Podcasts about gotabaya rajapaksa

In 2019, Anura Kumara Dissanayake contested Sri Lanka's presidential election against the incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He won only three percent of the vote. In the parliamentary elections a year later, the National People's power – the coalition that includes Dissanayake's party, the Janata Vimukti Peramuna – won only three seats. The JVP was disparaged as the “three percent party.” In 2024, Dissanayake has turned the tables by winning 42 percent of the vote share. Meanwhile, Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former president and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, secured only three percent. Dissanayake's meteoric rise to Sri Lanka's executive presidency, which marks a landmark shift in the country's politics, was powered in large part by the people's struggle or Aragalaya in 2022 and the simmering public dissatisfaction with the political class ever since. In this episode of State of Southasia, Ambika Satkunanathan, a lawyer and former commissioner of human rights in Sri Lanka, explains how sections of the populace, including the Tamil minority, are wary of Dissanayake, given the JVP's history of violent insurrections in the 1980s and its leftist economic outlook. However, she says, he has made the right moves in reaching out to business communities and showing an eagerness to work with everyone. State of Southasia releases a new interview every four weeks. This podcast is now available on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple podcasts and Youtube.

Domani, 21 settembre, un paese allo stremo si reca alle urne, per decidere il proprio futuro. In ballo c'è un cambiamento netto da un punto di vista politico, enormi problematiche economiche e due potenze regionali alla finestra. Ma comunque andranno, per lo Sri Lanka saranno elezioni storiche. Le fonti audio sono tratte da: Sri Lankan protesters storm President Rajapaksa's residence, canale YouTube trtworld, 9 luglio 2022; Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's 2016 Sinhala, canale YouTube Mahinda Rajapaksa, 13 aprile 2016; Parked van explodes near bombed Sri Lanka church, canale YouTube Citynews, 22 aprile 2019; වැඩ කරන අපේ විරුවා, canale YouTube Lsb Mediacorp, 9 ottobre 2019; Address to the nation by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Colombo Gazette, 16 marzo 2022; Sri Lanka Presidential Elections: 52% women voters, yet not one woman contender in upcoming polls, Wion, 2 settembre 2024; Ranil Wickremesinghe's Speech, canale Youtube Neth News, 22 dicembre 2022; සජිවී - විජයග්‍රාහි ජන රැළිය - අනුරාධපුර canale YouTube Sajit Premadasa, 16 settembre 2024; අද මුළු රට, එක මිටකට, සුබ නැකතට, රට අනුරට, canale YouTube Anura Kumara Dissayanake, 26 agosto 2024; ''එක පැයක් මගහරින්නේ නෑ,ක්ෂණිකව අපි දිවුරුම් දීලා,පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරවනවා''- අනුර කුමාර, canale YouTube Newsfirst Sri Lanka, 10 settembre 2024; Namal Rajapaksa on father and ex-Sri Lanka PM Mahinda and current state of his country, canale YouTube The Week, 22 giugno 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Le 9 Juillet 2022, le monde entier assistait à un spectacle plutôt rare : des dizaines de milliers de manifestants Sri Lankais, agriculteurs, étudiants, jeunes, travailleurs, mettaient en fuite le président Gotabaya Rajapaksa et prenait d'assaut son palais. Parvenus à l'intérieur du bâtiment, soit au cœur symbolique du pouvoir, les occupants décident alors de se réapproprier son luxe et sa démesure en poussant de la fonte dans la salle de sport présidentielle ou en organisant des concours de plongeons dans la piscine personnelle du chef de l'État. Si les images de cette mise en commun spontanée et populaire ont réjoui et amusé la planète entière, nous nous sommes entretenu avec une activiste Sri Lankaise active dans le mouvement afin qu'elle nous raconte les différentes étapes du soulèvement [1].Au vu de la situation française, nous la mettons en ligne dans la précipitation, c'est-à-dire en anglais.

Troisième épisode de notre série « nouvelles routes de la soie, dix ans après » au Sri Lanka et plus précisément au sud de l'île au 22 millions d'habitants, l'ancien fief du président déchu Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Coup de projecteur sur le port d'Hambantota, construit avant le lancement des « nouvelles routes de la soie » et devenu au fil du temps le symbole des dérives mégalomaniaques des Rajapakse, qui ont plongé le pays dans le chaos et l'une des pires crises économiques et politiques de son histoire. Pour rejoindre la pointe Sud de l'île depuis la capitale Colombo, il ne faut désormais plus que 3h30. Flambant neuve, inaugurée en 2015, l'extension de l'autoroute du Sud financée et construite par les Chinois est tout un symbole. La première autoroute du pays, qui relie aujourd'hui les ports de Colombo et d'Hambantota et les deux aéroports internationaux de Colombo et de Mattala, fait partie des nombreux projets d'infrastructures développés à coup de milliards de dollars de crédit, et aujourd'hui sous le label des « nouvelles routes de la soie ».Le cas du port en eau profonde d'Hambantota est encore plus emblématique. Pour rembourser une partie de ses dettes, le Sri Lanka a dû accorder une concession de 99 ans sur les activités commerciales du port à une entreprise publique chinoise (CMPH). Ces projets sont qualifiés « d'éléphant blanc », une expression tirée d'une légende thaïe pour désigner tous ces investissements démesurés qui ont contribué à ruiner le pays. Et dans le cas d'Hambantota, à exacerber le conflit entre l'homme et la faune sauvage.Un écosystème chambouléDepuis la construction du port d'Hambantota, la coexistence ancestrale entre les humains et les éléphants n'est plus du tout pacifique. Début juillet, en seulement trois jours, quatre villageois ont perdu la vie suite à des attaques d'éléphants sauvages. Ces comportements hostiles s'expliquent par la déforestation et la dégradation de l'habitat naturel des pachydermes, qui les obligent à rechercher des ressources vitales en dehors des forêts et des zones protégées. A Hambantota, les villageois rapportent la mort tragique de 17 personnes en un peu plus d'un mois. Au niveau national et selon les données officielles, 2022 a connu une mortalité record avec 145 décès d'humains et 433 décès d'éléphantsA Gonnoruwa, un village à une dizaine de kilomètres au nord du port, Nanini vient d'apprendre la mort de son fils, piétiné par un pachyderme alors qu'il se rendait à son travail. Le jeune homme avait emprunté comme chaque matin un raccourci, créé par l'entreprise qui a construit l'autoroute pour acheminer son matériel et qui traverse une réserve forestière. L'aire censée être une zone protégée est gérée par le bureau de la faune sauvage. Les villageois dénoncent une absence totale de signalisation ou de clôtures électriques pour protéger les humains. Sur ces terres à majorité cinghalaise et bouddhiste et dont près de la moitié des habitants vit en dessous du seuil de pauvreté, la vie ne tient qu'à un fil.Roshan Rajika peut en témoigner. Ce passionné d'environnement reçoit chaque jour des appels de villageois paniqués pour lui signaler la présence d'éléphants dans leurs rizières ou à proximité de leur maison. Une nuit, tous les rouleaux électriques des petits commerces dans un des villages ont été saccagés. Un éléphant affamé était passé par là.Le quadragénaire a filmé des centaines de vidéo de ces créatures majestueuses. Il se souvient du temps où la zone de Karagan Lewaya abritait une riche biodiversité. Autrefois visité par des oiseaux migrateurs et des troupeaux d'éléphants, l'espace est désormais occupé par le complexe portuaire et un gigantesque terrain qui sera transformé à terme en zone industrielle. Roshan en veut beaucoup aux autorités. « Je n'ai rien contre le développement, mais il n'y a eu aucune étude de faisabilité, de protection de la nature ou de stratégie pour éviter le conflit actuel homme-faune. Tous ces projets ont été initiés par notre gouvernement. Quand la construction du port a débuté, les autorités ont bâti des villages pour reloger les fermiers sans tenir compte des éléphants. La construction du port et des nombreux villages a grignoté leur habitat naturel et ce avec la bénédiction des politiciens locaux. »Des éléphants blancsC'est aussi l'avis de Saman Sudarashana, le secrétaire de l'association des fermiers de la région, qui dénonce les incohérences du gouvernement. « Notre district compte environ 450 éléphants. Le gouvernement a reconnu la région comme une zone de conservation de l'habitat des éléphants tout en lançant des projets de développement comme l'aéroport de Mattala, l'autoroute, un stade de cricket ou encore un gigantesque centre de conférence. Tout cela a été construit au beau milieu des aires protégées poussant les éléphants à venir se nourrir sur les terres agricoles. » Le secrétaire de l'association souligne le ras-le-bol de la population locale. « Personne ne se soucie de notre bien-être ni de celui des animaux. À cause de tous ces projets mal planifiés, des gens perdent leur vie, des maisons sont saccagées. Et les récoltes, cultivées au prix de nombreux sacrifices, sont détruites. Ce n'est pas la faute des éléphants, ce sont les élus qui ont mal géré la situation. Malgré les fréquentes manifestations et plusieurs grèves de la faim, les fermiers savent qu'ils ne peuvent compter que sur eux-mêmes. Dans cette zone sèche qui souffre de problèmes chroniques d'approvisionnement en eau potable, l'un des enjeux majeurs sera de trouver des financements pour construire un réservoir d'eau pour les éléphants, seule solution viable et durable, estime Saman Sudarashana.Ces éléphants blancs ont non seulement ruiné le pays mais aussi bouleversé la vie de centaines de familles, expropriées de leurs terres et relocalisées à des kilomètres plus au nord en échange de maigres compensations. Piyadasa 75 ans tient une petite épicerie en bord de route. C'est aussi le domicile de sa fille et de ses deux petits enfants. Le septuagénaire vivait à l'emplacement du port et cultivait des noix de cajou bio, destinées à l'export. La production lui permettait de vivre très correctement.  « Avant 2007, nous pouvions subvenir à nos besoins, vivre de notre travail. J'avais près de six hectares de terres cultivables, se souvient-il nostalgique. Aujourd'hui j'ai tout perdu. Je ne gagne que 10% de ce que je gagnais avant. Toute la région s'est transformée en zone semi-urbaine. Près de 180 familles dont une trentaine qui étaient mes voisins sur le site du port ont été relocalisées dans le village. Et je n'ai eu que 3 200 euros de compensation. »Impact économiqueInterrogé sur ce qu'il pense de la famille Rajapaksa, dont Hambantota est le fief ancestral, l'épicier répond sans ambages. « Tous les politiques sont pareils. Vous savez, j'ai des liens familiaux avec les Rajapaksa du côté paternel. Mon père m'a toujours dissuadé de voter pour eux. Il me disait : "les Rajapaksa sont tous des escrocs !" Moi, je suis pour Sajith Premadasa, le chef de l'opposition. Je ne soutiens pas non plus l'actuel président Ranil Wickremesinghe car il a des liens de parenté avec la femme de Mahinda Rajapaksa. Ils sont tous corrompus et se protègent les uns les autres. »Le district d'Hambantota compte environ 600 000 habitants, dont la majorité vit de l'agriculture et de la pêche. Le port de pêche avec son marché se situe à environ 3 km à vol d'oiseau du port international d'Hambantota.Le regard fatigué, vêtu d'un sarong et d'une chemise à carreaux, Jaufer Moulana, 57 ans, pêche depuis l'âge de 12 ans. Sa vie aussi a été chamboulée depuis la construction du port en eau profonde, qui se trouve sur la route stratégique des cargos entre l'Europe et l'Extrême-Orient.« Les cargos nous créent pas mal de problèmes. Avant, on pêchait à l'emplacement du port et on attrapait beaucoup de poissons. Aujourd'hui, la Marine nous interdit de nous y attarder à cause du passage des navires. Dans l'idéal, on aimerait pouvoir y aller le soir et rester jusqu'au matin, mais si un navire passe à ce moment-là, nos filets sont détruits. C'est déjà arrivé trois fois cette année. » Jaufer se plaint de l'énorme manque à gagner. « On nous oblige à quitter la zone, avant même d'avoir réussi à attraper assez de poissons. Vous ne pouvez même plus y planter un hameçon ! Je n'arrive plus à rentrer dans mes frais. » Et de fait, ce matin, le pêcheur n'a rien gagné, il n'a même pas pu couvrir ses dépenses d'essence, entre 10 et 15L qu'il a dû acheter à crédit.Pour comprendre ce sentiment d'abandon et l'inaction des élus, nous avons tenté de rencontrer le secrétaire de la mairie du district, M. Sumanasekara. L'entretien sera de courte durée. Le regard fuyant et le ton sec, l'agent du gouvernement a refusé de répondre à nos questions. Il nous a invité à écrire au ministère de l'Information pour obtenir une autorisation.Quand une porte se ferme, une autre s'ouvre, disait le célèbre écrivain espagnol Cervantès. Cette règle ne s'applique malheureusement pas à Hambantota. Sous un faux prétexte, la visite du port géré par la compagnie China Merchants Port Holdings, pourtant acceptée des semaines en amont et avec à l'appui une liste de questions que nous souhaitions poser, a été annulé à la dernière minute. Selon le service de presse du port, la personne dont on n'a jamais eu le nom et qui était chargée de nous faire visiter le port a dû quitter le pays de manière impromptu pour assister à des réunions urgentes.« No Go Zone »Le complexe portuaire ressemble à une base militaire. Les quatre routes menant aux terminaux sont coupées par des check points, truffés de caméras et surveillées par des agents privés et parfois aussi la marine sri-lankaise. Impossible de s'en approcher. Notre chauffeur de tuk-tuk a dû s'arrêter à deux reprises pour un contrôle routier aux abords du complexe portuaire.Un salarié du port a tout de même accepté de répondre à quelques questions par téléphone et sous couvert d'anonymat. Le jeune homme a confirmé que l'activité principale du port était le transbordement de véhicule. Combien de navires accostent le quai ? Entre dix et quinze selon lui, sur les trois derniers mois et les deux premiers de l'année. C'est la période où le trafic est le plus intense. L'écrasante majorité des employés sont des locaux. Tandis que les Chinois, quelques dizaines, travaillent dans le bâtiment de l'administration portuaire, auquel les Sri-Lankais n'ont pas accès.Notre interlocuteur ajoute que les salaires sont satisfaisants et que les repas sont fournis par l'entreprise. Une ombre au tableau toutefois : depuis que le port est géré par les Chinois, les promotions se font très rares et l'incertitude demeure étant donné que les contrats sont renouvelés tous les ans. Globalement et pour conclure, l'employé du port voit un impact plutôt positif sur sa vie et celles des jeunes de son village. Une cinquantaine ont pu être embauchés dans le port.Monsieur 10 %Frappés par une crise économique sans précédent depuis plus d'un an, les villageois résignés, reconnaissent qu'ils ne peuvent compter que sur eux-mêmes. Le malaise est profond à Hambantota. Un mot revient dans toutes nos conversations : la corruption. Une corruption endémique en particulier dans les sphères du pouvoir et autour du clan politique des Rajapaksa.Aruna Kulantuga, économiste politique à Colombo dénonce la cupidité des élites. À titre d'exemple, il cite le nom de l'un des frères de l'ex-président : Basil Rajapaksa, ancien ministre des Finances, communément appelé « Monsieur 10 % ». On l'a affublé de ce surnom en raison des commissions qu'il a perçues sur tous les contrats signés ces dernières années.  Et dans le cas d'Hambantota, l'économiste revient sur un épisode de 2014, lorsque l'ancien gouvernement Sirisena étranglé par les dettes cherchait une issue de secours.« Le coût du crédit pour la construction du port était estimé à 1,2 milliard de dollars. Mais l'entreprise qui a construit le port a révélé que la construction avait coûté 900 millions. Où sont passés les 300 millions restants ? Personne ne le sait. Une enquête diligentée en 2014 et menée jusqu'en 2019 a simplement conclu que tout cet argent avait disparu. Il ne se trouve pas dans le pays, ni même en Chine. Cet argent apparaît sur des comptes à Dubaï ou dans des propriétés luxueuses en Grande-Bretagne. Des centaines de millions de dollars ont été blanchis sans qu'on ait pu apporter des preuves. »Piège de la dette ?En moins de 20 ans, les investissements chinois au Sri Lanka ont augmenté à près de 12 milliards de dollars. Aujourd'hui, le pays doit 10 % de sa dette totale et 20 % de sa dette publique à la Chine seule, soit la plus haute proportion parmi ses nombreux prêteurs.Etranglé par les prêts, Colombo a dû se résoudre à céder à la Chine l'exploitation de son port du Sud pour 99 ans. Hambantota est ainsi devenu l'exemple par excellence en Occident du « piège de la dette », un terme utilisé pour la première fois en juin 2018 dans une enquête du New York Times et qui a depuis été largement diffusé dans la presse occidentale et parmi les chercheurs pour dénoncer la stratégie prédatrice de la Chine. Le cas du Sri Lanka a dans le même temps écorné les grandes ambitions de prospérité véhiculées par Pékin dans sa promotion des mégaprojets associés aux « nouvelles routes de la soie ».Mais pour l'analyste économique Thilina Panduwawala, le terme de « piège de la dette » est inapproprié dans le cas du port d'Hambantota. Son travail de recherche consiste comme il dit à séparer « les mythes de la réalité ». Il revient sur les étapes successives du projet. « Les principaux bailleurs sont les Chinoises Exim Bank et China Development Bank. Les emprunts ont débuté vers l'an 2000. Entre 2007 et 2014, le Sri Lanka a emprunté 1,2 milliard pour la construction du port d'Hambantota. Dès 2016, il devient évident que le pays est incapable de rembourser ses dettes. Ranil Wickremesinghe alors Premier ministre évoque au Parlement le lourd fardeau de la dette. Il décide de louer le port à China Merchants Port Holdings en échange de 930 millions de dollars, afin de renflouer les caisses vides en devises étrangères, et d'éviter de contracter de nouvelles dettes. »C'est à partir de là que l'on commence à parler de confiscation des avoirs par la Chine. Or, en réalité, aucune clause de ce type n'existe dans le contrat, souligne Thilina Panduwawala qui affirme avoir consulté le contrat que lui et son équipe rendront public prochainement. « Le crédit contracté auprès d'Exim Bank continue d'être remboursé, la dette n'a pas été effacée et l'argent perçu par la signature du bail à servi à accroitre les réserves de change », conclut-il.Aruna Kulatunga réfute également la théorie du piège de la dette. Ce dernier explique comment le clan Rajapaksa, tout puissant au sortir de la guerre civile en 2009-2010, a cherché à asseoir sa popularité en se lançant dans des projets trop coûteux. « Si l'on regarde les chiffres, plus de la moitié des emprunts provient de créances privées, c'est-à-dire du marché obligataire, accordés à des taux assez élevés entre 4 et 8 %, tandis que les taux des prêts bilatéraux étaient plutôt bas de l'ordre de 3 ou 4 %. Le leadership de l'époque a été frappé par un égo démesuré. Pour perpétuer cette adoration, ils ont investi tous azimut sans se soucier des conséquences. »Toute la responsabilité repose, selon l'économiste politique, sur les autorités sri-lankaises. « Ce ne sont pas les Chinois qui sont arrivés pour nous dire prenez, prenez l'argent, c'est nous qui avons emprunté. On le sait maintenant, car les données commencent à sortir, que les Chinois nous ont conseillé d'aller doucement, de ne pas nous précipiter. »Principe de neutralitéLe résultat est là. La Chine contrôle désormais le port septentrional et Aruna Kulatunga craint les conséquences géopolitiques de cette situation. « Lorsque vous regardez la carte de l'Asie du Sud, vous voyez un port chinois au Pakistan, au Bangladesh et dans le sud du Sri Lanka. Ces ports forment un triangle parfait qui encercle l'Inde. Notre voisin a donc toutes les raisons de s'inquiéter. Car en cas de confrontation, et c'est possible, on ne peut pas l'exclure, l'Inde sera encerclée. Pourquoi avons-nous accepté cela ? Nous n'aurions jamais dû, ce n'était pas dans notre intérêt. »L'expert rappelle le principe de neutralité que son pays s'est toujours imposé dans l'histoire contemporaine. « Nous n'aurions jamais dû être entraînés dans cette rivalité. Nous aurions dû garder une politique d'ouverture de nos ports, de nos eaux territoriales, de notre espace aérien. Et non pas vendre ou louer. Et puis 99 ans, c'est long ! On dit que le centre d'affaires Port City à Colombo est un bail de 99 ans. En réalité, c'est bien plus : une partie restera chinoise à tout jamais ! »Selon Aruna Kulatunga, la Chine compte prochainement investir 4 milliards de dollars supplémentaires, notamment dans la construction d'une raffinerie de pétrole uniquement destinée à l'export. Parmi les candidats sont cités le Chinois Sinopec, le plus grand raffineur d'Asie, ou encore Aramco, le géant pétrolier saoudien.Pour comprendre l'importance du port d'Hambantota il suffit de regarder une mappemonde. Le port se situe à seulement 10 miles nautiques de la route maritime commerciale Est-Ouest la plus fréquentée au monde. Pour comprendre les enjeux de ce port sur la carte des « nouvelles routes de la soie », nous avons interrogé Yasiru Ranaraja, le directeur de BRI SL. Cette organisation internationale de développement et de conseil s'intéresse de près aux projets en lien avec les « nouvelles routes de la soie » au Sri Lanka et dans la région.« Les navires chinois qui transportent du pétrole passent par le détroit de Malacca. La Chine achète la grande majorité du pétrole à l'Arabie saoudite, ses navires empruntent la route maritime ouest/est qui passe par Hambantota, puis le détroit de Malacca jusqu'à la mer de Chine du Sud. S'il arrivait quelque chose, la Chine aurait un grave problème. »Selon Yasiru Ranaraja, l'initiative chinoise comporte plutôt des aspects positifs pour son pays. « Le Sri Lanka pourrait devenir à l'avenir l'emplacement idéal, une base pour le commerce de l'énergie dans la région. Je pense que le port est stratégiquement important aussi bien pour la Chine que pour nous. Le Parlement sri-lankais avait dès les années 1970 des projets pour ce port, ce n'est donc pas nouveau. »Le district d'Hambantota, considéré comme l'une des régions les plus pauvres du Sri Lanka, a bénéficié d'un flux d'investissements considérables. À ce jour, le port et ses 60 km2 de terrain n'ont pas produit les recettes escomptées. Les activités du complexe portuaire sont encore très loin du rêve de Colombo de transformer l'île en hub régional. Pour développer la région et rendre le port viable et lucratif, Pékin devra injecter dans les prochaines années des milliards de dollars supplémentaires. Des projets titanesques à mille lieux des préoccupations et des attentes de la population.

From the BBC World Service: The International Monetary Fund has approved the release of funds over nine months to support Pakistan's economic stabilization program. It’s a year since former Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled Sri Lanka amidst a huge economic crisis; and although things have improved, high prices are leaving many people struggling to cope. Tennis fans have been glued to coverage of Wimbledon and whilst broadcasters provide gripping commentary for big matches, many of the other games aren’t covered. That’s all about to change, thanks to artificial intelligence.

From the BBC World Service: The International Monetary Fund has approved the release of funds over nine months to support Pakistan's economic stabilization program. It’s a year since former Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled Sri Lanka amidst a huge economic crisis; and although things have improved, high prices are leaving many people struggling to cope. Tennis fans have been glued to coverage of Wimbledon and whilst broadcasters provide gripping commentary for big matches, many of the other games aren’t covered. That’s all about to change, thanks to artificial intelligence.

Last year, thousands of Sri Lankans took to the streets to demand the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whom they blamed for mismanaging the country's finances.Rajapaksa resigned and fled the country. In his place, members of parliament appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe.His government is tasked with lifting the island nation out of its economic collapse.A $2.9bn loan from the International Monetary Fund is crucial, and one person who will play a major role in discussing the terms of the bailout is the country's top diplomat.So what's next for the South Asian nation? Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Ali Sabry, talks to Al Jazeera.Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

After two years of some of the most stringent COVID restrictions in the world, many in China are fed up and are demanding a loosening of the controls - in some cases, even calling out President Xi Jinping. They are running the gauntlet of a surveillance state that comes down hard on dissent.Contributors:Victor Gao - vice president, Center for China and GlobalizationCarl Zha - host, Silk & Steel podcastLizzi Lee - journalist, Wall St TV & Host, Live with Lizzi LeeJosh Chin - deputy China bureau chief, Wall Street JournalOn our radar:An open letter to Washington from five international newspapers says that the United States's demand for Wikileaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange's extradition sets a “dangerous precedent” for freedom of the press.Art in times of turmoil in Sri Lanka:The Sri Lankan protests which forced former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa out of office featured memes, viral videos, songs, dances, cartoons and caricatures. The protest art conveyed what mainstream media could not - or would not: Sri Lankans were done with the Rajapaksas and their corruption.Contributors:Hasini Haputhanthri - cultural sociologistSanjana Hattotuwa - research fellow, The Disinfo ProjectRandy Chriz Perera - artist and animatorVasi Samudra Devi - artist and activistSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

In April 2022, Sri Lanka was gripped by a major economic crisis. Prices were rising sharply, protests started in the capital, Colombo,and spread across the country. Daily power cuts and shortages of basics such as fuel, food and medicines were commonplace. Inflation was running at more than 50%. In July, after months of unrest, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. Three months on, Rahul Tandon asks whether Sri Lanka's economic situation has improved, and explores how the country could improve its fortunes - when everyone wants to leave. Rahul hears from people in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, where there are queues for the passport office, a Colombo business owner, and a Sri Lankan academic now living in the UK who says she's not going back. Presented and produced by Rahul Tandon. (Image: Sri Lankan tea seller in the rain. Credit: Getty)

On the morning of July 9, 2022, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans gathered in front of the country's Presidential Palace. By the afternoon, they had overwhelmed the guards and entered the grounds. The country's President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled the property and ultimately, the country.  It was the culmination of a protest movement known as the ‘Aragalaya' which had been growing for months amidst Sri Lanka's economic crisis and its leaders' corrupt, inept response. For the next few days, surreal images were broadcast around the world of Sri Lankan citizens of all stripes milling throughout the Palace, picnicking on its lawns, and swimming in its pool.  But almost as surprising as the images was how quickly, within weeks, the country seemed to revert to the status quo.  Or did it?  On this episode, Dan Richards talks with Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, an expert on Sri Lankan politics and founder of the Center for Policy Alternatives in Sri Lanka. He explains where the crisis came from, what led to the surreal protests this summer, and where the Aragalaya goes from here.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCJidIPnNcU (Watch Dr. Saravanamuttu's talk at the Watson Institute's Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia. ) https://www.cpalanka.org/ (Learn more about the Center for Policy Alternatives.)  https://watson.brown.edu/news/podcasts (Learn more about the Watson Institute's other podcasts. ) Transcript coming soon. 

In July, the eyes of the world were fixed on Sri Lanka, when protesters stormed the Presidential Palace, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. But while the headlines have since faded, the story is far from over. In this episode of CNA Talks, Nilanthi Samaranayake stops by to fill us in on what has happened in Sri Lanka since the protests and how the new President can address the crisis.  Nilanthi Samaranayake (@nilanthis) directs CNA's Strategy and Policy Analysis Program, her recent analysis of Sri Lanka has been published in Newsweek and Lawfare. Further Reading Newsweek: China's Not to Blame for All of Sri Lanka's Woes Lawfare: How Has Sri Lanka's Crisis Impacted Indian Ocean Security?  

In July, a popular uprising in Sri Lanka forced the country's president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to step down and flee the country. Rajapaksa is accused of carrying out massive atrocities more than a decade ago.  Reveal reporter and host Ike Sriskandarajah looks into why powerful people suspected of committing war crimes often walk free. Sriskandarajah spent six months investigating the U.S. government's failure to charge accused perpetrators of the worst crimes in the world. The federal government says it is pursuing leads and cases against nearly 1700 alleged human rights violators and war criminals. Victims of international atrocities sometimes even describe running into them at their local coffee shop or in line at Walgreens.   After the end of Sri Lanka's civil war, families seeking accountability for state-sanctioned violence filed a suit against a man they say is a war criminal. A private eye was tasked with hunting down Gota, Sri Lanka's former defense minister. The P.I.  found the alleged war criminal in Southern California, shopping at Trader Joe's.  At the close of World War II, dozens of former Nazi leaders came to the United States. After decades of inaction, in 1979, President Jimmy Carter created a special unit within the Department of Justice dedicated to hunting down Nazi war criminals. Decades after passing the first substantive human rights statutes that make it possible to prosecute war criminals for crimes like torture and genocide, the U.S. has successfully prosecuted only one person under the laws. Sriskandrajah talks to experts about why prosecutors often take an “Al Capone” strategy to going after war criminals, pursuing them on lesser charges like immigration violations rather than human rights abuses.  With little action from the government to prosecute war criminals, victims of violence are instead using civil lawsuits to try to seek accountability. Lawyers at the Center for Justice & Accountability have brought two dozen cases against alleged war criminals and human rights violators – and never lost at trial. But when the lawyers share their evidence with the federal government, it often feels like the information disappears into a black box.  This is a rebroadcast of an episode originally released on April 22, 2022.

Women in Iran have been sharing videos of themselves taking off their hijabs in public in protest at the growing pressure regarding the mandatory headscarf. Meanwhile the Iranian parliament may soon approve a bill which will severely restrict pet ownership. Taraneh Stone of BBC Persian and Ali Hamedani discuss why the government seems to be enforcing stricter rules. Reporting Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has experienced months of turmoil with mass protests over the island's economic crisis, leading to the flight of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier this month. His successor Ranil Wickremesinghe has imposed a state of emergency until mid-August. It's been one dramatic development after another for BBC Sinhala's Colombo-based reporters Ranga Sirilal and Shirly Upul Kumara. A Nigerian world record This week Nigerian hurdler Tobi Amusan broke the world record in the women's 100m hurdles, and won the first ever gold medal for Nigeria at the World Athletics Championships. BBC Africa's Peter Okwoche tells us more about her, and what the win means to Nigerians. Drama Queen Drama Queen is a ground-breaking podcast series presented in Hindi and Urdu by the BBC's Samrah Fatima. It tells the stories of men and women who are accused of being ‘drama queens' if they speak out about their struggles. Samrah explains why she wanted to tackle the deeply rooted social issues that are common to both India and Pakistan, and show how people have been able to forge new paths for themselves. (Photo: A woman in Islamic dress walks past a shop window. Credit: Morteza Nikoubazi/ NurPhoto via Getty Images)

On July 21st, Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new president after the crisis-laden country's parliament elected him to finish up ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa's term. A'ndre and Ryan look back at The Burn Bag's August 2021 interview with President Wickremesinghe, when he was the lone MP representing his political party, a year after his prior tenure as Prime Minister had ended. We profile the controversial new President, discussing the wily politician's lingering presence on Sri Lanka's political stage and a career filled with many highs and lows, highlighting attention to how Wickremesinghe managed to clinch the presidency despite being significantly unpopular with the Sri Lankan public and having no popular mandate. The hosts then throw the program to Wickremesinghe's August 2021 interview, which took place during Sri Lanka's COVID lockdown last year. We believe that reflecting on the interview from nearly a year ago is invaluable in assessing how Sri Lanka's new president evaluates Sri Lanka's own political history. Key points that we recommend our audience pay attention to include Wickremesinghe's view on Sri Lanka's debt crisis, U.S.-China relations, and Sri Lanka's past civil conflict. Additionally, Wickremesinghe discusses the relationship between Sri Lanka's president and prime minister -- a relationship he often found himself at the losing end of in the past. Given Wickremesinghe's new executive powers and the protest movement's calls for significant political reform, it will be interesting for watchers to observe if Wickremesinghe's positioning changes.You can listen to our miniseries, Sri Lanka: Debt, Development, and Democracy here:Episode 1: Journalist Uditha Jayasinghe on the State of Sri Lanka's Political and Economic LandscapeEpisode 2: Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on U.S.-China, Domestic Governance, and Political TurmoilEpisode 3: Tamil National Alliance MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam on Post-War Reconciliation and Political EnfranchisementEpisode 4: State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya on Economic Diplomacy, U.S.-China, and the UNHRCEpisode 5: Trade Expert Subhashini Abeysinghe on Sri Lanka's Debt Crisis and Economic Ties with China and the United StatesEpisode 6: (then)-U.S. Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz on U.S.-Sri Lanka RelationsAdditionally, you can listen to Dr. Sanjana Hattutowa's April 2022 assessment of Sri Lanka's political crisis and the #GoHomeGota protests here.

The veteran Sri Lankan politician Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for unity in the face of challenges, after being elected as the new president in a parliamentary vote. Mr Wickremesinghe predicted his election would mean an end to divisions in Sri Lanka, but many protesters aren't happy seeing him as a continuation of the government led by his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Also in the programme: the Italian prime minister Mario Draghi has promised to stay in office if the partners in his troubled coalition give him their full backing; and an architect tells us how its possible to design buildings that mitigate rising global temperatures. (Photo: Ranil Wickremesinghe who has been elected as the Eighth Executive President under the Constitution speaks to media as he leaves a Buddhist temple, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 20 July 2022. Credit: Reuters/ Dinuka Liyanawatte)

In Sri Lanka, it has been one shock to the system after another, and the latest was a victory for anti-government protesters: On July 13, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. For the protesters, it is a moment of great victory. But it is what happens next that will determine if people's lives will actually change. In this episode: Indrajit Samarajiva (@indica), writer Minelle Fernandez, Al Jazeera English correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Alexandra Locke with Chloe K. Li, Ney Alvarez, Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters, and Malika Bilal. Alex Roldan is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Previously on The Take: Protesters, power cuts and Sri Lanka's persistent president Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Protestors celebrated in Colombo after Gotabaya Rajapaksa stood down, having fled to Singapore. Also: Italy lurches into crisis as PM offers resignation, and social support helps orphaned elephants cope.

Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned, abruptly departing the country this week after his presidential palace was stormed by thousands of protesters.

The president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has fled the country in the face of massive anti-government protests. Also: Biden visits Israel ahead of thorny Saudi trip, and three man charged with plot to sell stolen Eagles lyrics.

Sri Lanka's escalating political and economic crises came to a head this week when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and submitted his resignation. WSJ's Philip Wen describes the roots of the crisis -- and what pushed this highly indebted nation over the edge, into rolling blackouts and shortages of food, fuel and medicine.Further reading: -Sri Lanka's Debt Crisis Tests China's Role as Financier to Poor Countries  -Sri Lanka's President Resigns Over Email After Fleeing Country  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sri Lanka's fugitive president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is now in Singapore - but has yet to resign. Protests to force him out came to a head earlier this week - forcing him to flee. In the last few hours, protesters in Colombo have started leaving government buildings. Also in the programme: At least 20 people, including three children, have been killed in the latest Russian missile strikes in Vinnytsia in central Ukraine; and we hear from the foreign minister of the Pacific island of Tuvalu on the threat of climate change and China's influence in the region. (Photo shows a protester posing with a Sri Lanka national flag outside the Prime Minister's office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 14 July 2022. Credit: EPA/CHAMILA KARUNARATHNE)

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is now also acting president says he has instructed the military and police "to do what is necessary" to restore order, after thousands of protesters stormed his office. This follows President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country overnight. We hear from Colombo. Also, as heatwaves spread throughout the world we look at the effect of extreme heat on the human body. (Photo: PM's office being stormed by protesters. Credit: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters)

The president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has fled abroad in the face of massive anti-government protests, and has broken his earlier promise to resign by the end of Wednesday. Also in the programme: US President Joe Biden is in Israel at the start of a tour of the Middle East aimed at easing regional tensions and increasing the supply of oil. Also in the programme, three men appear in court in a story about theft and the lyrics of the album, Hotel California. (Photo: Protestors carry an injured man during a protest near the Parliament building in Colombo, Sri Lanka July 13, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)

Join Haymarket Books and Internationalism from Below for a discussion of the multiplying crises and the emergence of a new protest movement in Sri Lanka. ***Please note: This discussion was recorded on May 16, 2022 and while the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka has changed, the background provided here remains indispensable.*** Internationalism from Below (IfB) is a grassroots, all-volunteer network of socialist internationalists whose primary orientation is to support and popularize mass struggles from below of working and oppressed peoples throughout the world. IfB opposes all kinds of state and imperial violence, and aims to provide a positive alternative to the elements of the anti-war left that whitewashes the violence of repressive regimes. Since the beginning of the year, Sri Lanka has been facing its largest economic crisis since the country's independence from Britain in 1948. Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime has defaulted on the foreign loans Sri Lanka has amassed over the years, especially sovereign bonds, and struggled to deal with the economic collapse triggered by multiple factors, including the collapse of tourism revenues with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka's currency, the rupee, is being rapidly devalued, while average citizens cannot afford basic necessities. Since March, protests have spread across the country, and the President's cabinet except for the Prime Minister resigned. The Rajapaksa administration—which has spent the past several years attempting to consolidate power through authoritarian measures—has ignored the growing consequences of the economic crisis caused by the build up of foreign loan obligations. How do we make sense of the different political visions and actors in the region in light of the growing contradictions of the neoliberal economy and the limitations of authoritarian regimes to manage the effects of crisis? How are the Sri Lankan mass protests providing a new political vision against the forces of debt-run globalization as they continue to decimate regions of the global South? How do we reckon with the movement's limits—its complex relationship with Tamil self-determination, and the historical legacy of the electoral left's betrayal of independent mass politics, among other factors? This panel aims to provide an introduction to the situation in Sri Lanka today from left-wing perspectives, while contextualizing it in the region's larger political and economic history and issues. The speakers will touch on topics like Sri Lanka's political economy, local dynamics of racism and authoritarianism in blocking class politics, and grassroots feminist movements' program and demands. Speakers: Devaka Gunawardena is an independent researcher who holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a general focus on political economy. Rohini Hensman is a writer, researcher, and activist who comes from Sri Lanka and is resident in India and has written extensively on workers' rights, feminism, minority rights, globalisation, and a Marxist approach to struggles for democracy. Her most recent books are Workers, Unions, and Global Capitalism: Lessons from India and Indefensible: Democracy, Counter-Revolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism. She has also written two novels: To Do Something Beautiful, inspired by her work with working-class women and trade unions in Bombay, and Playing Lions and Tigers, set in Sri Lanka. Niyanthini Kadirgamar is a Ph.D. student in Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is part of the Feminist Collective for Economic Justice. Moderator: Promise Li is an activist and writer from Hong Kong and Los Angeles. He organizes international solidarity work with Internationalism from Below and Lausan Collective. Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/o4SE9pBf4JY Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

O episódio desta terça-feira começa com a alegria da volta do futebol aos gramados ucranianos, para a alegria dos amantes do esporte bretão. Falamos ainda sobre Macron dobrando a aposta diante do Ubergate, o Euro e o Bitcoin diante da política econômica dos EUA, a entrada da Croácia na Zona do Euro, a tentativa do ex-presidente do Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, de sair do país, a população indiana, e muito mais! Se você quiser contribuir com o nosso projeto em reais, acesse: https://escute.orelo.audio/petit/apoios Se você vive no exterior: https://www.patreon.com/petitjournal Prefere fazer o Pix? A chave é o e-mail: petitjournal.pj@gmail.com Que tal um PicPay? Link: picpay.me/daniel.henrique.sousa Quer apoiar pelo Youtube? Clique em “Valeu”, logo abaixo do vídeo e deixe seu apoio Aos nossos apoiadores, nosso muitíssimo obrigado!

Summary: In just the past week, Boris Johnson has announced his resignation as Prime Minister of the UK, Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been forced to resign, Italy's Mario Draghi narrowly avoided an early election, French president Emmanuel Macron came under fire for his dealings with Uber as economic minister, and former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated. Gold, Goats, and Guns host Tom Luongo joins Tom to offer his analysis of these geopolitical shock waves and what it means for U.S. financial markets. Guest Bio: Tom Luongo is a former research chemist, amateur dairy goat farmer, anarcho-libertarian, and obstreperous Austrian economists. He now publishes the Gold Goats, and Guns newsletter and podcast and contributes to a variety of publications, including, but not limited to Seeking Alpha, Russia Insider Halsey News and Newsmax media.   Links: https://tomluongo.me/ (Gold, Goats, and Guns) https://www.patreon.com/GoldGoatsNGuns (https://www.patreon.com/GoldGoatsNGuns) Additional Reading/Listening: https://tomluongo.me/2022/07/09/the-great-awakening-continues-ve-vil-not-eet-ze-bugz-klaus/ (The Great Awakening Continues – Ve Vil Not Eet Ze Bugz, Klaus) https://tomluongo.me/2022/04/07/sofr-v-libor-missing-something-fed-policy-error/ (SOFR v. LIBOR: Have We Been Missing Something About the Fed's Upcoming “Policy Error?”) https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RRPTTLD (Reverse Repurchase Agreements: Total Securities Sold by the Federal Reserve in the Temporary Open Market Operations) Free Gift from Tom: Download a free copy of Tom's new e-book, It's the Fed, Stupid, at https://forms.aweber.com/form/87/2092395087.html (itsthefedstupid.com). It's also available in paperback https://amzn.to/3HTYSYh (here). It's priced at a pre-hyperinflation level so grab a few copies for friends if you can. It makes a great introduction to the government's most economically damaging institution for liberals, conservatives, libertarians, socialists, and independents alike. Like the music on Tom Mullen Talks Freedom? You can hear more at https://skepticsongs.com/ (tommullensings.com)!

O presidente do Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, anunciou que vai renunciar ao cargo na quarta-feira (13) e, diante da perspectiva de perder a imunidade que lhe protege da prisão, deixou o país asiático rumo às ilhas Maldivas. O Sri Lanka passa por sua pior crise econômica, o que tem motivado protestos que chegaram ao ápice no sábado (9), quando prédios oficiais como o palácio presidencial foram invadidos na cidade de Colombo. O “Durma com essa” trata da crise que assola o país e do governo de Gotabaya Rajapaksa. O programa também tem participação do repórter especial João Paulo Charleaux, que comenta a baixa popularidade do presidente americano, Joe Biden, e da redatora Ana Elisa Faria, que fala sobre o caso do médico anestesista preso em flagrante por estuprar uma mulher grávida.

El presidente de Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, anunció su dimisión este sábado horas después de que una muchedumbre asaltase el palacio presidencial en Colombo, la capital del país. El asalto, difundido por los medios de todo el mundo, fue la culminación de varios meses de malestar provocado por una crisis económica sin precedentes en la historia de Sri Lanka, una antigua colonia británica situada al sur de la India y que alcanzó su independencia en 1948. El país llevaba décadas siendo muy tranquilo tanto desde el punto de vista político como económico. Es por ello por lo que los sucesos de este fin de semana han causado tanta sorpresa entre los observadores internacionales. En las imágenes, tomadas por los propios asaltantes con sus teléfonos móviles, se podía ver a miles de personas entrando en las dependencias del palacio y arrasando con todo a su paso. Penetraron en las habitaciones privadas del presidente e incluso se dieron un baño en su piscina. Parecía una reedición puesta al día de la marcha sobre Versalles de 1789, cuando los revolucionarios irrumpieron en el palacio obligando a Luis XVI y María Antonieta a volver precipitadamente a París. En Colombo ha sucedido algo diferente. El presidente abandonó la ciudad poco antes en un barco de la Armada y se refugió en el sur del país, desde donde ha anunciado su intención de abandonar el cargo, algo que se hará efectivo este miércoles. El trasfondo de esta crisis política es una crisis económica de gran envergadura que dio comienzo el año pasado y que ha derivado en inflación estratosférica y una escasez generalizada de combustible y alimentos. El Estado se ha quedado sin reservas en divisas y no puede adquirir nada en el extranjero. Tampoco consigue préstamos ya que las agencias de calificación crediticia han rebajado los títulos soberanos al mínimo. Hoy Sri Lanka sólo puede emitir los denominados bonos basura. Eso llevó hace dos meses al Gobierno a suspender pagos y solicitar ayuda financiera al Fondo Monetario Internacional, que exige ambiciosas reformas como condición para entregar el dinero. Desde entonces la situación no ha hecho más que empeorar. Sri Lanka es muy dependiente del turismo y de las maquilas en las que se fabrica ropa dirigida al primer mundo. Esto supone aproximadamente la mitad de sus exportaciones. Produce también una cantidad considerable del afamado té ceilandés, producto que sigue siendo muy importante en el interior de la isla. Son varios los factores que explican el colapso de Sri Lanka. Para entenderlo hay que tener en cuenta la pandemia y la crisis energética que le ha sucedido. El gas y el petróleo han disparado su precio en el mercado internacional complicando el suministro de los países en desarrollo. En el campo se han tomado algunas malas decisiones como la de prescindir de los fertilizantes químicos, lo que ha derrumbado la producción agrícola, un cóctel explosivo que acaba de estallar. En La ContraRéplica: - La educación reglada - El crecimiento del Estado · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #SriLanka Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

#日前首相安倍遇刺 7/8日本前首相安倍晉三在奈良縣為同黨參議員佐藤啟站台助講時，遭遇刺殺，刺客山上徹也用自行改造的槍枝在維安漏洞下槍殺安倍晉三，安倍傷重不治，此事震驚日本也震撼全球… #英國情勢 7/7英國首相強森辭去保守黨黨魁一職，由於強森在黨內引發不滿聲浪已有一段時間，恃才傲物卻視人不明，對於一些醜聞時常進行包庇，導致怨聲載道。然而，真正的導火線在於上週二其財政大臣蘇納克（Rishi Sunak）與衛生大臣賈維德（Sajid Javid）相繼辭職，一下子引爆雪崩式辭職，整個內閣約幾十人提出辭呈，包括部長、次長等政治任命的官員… #斯里蘭卡破產 斯里蘭卡政府上週宣布國家破產，總統與總理相繼落跑。斯里蘭卡通貨膨脹相當嚴重，六月份達54.6%，外傳可能上看70%，此外，貨幣貶值，缺油缺電，造成今日破產主因在於，總統拉賈帕克薩（Gotabaya Rajapaksa）在2019上任後進行民粹式減稅，承諾給予各種津貼後卻碰上COVID-19，百業蕭條，觀光停滯… Himalaya：www.himalaya.com/drliu 和風談判學院：www.tanpan.com.tw

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's president, announced he will step down on Wednesday after protestors occupied Colombo, the country's capital, over the weekend. Whoever succeeds him will inherit a host of thorny economic problems. Why Europe's big tech firms are well placed to weather a downturn. And remembering Peter Brook, an extraordinary theatre director who died at the age of 93. To sign up for tomorrow's webinar about Britain's future after Boris Johnson's resignation, sign up at www.economist.com/boris-resigns. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's president, announced he will step down on Wednesday after protestors occupied Colombo, the country's capital, over the weekend. Whoever succeeds him will inherit a host of thorny economic problems. Why Europe's big tech firms are well placed to weather a downturn. And remembering Peter Brook, an extraordinary theatre director who died at the age of 93. To sign up for tomorrow's webinar about Britain's future after Boris Johnson's resignation, sign up at www.economist.com/boris-resigns. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1968, the National Guard fired into a peaceful protest in Orangeburg, South Carolina, leaving three dead and nearly two dozen others wounded. The protests broke out after a bowling alley — which is now being restored to commemorate the tragedy — refused to desegregate. Center for Creative Partnerships president Ellen Zisholtz and lawyer Bakari Sellers join us. And, Sri Lanka president Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to resign on Wednesday after weekend-long demonstrations over food and fuel shortages. Reporter Menaka Indrakumar explores what's next for the country.

Sri Lanka's president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is to stand down on Wednesday. Thousands of protesters stormed both his and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's official residences over the weekend. The president has been blamed for the country's economic mismanagement, which has caused dire shortages of food, fuel and medicine for months. The prime minister has also announced that he is standing down, but where does this leave the crisis-hit country? Independent policy analyst Amita Arudpragasm speaks to us from Colombo. Elsewhere, the fallout from the collapse of Elon Musk's plan to buy Twitter continues. The Tesla boss has mocked the social media giant for threatening to sue him for cancelling the proposed $44bn buyout. Professor of Law at Columbia University in New York, John Coffee, talks us through all the ramifications. Tensions grow in South Africa over continuing rolling power blackouts.

Fuel supplies begin to trickle to Sri Lanka's population after days of political turmoil that ended with the residences of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa being stormed by protesters, and the house of his Prime Minister burnt. As the country's main opposition parties scramble to form a new government, we hear from University of St Andrews' Anthropologist Vindhya Buthpitiya. Nord Stream 1, Russia's main gas pipeline to Germany, went offline for scheduled maintenance but there are fears supplies might not resume after the repairs are completed. We talk to Paula Rodriguez-Masiu, Head of Market Intelligence at Spanish oil and gas company CEPSA. Shares in Twitter fell after the news that Elon Musk has pulled out of his US$44 bn deal to buy the platform. Twitter could now file a lawsuit to force the acquisition to go ahead. We ask John Coffee, professor of law at Columbia Law School in New York and former advisor to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, about the legal intricacies. We also discuss the stock markets with Peter Jankovskis, Vice President of Research and Analytics at Arbor Financial Services in Illinois.

An der Ostseepipeline Nord Stream 1 haben Wartungsarbeiten begonnen, es fließt kein Gas mehr. Wird Russland nach den Reparaturen wieder liefern? Im Update spricht Michael Thumann, außenpolitischer Korrespondent für die ZEIT, welche Folgen ein Gaslieferstopp für Deutschland hätte. Nach dem Rücktritt des britischen Premierministers Boris Johnson bewirbt sich Außenministerin Liz Truss als Nachfolgerin. Nach massiven Protesten hat der Staatschef von Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, seinen Rücktritt angekündigt. In gut einer Woche soll das Parlament einen Nachfolger wählen. Was noch? Jahrestag der Proteste in Kuba Moderation und Produktion: Elise Landschek Redaktion: Moses Fendel Mitarbeit: Alma Dewerny Fragen, Kritik, Anregungen? Sie erreichen uns unter wasjetzt@zeit.de. Weitere Links zur Folge: Nord Stream 1: Banger Blick auf eine Pipeline (https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2022-07/nord-stream-1-wartung-gaslieferung-russland) Energiemonitor: Die wichtigsten Daten zur Energieversorgung – täglich aktualisiert (https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/energiemonitor-deutschland-gaspreis-spritpreis-energieversorgung) Großbritannien: Britische Außenministerin kandidiert für Johnson-Nachfolge (https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2022-07/grossbritannien-boris-johnson-premier-nachfolge) Boris Johnson: Kurz vorm Abschwirren ins Irrwitzige (https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2022-07/boris-johnson-ruecktritt-grossbritannien) Gotabaya Rajapaksa: Staatsspitze von Sri Lanka bestätigt nach Protesten Rücktrittsangebot (https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2022-07/sri-lanka-regierung-ruecktritt-ranil-wickremesinghe)

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence, with inflation soaring to the highest rate in Asia. The country's energy minister warned at the weekend that the country would soon run out fuel as long queues formed at petrol stations, with many staying for days at a time. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has even sought help from Russia to help import fuel. Rajini Vaidyanathan has been in Colombo speaking to those most affected. Will Grant reflects on dual tragedies in Texas: the shooting in a primary school in Uvalde in Texas and 53 migrant deaths in a people smuggling operation. In both these horrific events, the correspondent heard stories of thwarted hopes – and life ambitions cut short. In Syria, cities like Damascus and Palmyra were once heralded for their history and architectural grandeur but much of their cultural heritage has been destroyed during the years of civil war. Nick Redmayne travelled to Palmyra on a guided tour, one of a few businesses that are trying to revive their fortunes despite an on-going economic crisis. In Algeria, we hear how people are working to restore the land that was burned in wildfires last year, in the country's northeast. Tens of thousands of hectares were destroyed in the flames and much of the natural landscape has morphed into charred remains. Amy Liptrot visited a project which is involved in restoring some of the land that was destroyed by the fires. And finally, we hear about one French farmer who has come up with a cunning plan to help generate a new source of revenue at his family run farm: it's a cabaret show with a difference, far away from the Folies Bergère. Chris Bockman paid it a visit. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Emma Rippon Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

The official residence of the Sri Lankan president in Colombo has been overrun by thousands of protesters demanding his resignation. Crowds of flag-waving demonstrators stormed past the security forces, enraged by the president's handling of the worst economic crisis in Sri Lanka for decades. Also in the programme: Japan is in mourning for its former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, shot dead on Friday as he campaigned for Sunday's parliamentary election; and the world's richest man, Elon Musk, has pulled out of his multi-billion dollar deal to buy Twitter but the US social media company is threatening legal action. (Photo: Demonstrators protest at the Presidential Secretariat, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled, amid the country"s economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka July 9, 2022. Credit: Reuters/Dinuka Liyanawatte)

The speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament has announced that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will step down next Wednesday. It follows a day of mass protests during which Mr Rajapaksa's residence was seized by demonstrators, and the prime minister's home was set on fire. Also a series of arrests in Iran of filmmakers and a prominent reformist politician. And how too much salt could take years off your life. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

As the US, UK and other wealthy nations grouse about the prospect of stagflation and risk of recession, people in some emerging nations are facing more perilous questions about how to find medicine to stay alive. A financial crisis gripping Sri Lanka's 23 million people threatens to spread across the developing world and sweep up hundreds of millions more. This week, we explore profoundly different economic climates. The first are emerging markets exemplified by Sri Lanka and burdened with pandemic-related debt, double-digit inflation and food shortages; the second is Qatar, an already rich petro-state that's getting richer thanks to a global energy crisis. Reporter Sudhi Ranjan Sen surveys the chaos in Colombo, where protesters angry with 40% inflation and days-long waits for fuel and cooking gas are demanding the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In the words of one Sri Lankan woman who was unable to find pharmaceuticals for her parents: “It's really hard to see somebody die without medicine, because you have the money, you don't have a place to buy the medicine.”  For the wider world, the risk is that Sri Lanka's financial crisis spreads to other developing nations that also face high debt levels, rising interest rates and weakening currencies. Ziad Daoud, Bloomberg's chief emerging markets economist, counts five countries most at risk of following in Sri Lanka's footsteps: Tunisia, El Salvador, Ghana, Ethiopia and Pakistan. Lenders to Sri Lanka stand to lose half of their investment, Daoud tells host Stephanie Flanders, but it's unclear how the island nation will treat its debts to China. In the past, China has been unwilling to join multilateral agreements to write down debt. But what happens if other lenders forgive much of Sri Lanka's debt, while the nation makes good on what it owes China? Finally, correspondent Simone Foxman relays the remarkable turn of events in Qatar, which this week hosted the Qatar Economic Forum. Until very recently, analysts questioned the wisdom of Qatar's plan to boost its liquefied natural gas exports by 60%, at a cost of $30 billion. Where analysts figured Qatar was overestimating demand, Russia's war on Ukraine has European nations lining up for Qatari energy. Meantime, the Persian Gulf nation is readying its stadiums ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Doha, set for November and December. By one estimate, the nation has pumped $350 billion into badly needed infrastructure and other improvements ahead of the games. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2006, Sri Lanka's current president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, came within metres of death when he was targeted in a suicide bomb attack in Colombo. The attack was orchestrated by the Tamil Tigers during what was supposed to be a ceasefire in Sri Lanka's long-standing civil war. Matt Pintus has been speaking to former Sri Lankan foreign minister, Pali Palihakkara, who was injured in the blast. Photo: Burning car after explosion (Getty Images)

Sri Lanka has been the site of dramatic economic and political upheaval over the past several weeks as years of economic mismanagement have resulted in rampant inflation, shortages of essential commodities, and the country's first sovereign default in the post-independence era. The island's dire economic conditions have spurred angry, and sometimes violent, protests which resulted in the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and continued calls for the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the country's president and the prime minister's brother.To discuss the economic and political causes and consequences of this crisis, Milan is joined on the show this week by political economist Ahilan Kadirgamar. Ahilan is Senior Lecturer at the University of Jaffna and one of Sri Lanka's leading political economists. Ahilan and Milan discuss the tense situation on the ground, the economic roots of the current crisis, and the prospects for a return to wide-scale violence. Plus, the two discuss India's role in extending an economic lifeline to Sri Lanka and whether the island nation can put a decades-old legacy of ethnic strife behind it.“Rethinking Sri Lanka's economic crisis,” Interview with Ahilan Kadirgamar, Himal South Asian, February 28, 2022.Ahilan Kadirgamar, “Polarization, Civil War, and Persistent Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka,” in Thomas Carothers and Andrew O'Donohue, eds., Political Polarization in South and Southeast Asia: Old Divisions, New Dangers (Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2020).Ahilan Kadirgamar, "Sri Lanka stares at bankruptcy or redemption," The Hindu, April 16, 2022.Ahilan Kadirgamar. "The Political Economy of the Crisis in Sri Lanka," Economic & Political Weekly, April 30, 2022.

Sri Lanka's “Go home, Gota!” protesters want to throw President Gotabaya Rajapaksa out of office. Reveal's Ike Sriskandarajah explains what could happen if Gota "goes home" to the serene suburbs of Southern California. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Haleema Shah with help from Victoria Dominguez, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and edited by Matt Collette and Sean Rameswaram, who also hosted. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained   Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa used a late-night address to offer a number of concessions, but said he needed to stay on to stop the country descending into anarchy. Also: US Democrats' bid for federal abortion law fails, and 'no idea' passenger lands plane in Florida as pilot falls ill.

Demonstrators have moved to the heavily fortified Trincomalee naval base on the country's northeast coast, shouting slogans calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. Also in the programme: We find out how Ferdinand BongBong Marcos Junior has likely secured the presidency of the Philippines 30 years after his father, Ferdinand Marcos, was deposed in a popular uprising; and we take a look at a great political tradition in the UK – the opening of parliament, and the Queen's speech. (Photo: Armed Sri Lankan military personnel on a downtown street in Colombo, 10 May 2022. Credit: EPA/Chamila Karunararhne)

This month, atrocities in Ukraine have triggered new allegations of war crimes. While people around the world call for accountability, we look into why those who are suspected of committing war crimes in the past often walk free. Reporter and host Ike Sriskandarajah spent the past six months investigating the U.S. government's failure to charge accused perpetrators of the worst crimes in the world. The federal government says it is pursuing leads and cases against nearly 1700 alleged human rights violators and war criminals. Victims of international atrocities sometimes even describe running into them at their local coffee shop or in line at Walgreens.   After the end of Sri Lanka's civil war, families seeking accountability for state-sanctioned violence filed a suit against a man they say is a war criminal. A private eye was tasked with hunting down Gotabaya Rajapaksa (better known as Gota), Sri Lanka's defense minister, who moved to the U.S. after being accused of horrific war crimes. The private detective found the alleged war criminal in Southern California, shopping at Trader Joe's.  At the close of World War II, dozens of former Nazi leaders came to the United States. After decades of inaction, in 1979, President Jimmy Carter created a special unit within the Department of Justice dedicated to hunting down Nazi war criminals. Nazi hunting was largely a desk job for historians armed with paperwork, dusty archives and immigration records. Thirty years after passing the first substantive human rights statutes that make it possible to prosecute war criminals for crimes like torture and genocide, the U.S. has successfully prosecuted only one person under the laws. Sriskandrajah talks to experts about why prosecutors often take an “Al Capone” strategy to going after war criminals, pursuing them on lesser charges like immigration violations rather than human rights abuses.  With little action from the government to prosecute war criminals, victims of violence are instead using civil lawsuits to try to seek accountability. Lawyers at the Center for Justice & Accountability have brought two dozen cases against alleged war criminals and human rights violators – and never lost a case at trial. But when the lawyers share their evidence with the federal government, it often feels like the information disappears into a black box. Support Reveal's journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow  Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/newsletter Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Empty shelves, rising food and fuel costs along with power cuts are unifying much of Sri Lanka against its president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. And now, the economic crisis may be even worse. Rajapaksa's government is announcing the country is no longer able to repay billions in loans. How did this happen? And what is in store for the people of Sri Lanka as the country continues to struggle with this new economic reality?  In this episode: Marisa DeSilva, Activist Dr. Ahilan Kadirgamar, Senior Lecturer at the University of Jaffna Dr. Vasan Ratnasingam, Media representative, Government Medical Officers' Association Connect with The Take:  Twitter (@AJTheTake), Instagram (@ajthetake) and Facebook (@TheTakePod)

Through ineptitude and bad timing, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa—known as Gota—has driven his country toward ruin. Its people want him out. Russian forces have occupied Kherson since early March. We hear a report from the ground about life under foreign occupation. And tasting awamori, a Japanese spirit that distillers may lift from the doldrums simply by watering it down. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Through ineptitude and bad timing, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa—known as Gota—has driven his country toward ruin. Its people want him out. Russian forces have occupied Kherson since early March. We hear a report from the ground about life under foreign occupation. And tasting awamori, a Japanese spirit that distillers may lift from the doldrums simply by watering it down. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.