Sri Lanka news

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday, following weeks of protests against his government.

Dozens of paramilitary troops with riot shields and helmets were deployed to keep both groups apart after the initial clashes. "Strongly condemn the violent acts taking place by those inciting & participating, irrespective of political allegiances," President Rajapaksa said in a tweet. We are struggling to keep our businesses afloat." Armed troops have been deployed in Colombo, according to CNN team on the ground. "A few moments ago, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa sent his letter of resignation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa," the statement said. A nationwide curfew was imposed after clashes broke out between supporters of the ruling party and anti-government demonstrators in the capital city Colombo, the police said Monday. The restrictions were announced shortly before Rajapaksa announced his resignation.

An official says Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has resigned following weeks of protests demanding that he and his brother, the president, ...

On Friday, Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency, which empowers him to authorize detentions, property seizure and search of any premises. Diplomats and rights groups have expressed concern over the move. For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy fuel, cooking gas, food and medicine, most of which come from abroad. As oil prices soar during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Sri Lanka's fuel stocks are running out. The attack came as protesters marked their 31st day outside the president's and prime minister's offices. Its total foreign debt is $51 billion.

Le premier ministre sri-lankais Mahinda Rajapaksa a démissionné lundi, peu après de violentes attaques perpétrées par ses partisans.

Des soldats ont été régulièrement déployés ces dernières semaines, mais pour protéger les livraisons de carburant entre autres produits essentiels. Le précédent bilan policier faisait état de trois morts. Il autorise également le déploiement de militaires pour maintenir l’ordre, en renfort de la police. En sortant, ils s’étaient attaqués aux tentes de manifestants qui réclamaient le départ du premier ministre, et avaient incendié leurs banderoles et pancartes. «Le député a fui la scène et s’est réfugié dans un bâtiment voisin», a déclaré un responsable de la police à l’AFP par téléphone, «des milliers de personnes ont encerclé le bâtiment et il a ensuite mis fin à ses jours avec son revolver». La police a tiré des gaz lacrymogènes et a fait usage de canons à eau après que les partisans du gouvernement eurent franchi les rangs des policiers pour détruire les campements de milliers de manifestants anti-gouvernementaux qui exigent le départ de Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Le premier ministre sri-lankais Mahinda Rajapaksa a démissionné lundi, peu après des affrontements entre ses partisans et des manifestants ...

Des soldats ont été régulièrement déployés ces dernières semaines, mais pour protéger les livraisons de carburant entre autres produits essentiels. Il autorise également le déploiement de militaires pour maintenir l’ordre, en renfort de la police. En sortant, ils s’étaient attaqués aux tentes de manifestants qui réclamaient le départ du premier ministre, et avaient incendié leurs banderoles et pancartes.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned Monday following weeks of protests demanding that he and his brother, the president, step down over the ...

Wade decision and end the nationwide right to legal abortion. In a world of mobile phones, satellites and the internet, some old school technology is making a major comeback. For months stores across the U.S. have been struggling to stock enough baby formula. The U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection has interviewed nearly 1,000 people. In her exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, financial expert Pattie Lovett-Reid says it’s a difficult conversation but one that has to happen. 1 hr ago 1 hr ago Its total foreign debt is $51 billion. They attacked the protesters with wooden and iron poles, pulled their camping tents down and set them on fire as police looked on. Rajapaksa told them in a meeting that he is used to protests and revolts and would not run away from challenges. As oil prices soar during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Sri Lanka's fuel stocks are running out. For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy scarce fuel, cooking gas, food and medicine, most of which come from abroad.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has tendered his resignation amid an economic crisis and violent protests against he and his brother, ...

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Poussé vers la sortie par des manifestants qui campent devant le bureau du président Gotabaya Rajapaksa depuis un mois, le chef du gouvernement sri-lankais ...

Selon la police, le député Amarakeerthi Athukorala a ouvert le feu sur deux personnes qui bloquaient sa voiture et les a grièvement blessées à Nittambuwa, à une cinquantaine de kilomètres de la capitale. Un député du parti au pouvoir au Sri Lanka s'est suicidé lundi après avoir tiré sur des manifestants anti-gouvernementaux en province, a annoncé la police. En sortant, ils s'étaient attaqués aux tentes de manifestants appelant au départ du Premier ministre, incendiant leurs banderoles et pancartes.

Le premier ministre sri-lankais Mahinda Rajapaksa a démissionné peu après les violentes attaques ce lundi. Le dirigeant de 76 ans a adressé sa lettre de ...

Un peu plus tôt lundi, le premier ministre avait exhorté «la population à faire preuve de retenue et à se rappeler que la violence n'engendre que la violence». Les effectifs policiers, comptant 85.000 hommes, ont renforcé la sécurité autour de tous les députés du parti au pouvoir. «Ce que nous voulons, c'est que le président et sa famille s'en aillent», a-t-il ajouté. Une des deux victimes a succombé à ses blessures, ajouté la police. Le premier ministre sri-lankais Mahinda Rajapaksa a démissionné peu après les violentes attaques ce lundi. En sortant, ils s'étaient attaqués aux tentes de manifestants appelant au départ du premier ministre, incendiant leurs banderoles et pancartes.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Authorities deployed armed troops in the capital Colombo on Monday hours after government supporters attacked protesters who have ...

On Friday, Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency, which empowers him to authorize detentions, property seizure and search of any premises. At the end of the week, they will launch a huge march up to Parliament, demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's removal and a new government. Similar protests have spread to other locations, with people setting up camps opposite the prime minister’s residence and in other towns across the country. For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy fuel, cooking gas, food and medicine, most of which come from abroad. Its economic woes have brought on a political crisis, with the government facing widespread protests and a no-confidence motion in Parliament. They have been demanding that the president, his older brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and other powerful Rajapaksa family members quit.

Des unités sécuritaires ont été déployées après que des partisans du gouvernement ont attaqué des manifestants de l'opposition devant le bureau du Président ...

La même source a indiqué que le déploiement des forces intervient après que des partisans du gouvernement ont attaqué des manifestants de l'opposition devant le bureau du Président Gotabaya Rajapaksa à Colombo. -Des unités sécuritaires ont été déployées après que des partisans du gouvernement ont attaqué des manifestants de l'opposition devant le bureau du Président dans la capitale, Colombo. Des unités sécuritaires et militaires ont été déployées lundi dans la capitale sri-lankaise Colombo, pour faire face aux heurts entre partisans et opposants au gouvernement.

Le premier ministre sri-lankais Mahinda Rajapaksa a démissionné lundi, peu après de violentes attaques perpétrées par ses partisans.

Des soldats ont été régulièrement déployés ces dernières semaines, mais pour protéger les livraisons de carburant entre autres produits essentiels. Le précédent bilan policier faisait état de trois morts. Il autorise également le déploiement de militaires pour maintenir l’ordre, en renfort de la police. En sortant, ils s’étaient attaqués aux tentes de manifestants qui réclamaient le départ du premier ministre, et avaient incendié leurs banderoles et pancartes. La police a tiré des gaz lacrymogènes et a fait usage de canons à eau après que les partisans du gouvernement eurent franchi les rangs des policiers pour détruire les campements de milliers de manifestants anti-gouvernementaux qui exigent le départ de Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Des coups de feu ont été tirés lundi soir depuis la résidence officielle du Premier ministre du Sri Lanka après que des milliers de manifestants antigouvernementaux sont parvenus à entrer dans le complexe, a constaté un journaliste de l’AFP.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has tendered his resignation amid an economic crisis and violent protests against he and his brother, ...

The prime minister's resignation also came hours after some of his supporters attacked peaceful protesters who had been camped out in front of government offices. He previously served as president for a decade, and prime minister twice. Despite the curfew, protesters rallied late into the night at Colombo's Galle Face seafront, cheering Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation and calling for his brother Gotabaya to do the same. But President Gotabaya Rajapaksa remains in power, and has repeatedly refused to step down. The Rajapaksa brothers have been the focus of nationwide protests for several weeks. Local media published an undated copy of what's purported to be his resignation letter.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he submitted his resignation to the president, a move that followed a violent attack by government supporters on ...

Police fired tear gas and a water cannon, but not forcefully enough to control the mob. They then marched to the president’s office, where they attacked protesters there and set their camps on fire. But the president has so far refused to resign and Parliament must go through a difficult process if it attempts to oust him. “The prime minister had to resign in disgrace after his supporters unleashed such violence,” he said. Homes of government ministers and politicians supporting the Rajapaksas were also attacked and some set on fire. The Sri Lankan government has been running big budget deficits after cutting taxes in 2019 and struggling to collect taxes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clashes broke out in Sri Lanka on May 9, 2022, after government supporters attacked peaceful anti-government protest sites in Colombo.

“In recent weeks, thousands of Sri Lankans have peacefully protested against corruption and called for accountable governance and respect for human rights,” Ganguly said. The latest state of emergency was imposed on May 6, but the government did not immediately publish the emergency regulations laying out the special powers assumed. Over 150 people have been reported injured and at least five dead in different incidents, including the attack on Galle Face Green, and the government has imposed a nationwide curfew. In Nittambuwa, 50 kilometers from Colombo, police said that Amarakeerthi Athukorala, a government member of parliament, opened fire on protesters blocking his car, wounding one and killing another, then fatally shot himself. (New York) – Clashes broke out in Sri Lanka on May 9, 2022 after government supporters attacked peaceful anti-government protest sites in Colombo, the capital, and elsewhere, Human Rights Watch said today. Witness accounts and video footage show government supporters attacking the protesters with clubs and other weapons and setting fire to tents.

The south Asian country is the first to buckle under economic pressures compounded by Russia's war on Ukraine, but it won't be the last.

The pandemic and the war had nothing to do with these countries, but have led to a huge increase in borrowing.” The war in Ukraine has led to investors seeking out the haven of the US dollar, pushing down the value of emerging market currencies. “But these are systemic issues and currently there is no way of dealing with them systemically.” Sub-Saharan African countries being carefully watched include Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia. Argentina recently signed a $45bn debt deal with the IMF, but other Latin American countries at risk include El Salvador and Peru. A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week started work with officials in Colombo over a bailout that will include a tough package of reforms as well as financial support. The departure of Sri Lanka’s prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, follows weeks of protest and a deepening crisis.

Des milliers de partisans du président sri-lankais, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, armés de bâtons et de matraques, ont attaqué ce lundi 9 mai des manifestants qui ...

« Nous avons été battus, les médias ont été battus, les femmes et les enfants ont été battus », a déclaré à l’AFP un témoin, sous couvert de l’anonymat. Il autorise également le déploiement de militaires pour maintenir l’ordre, en renfort de la police. « Je démissionne avec effet immédiat afin que vous puissiez nommer un gouvernement multipartite pour sortir le pays de la crise économique actuelle », a déclaré le Premier ministre dans sa lettre, dont l’AFP a pris connaissance.

Mahinda Rajapaksa rescued in a pre-dawn military operation after day of protests in which five people were killed.

The resignation is the latest concession made by the Rajapaksas in the face of protracted anger and protests. However, Monday marked a violent shift in the demonstrations when hundreds of pro-government supporters gathered outside the prime minister’s residence in Colombo and urged Mahinda Rajapaksa not to resign. Other members of the Rajapaksa family who had previously held seats in the cabinet have also stepped down, with the president the only remaining member of the political family still in power. Turmoil began to engulf the country on Monday after violence at a major protest site in Colombo, where pro-government supporters attacked demonstrators and police responded with teargas and water cannon. Therefore, I have tendered my resignation so the next steps can be taken in accordance with the constitution,” he wrote. According to police, another ruling party politician opened fire on protesters in the southern town of Weeraketiya, killing two and wounding five.

Au terme d'une journée d'affrontements très violents dans l'île de l'Océan indien, le premier ministre, Mahinda Rajapaksa, a présenté sa démission.

Avant de devenir premier ministre, en 2019, Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76 ans, avait occupé le poste de président de 2005 à 2015 et porte une lourde responsabilité dans la crise actuelle de ce pays de 22 millions d’habitants, considéré comme un paradis touristique. Des résidences, des propriétés, des voitures appartenant à d’anciens ministres ou à des députés ont été incendiées. A Nittambuwa, à une cinquantaine de kilomètres au nord de la capitale, un député du parti au pouvoir, Amarakeerthi Athukorala, s’est suicidé après avoir ouvert le feu sur deux manifestants antigouvernementaux qui bloquaient sa voiture. Les affrontements ont fait cinq morts et plus de 180 blessés et se sont poursuivis bien après l’annonce de la démission du premier ministre.

Mahinda Rajapaksa a été évacué de sa résidence, pour être placé en lieu sûr après que des manifestants ont forcé un des portails du complexe.

Il autorise également le déploiement de militaires pour maintenir l’ordre, en renfort de la police. • À lire aussi: [PHOTOS] Sri Lanka: des coups de feu tirés depuis la résidence du Premier ministre assiégée par des manifestants L’armée du Sri Lanka a évacué mardi avant l’aube le Premier ministre démissionnaire Mahinda Rajapaksa de sa résidence officielle à Colombo, pour le placer en lieu sûr après que des milliers de manifestants ont forcé un des portails du complexe.

Sri Lanka deployed thousands of troops and police Tuesday to enforce a curfew after five people were killed in the worst violence in weeks of protests over ...

Aside from following his brother in resigning, he could appoint a caretaker government -- before then quitting -- deploy the military and police to suppress the protests, or try to wait for them to "die down naturally", Bery told AFP. Under Sri Lanka's political system, even with a new unity government, the president will have the power to appoint and fire ministers as well as judges, and enjoy immunity from prosecution. US Ambassador Julie Chung tweeted that Washington condemned "the violence against peaceful protestors" and called on the Sri Lankan "government to conduct a full investigation, including the arrest & prosecution of anyone who incited violence". "We were hit, the media were hit, women and children were hit," one witness told AFP, asking not to be named. "After a pre-dawn operation, the former PM and his family were evacuated to safety by the army," a top security official told AFP. "At least 10 petrol bombs were thrown into the compound." He had to be rescued in a pre-dawn operation by the military Tuesday after thousands of anti-government protesters stormed his official residence in Colombo overnight, with police firing tear gas and warning shots to keep back the crowd.

Sri Lanka's street protests over soaring inflation, shortages of food and fuel and lengthy power cuts have shaken President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's hold on ...

Rajapaksa, whose powers were expanded under a 2020 constitutional amendment, has condemned the violence and invited all parties in parliament to join in a national unity government to resolve the crisis. Civil war between the Sinhalese-dominated government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam went on for decades and killed 100,000 people. The finance ministry also said it would expedite talks with the IMF for an aid package. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation as prime minister on May 9 left no government in place to lead talks with the International Monetary Fund for emergency funds to buy food and fuel. Rajapaksa’s opponents have camped out in downtown Colombo, the capital, for weeks to demand his resignation. Making matters worse was Rajapaksa’s pivot in 2021 to organic farming with a ban on chemical fertilizers that triggered farmer protests and saw production of critical tea and rice crops decline.

Au lendemain de sa démission, l'ancien Premier ministre du Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, a été évacué par l'armée de sa résidence, avec sa famille, ...

Il autorise également le déploiement de militaires pour maintenir l'ordre, en renfort de la police. Au lendemain de la journée la plus meurtrière de ces dernières semaines qui a conduit à sa démission, l'ex-Premier ministre a été placé en sécurité dans un lieu qui n'a pas été divulgué. Les affrontements entre ses partisans et des manifestants antigouvernementaux, lundi, ont fait cinq morts, dont un député, et près de 200 blessés. L'armée du Sri Lanka a évacué, mardi 10 mai, avant l'aube, le Premier ministre démissionnaire Mahinda Rajapaksa de sa résidence officielle à Colombo, pour le placer en lieu sûr après que des milliers de manifestants ont forcé un des portails du complexe.

Sri Lanka's outgoing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was rescued in a pre-dawn military operation Tuesday, hours after his resignation, as violent clashes ...

The government was recently thrown into disarray when ministers stepped down en masse. "(I) strongly condemn the violent acts taking place by those inciting and participating, irrespective of political allegiances," he wrote. Following the chaotic scenes, the government brought in an island-wide curfew, and soon afterwards the Prime Minister, 76, resigned. Dozens of homes were torched across the country amid the violence, according to witnesses CNN spoke to. Some people have died waiting. "It is vitally important for the security forces to fully respect the right to peaceful assembly, and for those responsible for violence to be held to account," Ganguly said.

Troops are on the streets across Sri Lanka after a night of anti-government unrest fuelled by an economic crisis.

You can also get in touch in the following ways: Following Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation, protesters attempted to breach the inner compound of Temple Trees where he was staying along with several loyalists, and set fire to a bus outside the home. Elsewhere in Colombo, tensions remained high. Many protesters are still calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of Mahinda, to leave office. Men armed with sticks and rods had established road blocks on the routes leading to and from the airport, and police and security forces - usually a common sight in the area - were nowhere to be seen, reports the BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan. As the night went on, mobs of protesters across the country torched houses belonging to the Rajapaksas, various ministers and MPs. This included a house turned into a controversial museum by the Rajapaksas in the family's ancestral village in Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – With the resignation of Sri Lanka's prime minister and former two-time executive president Mahinda Rajapksa in Colombo on Monday, ...

The public however, has risen sharply against this approach and intensified their calls for the resignation of both the president and prime minister. On May 3, a no-trust motion was submitted in parliament against the Rajapaksa administration. He was defeated in 1977 when the United National Party recorded a landslide victory and returned to parliament in 1989. Large-scale corruption allegations were also leveled against the regime in military purchases during the years of civil war that ended in 2009. Mounting criticism against the government had intensified calls for the collective resignations of all Rajapaksas. But violence erupted in Colombo on Monday when a group of Rajapaksa loyalists attacked protesters camped outside his official residence, Temple Trees, in Colombo. At least three people were killed as violence erupted across the Indian Ocean island.

A day of clashes on Monday killed seven people and injured more than 200, violence that prompted Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign.

The military can detain people for up to 24 hours before handing them to police, while private property can be searched by force, including private vehicles, the government said in a gazette notification on Tuesday. The government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of the prime minister, outlined broad powers for the military and police to detain and question people without arrest warrants. Sri Lanka gave emergency powers on Tuesday to its military and police to detain people without warrants, after a day of clashes that killed seven people and injured more than 200, in violence that prompted Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign.

Le gouvernement srilankais a déployé des dizaines de milliers de militaires - armée de terre, marine et aviation - pour patrouiller dans les rues agitées de la ...

Une des victimes, âgée de 27 ans, a succombé à ses blessures, et le garde du corps du député a été retrouvé mort. « Mon père est en sécurité, il se trouve dans un endroit sûr », a déclaré son fils aîné, Namal Rajapaksa, 35 ans, avocat de formation. Des dizaines de bâtiments et des centaines de véhicules ont été incendiés. Cette dernière a, comme la commission locale des droits humains, annoncé l’ouverture d’une enquête. « Les gens sont en colère après les attaques lancées contre nous hier. L’UE a exhorté toutes les parties à éviter la violence.