Hundreds of small businesses are collapsing in Sri Lanka – due to the ongoing economic crisis. Getting an International Monetary Fund bailout comes with stringent conditions, including higher interest rates and subsidy cuts – making it difficult for entrepreneurs to survive. It is particularly hard for farmers and fisherman in rural areas. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Palaly, Sri Lanka. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ #SriLanka #SriLankaEconomicCrisis #SriLankaSmallBusinesses #InternationalMonetaryFund #SriLankaEconomy
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 […]
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 […]
