sri Lanka. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #SriLankaProtests #GalleFaceProtests #GoHomeRajapaksas
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been forced to resign after a day of violence saw five people including a ruling party member of parliament dead, with reports emerging of people attacking properties linked to the ruling party across the island nation. Shots were fired from inside the Sri Lankan prime minister’s official residence on Monday, as thousands of protesters breached the main gate and torched a parked truck. Nearly 150 people were wounded on Monday after supporters of the government armed with sticks and clubs attacked peaceful protesters. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – […]
Doctors in Sri Lanka are warning of a critical shortage of life-saving drugs and medical supplies as the country faces a worsening economic crisis. The health ministry had instructed state hospitals to cut down on non-essential surgeries and medical procedures and minimise the use of products like syringes and gauze. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #SriLankaCrisis #SriLankaHospitals #SriLankaShortages
Sri Lankans are continuing to demand President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation, with thousands rallying in the capital, Colombo, saying neither he nor members of his family could be trusted to steer the country out of its deepening economic crisis. At the Galle Face Green on Colombo’s waterfront on Saturday, students, teachers, lawyers, actors and architects – many of whom said they were protesting for the first time – chanted “madman Gota” and “Go home Gota”, in a reference to the president’s nickname, as they gathered under a blistering sun. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us […]
Sri Lanka’s cabinet members have resigned en masse from their positions, the education minister said, as anti-government protests escalated despite curfews. All 26 ministers aside from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down during a late-night meeting on Sunday, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told reporters. The move came after thousands of people defied a weekend curfew on Sunday to protest across the island and demand the resignation of the Rajapaksa family, which returned to power in November 2019. Al Jazeera’s Andrew Chappelle reports. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our […]
People in Sri Lanka are demanding their government address the crippling economic crisis. Prosters say if the govenrment can’t handle the food and fuel shortages — there should be elections for a new government. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Nugegoda, Sri Lanka. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #SriLanka #SriLankaProtests #SriLankaEconomicCrisis
Tuesday’s protests came as the government is heavily in debt and struggling to pay for essential imports. The 2019 Easter bombings on churches and hotels killed 270 people and hit vital tourism revenue. The pandemic which followed further hampered recovery. Analysts blame unsustainable debt, low revenue, a foreign exchange crisis, financial mismanagement and corruption for aggravating dire problems. After months of rejecting calls to seek an international bailout, the government appears ready to seek help. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from one of the main demonstrations in Colombo, Sri Lanka. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check […]
A cargo ship carrying tonnes of toxic chemicals and plastic is sinking off Sri Lanka’s west coast, threatening to spill oil into the surrounding waters. Conservationists have described it as one of Sri Lanka’s worst environmental disasters after plastic pellets from the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl washed up on shore. The ship had been on fire since May 20 before the blaze was extinguished. Rescue teams had been trying to tow the ship out to the deep sea when it began to sink off Sri Lanka’s main port of Colombo. The disaster threatens the country’s fishing and tourism industry. Al Jazeera’s Charlotte Bellis reports. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe […]
