#Sri Lankan PM resigns

[ceilingstar07]

What a week:(

Monday, July 4): US Independence Day! Fireworks and Fun!

Also another devastating mass shooting in the US: Highland Park parade shooting.

July 6: 40+ U.K. MPs resign

July 7: Boris Johnson resigns (basically the UK government collapsed)

July 8: Former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe is assassinated

There was an internet outage across Canada

July 9: After protestors stormed the Sri Lankan president's house, the president and PM resign.

Elon Musk backs out of Twitter deal

Ex-president of Mexico dies at 100

Meanwhile the war in Ukraine is still ongoing

What a wonderful time it is to be world leader. For the first time, the BBC's homepage isn't just full of America's problems

[hussyknee]

Speaking as a Sri Lankan whose country saw a general strike for the first time in forty years during the historic anti-government protests last year, I am so very excited for USAmericans to experience one for themselves. On one hand, it signals that the economic conditions are so dire that the majority of workers now have more to lose by going to work than not. That working conditions are impacting even the upper middle class. On the other hand– every. Single. Workers'. Union. In the. Damn. Country. The entire place a ghost town in a once-in-a-lifetime show of solidarity against the elite. You cannot imagine the exhilaration. You cannot imagine the show of power, the way the government and their crony capitalists and the fuckwits used to standing on people's necks piss their pants in fear. I think every country should see a general strike at least once every generation. It's not sustainable, but it doesn't have to be; it's to signal to the bosses that beyond this line is when the lid blows off this pressure cooker.

This means that shit is going to get damn ugly for weeks and months until the run up. It's going to primarily be a war of propaganda, because the bigger and more diverse the movement, the more cracks there will be between you to exploit. You're gonna have to get chill about a lot of things very quickly. You gotta get used to standing next to and holding the line with people you wouldn't want to spit on if they were on fire at any other time, with your eyes only on the prize. You're going to have to learn to support all kinds of problematic people without valorizing or demonizing them. Coalition building is political action at its most pragmatic and utilitarian; you don't need to share a moral page or be best buddies with people when pooling your resources against a common enemy. Idealogues don't win battles, coalitions do.

As for the success of our general strike, the President and his government rejected the unions' demands and refused to step down. Two weeks later, fifty houses of the government MPs all over the country burned down in one night, and a mob breeched the Prime Minister's mansions and set it on fire*. The PM resigned the next day, and the government was dissolved.

But that's a completely unrelated anecdote. 💅🏽

*Edit: it wasn't unions or any organized body that committed the arsons. It was widespread, spontaneous citizen reaction to a brutal attack on our largest peaceful protest site. Organized protest prevents this kind of escalation. The point is that when these attempts are not recognised, physical violence will be the inevitable outcome. As Martin Luther King said: "Riots are the language of the unheard".

[beardedmrbean]

Sri Lanka's embattled government declared a nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday in a bid to contain massive protests that continued after the country's president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled to the Maldives. Protesters stormed the homes of both the president and the prime minister over the weekend, demanding that both leaders step down. Sri Lankans blame their government for a dire, months-long economic crisis that has left many struggling to afford basic necessities.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has taken over as acting president of the country, imposed the emergency order in a bid to wrest back control of the capital city amid the huge protests. But his declaration served only to refocus the demonstrators' anger at him, and his office became an epicenter of the protests on Wednesday.

How an economic crisis led to political chaos in Sri Lanka

Police imposed an indefinite curfew in one province and a nationwide curfew until 5:00 a.m. Sri Lanka sits just off India's southeast coast and is home to about 22 million people.

Wickremesinghe delivered a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, saying security measures had been stepped up and that he'd ordered the military to do whatever was necessary to restore order.

"We must end this fascist threat to democracy," he said. "We can't allow the destruction of state property. The president's office, the president's secretariat and the prime minister's official residence must be returned to proper custody."

"We can't allow fascists to take over. Some mainstream politicians, too, seem to be supporting these extremists. That is why I declared a nationwide emergency and a curfew," Wickremesinghe said.

The prime minister's office said earlier this week that President Rajapaksa would resign on Wednesday to clear the way for a "peaceful transition of power."

But instead of resigning he fled to the Maldives, fueling the anger on the streets.

The Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardenam, said Rajapaksa had informed him in a telephone call that he would still resign as promised, but it was unclear if the move was still coming Wednesday — or whether it would do anything to quell the protesters' rage.

The president flew to the Maldives aboard a military aircraft with his wife and two bodyguards, according to the French news agency AFP.

As soon as word of his escape got out on Wednesday, thousands of protesters mobbed Wickremesinghe's office. Seemingly keen to avoid a repeat of the dramatic scenes that played out over the weekend when protesters occupied the president's opulent residence, Sri Lankan security forces fired tear gas at the protesters as they chanted "Go home Ranil! Go home Gota!" referring to the leaders.

Eventually the protesters made it into the building and appeared on its balconies with their fists and phones raised in triumph.

On Saturday, thousands of protesters stormed Rajapaksa's official residence, ransacking parts of it, but also lounging in its luxurious bedrooms, gym, and swimming pool. Families, many with small children, came to soak up the atmosphere and pose for photos in the ornate grounds in what looked like a victory parade for the popular uprising. But the leaders they've protested to force out of power were still both technically holding their offices on Wednesday.

Since the protests erupted late last week, those taking part have demanded the immediate resignations of both the president and the prime minister. The prime minister has said he will only leave his post once a new government is in place.

According to Sri Lanka's constitution, the prime minister takes over as acting president if the president resigns or is incapacitated. The country's lawmakers have held several meetings this week to try to elect a new president, but there has been no consensus.

In the power vacuum, the anger that's built for months over food, medicine and fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices has continued to mount.

Sri Lankans have faced long power cuts this summer and been forced to spend hours in lines at gas stations to buy less than a gallon of fuel. The country's cash reserves are running extremely low, forcing Sri Lanka to default on its massive foreign debt of $51 billion as it's been unable to make interest payments on its loans.

The government blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for sapping the country of its vital tourism income, but economists say there are other factors behind the economic crisis, including political corruption and economic mismanagement.

The government has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure a $3 billion bailout package, but the timing of that remained unclear Wednesday.

Meanwhile, some Sri Lankans living in the Maldives staged a protest demanding that the Maldivian government send Rajapaksa back home to face the music. But Sri Lankan news outlet the Daily Mirror reported, quoting unnamed sources, that Rajapaksa would instead fly to Singapore later on Wednesday.

[sincerelysoulful]

In July alone:

Former Japanese PM was assassinated

UK PM resigned

Sri Lankan president resigned

Italian PM resigned

And the 79year old US president has covid.

What’s happening? Are the aliens finally taking over?

[madhyanas]

i’ll be honest i don’t really want 2 see jokes about the sri lankan economic crisis/protests at rajapaksa’s mansion/their PM resigning

[rivaltimes]

Sri Lankan PM sworn in as interim president after Rajapaksa resigns

Sri Lankan PM sworn in as interim president after Rajapaksa resigns

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a file image – HIRANTHA WITHANAGE / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was sworn in this Friday as interim president after former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa presented his resignation on Thursday after fleeing the country amid massive popular mobilizations against the authorities due to the very…

[newsdaliy]

Sri Lankan President emails resignation; Speaker to make official announcement on Friday

Sri Lankan President emails resignation; Speaker to make official announcement on Friday

Sri Lankan President emails resignation; Speaker to make official announcement on Friday IANS , Edited By : IANS , Updated on: 14 Jul 2022, 10:05:01 PM (source: IANS) (Photo Credit: (source: IANS)) Colombo: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emailed his resignation from the presidency on Thursday evening, but the speaker has postponed the official announcement until Friday. Rajapaksa has…

[znewstech]

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya awaiting flight to Singapore; Speaker yet to receive resignation: Key developments

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya awaiting flight to Singapore; Speaker yet to receive resignation: Key developments

NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled to the Maldives, is currently awaiting a private jet to Singapore after he failed to board a scheduled Singapore Airlines flight from Male due to security concerns, reports stated. Sri Lanka had on Wednesday declared a state of emergency after angry protesters stormed the PM’s office in Colombo, hours after president Rajapksa fled…

[alwaysfirst]

Have not yet received President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation: Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker

Jul 13, 2022 10:37 IST Colombo , July 13 (Always First): Shortly after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in Maldivian capital Male on a Sri Lanka Air Force plane, the crisis-hit island country's Parliament Speaker on Wednesday said that he is yet to receive a letter of resignation. Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said has not the resignation letter of the embattled President who departed from Sri Lanka hours before he was expected to resign amid widespread protests in the country which is facing a severe shortage of fuel and other essential supplies. In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Abeywardena said, "We haven't received President Gotabaya's resignation yet, but we hope to get one in a day." The 73-year-old had gone into hiding after crowds of protestors stormed his residence on July 9 and he had announced that he will resign on July 13. Sri Lankan authorities today confirmed that Gotabaya had flown to Maldives with his wife and two bodyguards after after full approval of the country's Defence Ministry. In a statement, the Sri Lankan Air Force also said that the move was done under the executive powers vested with the president. "According to the request of the Government in accordance with the powers vested in an Executive President in the Constitution of Sri Lanka, His Excellency the President and the Lady along with two bodyguards from Katunayake International Airport to the Maldives subject to the full approval of the Ministry of Defense subject to immigration, customs and all other laws at Katunayake International Airport. An Air Force flight was given early in the morning on 13th July 2022 to depart," Sri Lankan Air Force Media Director said in a statement. Gotabaya landed at the Velana International Airport in the Maldives early Wednesday. The Prime Minister's Office also confirmed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left the country. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to be sworn in today as interim President till a new President is elected by Parliament on July 20 and nominations for the presidency will be called for on July 19. Sri Lanka is facing the worst economic crisis since its independence which has led to massive protests demanding the ouster of Gotabaya as the President. Sri Lanka's speaker of parliament Abeywardena has said political party leaders have decided to elect a new president on July 20 through a vote in parliament. Thousands of people stormed into the President's House in Fort on July 9. The dramatic visuals also came from PM's official residence where they were seen playing carrom board, sleeping on the sofa, enjoying in park premises, and preparing food for dinner. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress and severely undermining the country's ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty - some for the first time - adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (Always First) Read the full article

[hussyknee]

Hussy what's the situation in Sri Lanka right now? Hope you're safe love ❤

Oh I'm quite fine, love, thanks for asking. 😊❤️The chaos seems contained to the capital. The rest of us are encapsulated in this tweet:

(alt text included)

Reply translation: "For real. This is like when the war was in the North. Without fuel there's not even a dog to be seen around here, not even to get a ride to the shops."

As for what the fuck is going on. *Deep breath* This is a very long but simple explainer (I hope) that is as much for my fellow Lankans trying to make sense of everything.

What the fuck is happening in Sri Lanka (as of 4:40pm 14 July 22)

This motherfucker, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was supposed to hand in his resignation yesterday, after protestors stormed his residence, his office, the prime minister's residence. Two and half million people flooded into the capital until even the cops fucking gave up, signalling to him that it was the end of the road. Except the 20th Amendment to the Constitution that Gota and his stooges had forced through gives him so much power that he can neither be impeached nor removed at all without a voluntary resignation.

So he asked for three days to resign (read: shove as much money as he could into a suitcase and flee), during which he and his family did their damndest to leave the country. Except our people absolutely refused to let them, even with the military at his beck and call. Workers of two different airports walked out rather than process his documentation to board a plane. People waiting at the airports obstructed him getting on a flight. Ports wouldn't let his ship leave the harbour. The US rejected his visa application. Man finally got so panicked that he refused to resign unless the Prime Minister secured a way for him to get the fuck out of here.

Now the Prime Minister, Ranil W, used to be the Opposition Leader and the Rajapaksas number one enemy until he bungled his last stint as Prime Minister so badly that nearly his whole party walked out on him and he couldn't even win his own seat at the last elections. He's been something of a joke in Parliament throughout Gota's term, so when Gota unexpectedly handpicked him to be PM to succeed his brother who we forced to resign, it was a huge political upset. But it was a rather brilliant move that splintered the protests and successfully protected him from having to step down.

But just like the entire rest of his 45 year career, Ranil spent the last 7 weeks making a complete pig's ear of things until he's now somehow even more reviled than he used to be. But Gota's resignation would have meant he got to become President of the caretaker government, and being President had been the ambition he's been clinging to his whole career, like a barnacle of calcified spite and greed. So he was more than happy to find Gota a way out.

Finally the Air Force itself had to take Gota to the Maldives (the President over there is also a wildly unpopular turd) even though the Maldivian people launched a massive protest of their own in response. Maldives was only supposed to be a stop gap to his "final destination" (according to his office, and yes memes ensued) and this fuckwit still did not send in his resignation letter.

Meanwhile, massive demonstrations were taking place all over Colombo, demanding that Ranil also resign to make way for the caretaker government. This assclown instead deployed cops and troops to beat back the crowds, firing tear gas from low-flying helicopters. He also declared a State of Emergency (martial law) and a curfew. Problem was, that only the Executive President has the power to do any of that shit, so everyone was like "Mx'cuse you?" And he was like "ah yeah no belay that". Then the Speaker and PM were like "akshully the President called and said Ranil can totes be President while he's um, overseas" and the whole circus of curfews, troops and martial law was back on track.

People responded to that by taking over Ranil's office as well.

(Also the legal fraternity was in a tizzy because Acting President doesn't have the vested powers of Executive President. But Ranil's dreams were finally almost within his grasp at age 73, what was a possible lawsuit to crossing this off his bucket list.)

Ranil continued throwing a wholeass army at the protestors, insisting that he was trying to protect our democracy from Antifa ( he really fucking said that). At any other time in our history, this has resulted in a horrific bloodbath. But this time, we were in the heart of the city's administrative district, the poshest of neighborhoods with embassies lining the streets. And it wasn't just one minority or marginalized group; it was the majority Sinhalese Buddhists, Sinhalese Christians, Tamils Hindus, Tamil Christians, Muslims, Burghers, foreign nationals, lawyers, the entire media establishment, clergy - the whole damn country on his doorstep, and none of them were even hurting the cops (in fact some of them were even helping the cops and STF wash their own tear gas out of their eyes and giving them tea and biscuits once they gave up trying to hold the line). Ranil then called an All-Party Conference (Friday casual version of Parliament, and no we don't know why we have this either) and asked them to select a new PM. The entire lot of them were instead like "actually we want to you to fuck off" leaving him all hurt and confused. He said "okay fine I will do it just as soon as Gota resigns" in much the same way we tell our Mums we will clean our rooms after we finish watching this one cartoon.

But the hours counted down, the stroke of midnight came and went, and no resignation appeared. By the end of the 13th, we were left with two presidents, one speaker, and an Opposition who wandered in like Donald Glover turning up with a pizza box as though none of them even lived here idk.

(An assorted bunch of wannabe revolutionaries, Rajapaksa plants and a splinter group from an ill-advised demonstration by the socialist party had tried to storm the Parliament in the evening for some godforsaken reason. It's not even in session. The road to which is effectively a killbox and also near Army HQ, and predictably resulted in a hundred people injured and one kid dying from tear gas).

We woke up this morning to Two Presidents, One Country: Part 2. Ranil and PM had come up with an extremely sus "gazette" from the President, who was still sending conflicting reports of his whereabouts. He was headed to Singapore. No he's still in Maldives. No he's now headed to Saudi Arabia. What he was not doing was sending in his fucking resignation, leaving his clown monkey to continue wreaking havoc, and leaving us to follow his flight plan like my cat watching his feather toy zoom around his head. As of this afternoon, the Speaker was debating declaring that the President had vacated his duties and moving this shitshow along, except that opens up in-fighting about legitimacy down the line. Even the Chamber of Commerce asked Ranil to step down, which is hilarious because that's the body of the country's richest old business bros and they'd never done anything like that before. The Commanders of the Tri-Forces also asked Ranil to step down, which is less hilarious and more terrifying because the military is not supposed to interfere in affairs of state at all. It's like if your gun had opinions on who should be shooting it. At best it sets a terrible precedent, at worst it might lead to a junta (military coup of the government). Overall, it's easier to get a five year old out of a bouncy castle that's on fire than getting this butt monkey to fuck off.

Meanwhile the middle class and neoliberals are bleating about the People's Struggle being hijacked by the communist party and trying to start a democracy-face-spitting fascist commie rebellion anarchy movement, there is no fuel even for ambulances, people not at the protests are stuck home, distribution of fuel and cooking gas are being held up, the poor are quite literally starving and watching enraged at all the military vehicles and helicopters zooming around, and the only thing that's doing a roaring trade are the conspiracy theories and breaking news alerts of the Lankan Aunties and Uncles over Facebook and Whatsapp. Ranil, who has taken to declaring curfews early and often even though the protestors have so far not given (1) good goddamn, suddenly declared one in the middle of the day, when people were still at office, leaving the streets of the capital and commercial districts absolutely gridlocked. Anyone who has a medical emergency right now is as good as dead.

Here is our last update from the President.

(alt text included)

Wow you guys, imagine being under a lot of pressure.

(updates cont'd in reblog)

[askmeofferscom]

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Resigns

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Resigns

Introduction According to the PM’s office, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has confirmed his resignation. This follows months of protests and civil unrest in the country. The PM’s office says that Rajapaksa will step down and that a presidential election will be held within 60 days. This news comes after months of protests and civil unrest in the country, which began in November. The…

[kayla1993-world]

Protesters break into the home of Sri Lankan PM, and set it on fire (msn.com)

Protesters broke into the Sri Lankan prime minister's private residence and set it on fire, hours after he said he would resign when a new government is formed, in the biggest day of angry demonstrations on Saturday that also saw crowds storming the president's home and office.

The office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the protesters forced their way into his Colombo home on Saturday evening. It wasn't immediately clear if he was inside at the time of the attack.

Wickremesinghe said earlier that he would resign only when all parties had agreed on a new government.

He was reacting to a plea by leaders of political parties represented in Parliament for him and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign, as tens of thousands of people descended on the capital to vent their rage at the leaders they blame for the country's worst economic and political crises.

But he made it plain that he would not step down until a new administration was established, infuriating throngs who gathered near his home to compel him to resign immediately.

Wickremesinghe stated that he offered to the president that an all-party administration be formed, but he did not address Rajapaksa’s whereabouts. Parliament's opposition parties are now debating the creation of a new administration.

Rajapaksa appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister in May, hoping the professional politician would use his diplomacy and contacts to resurrect the country's economy. People's political patience wore thin. Fuel, pharmaceutical, and cooking gas shortages worsened. Oil reserves depleted.

Many protesters accuse Wickremesinghe of attempting to save Rajapaksa when he was forced to resign. Every other member of his powerful political dynasty resigned from the Cabinet.

The Sri Lanka Medical Council, the country’s top professional body, warned that the country’s hospitals were running with minimum resources and would not be able to handle any mass casualties from the unrest.

The association said that the president, prime minister, and the government would be held responsible if people died or were maimed. It urged the leaders to heed the cry of the people, resign and hand over the reins to an all-party government.

Crowds stormed Rajapaksa's guarded mansion early Saturday. Footage shows folks in a good mood swimming in the residence's garden pool. Some lay on beds, while others drank tea and made “statements” from the conference room demanding that Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe resign immediately.

It was unclear whether Rajapaksa was inside his home when it was stormed. Mohan Samaranayake said he had no information regarding his whereabouts.

Leaders of political parties in Parliament met later and decided to request Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe to step down, opposition lawmaker Rauff Hakeem said on Twitter. He said a consensus was reached that the parliamentary speaker should take over as temporary president and work on an interim government.

Sri Lanka’s economy is in a state of collapse, relying on aid from India and other countries as its leaders try to negotiate a bailout with the International Monetary Fund. The economic meltdown has led to severe shortages of essential items, leaving people struggling to buy food, fuel, and other necessities.

Months of protests have nearly brought down the Rajapaksa political dynasty, which has dominated Sri Lanka for the last two decades.

The president’s older brother resigned as prime minister in May after violent protests saw him seek safety at a naval base. Much of the public ire has been pointed at the Rajapaksa family, with protesters blaming them for dragging Sri Lanka into chaos with poor management and allegations of corruption.

At the president’s seaside office, security personnel tried to stop demonstrators who pushed through fences to run across the lawns and inside the colonial-era building.

At least 34 people were injured in scuffles when demonstrators attempted to enter the residence, including two police officers. Two people were injured in serious condition, while the rest had minor injuries.

Thousands of protesters entered the capital from the suburbs after police lifted an overnight curfew. With fuel supplies scarce, many crowded onto buses and trains to come to the city to protest, while others made their way on bicycles and on foot.

Protesters and religious leaders urged Rajapaksa to resign, claiming he had lost the people’s mandate.

Last month, Wickremesinghe said the country’s economy had collapsed. He said that the negotiations with the IMF had been complex because Sri Lanka was now a bankrupt state.

Due to a foreign currency shortfall, Sri Lanka stated in April that it would halt repayment of international debts. Its total foreign debt is $51 billion, of which $28 billion must get repaid by the end of 2027.

Police had imposed a curfew in Colombo and several other main urban areas on Friday night but withdrew it on Saturday morning amid objections by lawyers and opposition politicians who called it illegal.

On Friday, Julie Chung urged people to protest peacefully and urged the military and police “to provide peaceful protesters the space and security to do so.”

[scarletnews]

Sri Lankan PM's home set on fire by protesters

Sri Lankan PM’s home set on fire by protesters

Protesters in Sri Lanka have stormed the president’s official residence and set the prime minister’s house on fire amid calls for them to step down. Neither the PM nor the president were thought to be in the buildings. Thousands descended on the capital Colombo, calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign after months of protests over mismanagement of the country’s economic crisis. Mr…

[swldx]

BBC 0434 10 Jul

9915Khz 0358 10 JUL - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from TALATA VOLONONDRY. SINPO = 55445. English, dead carrier s/on @0358z then ID@0359z pips and newroom preview. @0401z World News anchored by Danielle Jalowiecka. Voters in Japan are casting their ballots in an upper house election overshadowed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination. The election on Sunday could see the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) increase its majority. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has announced he will step down after protesters stormed his official residence and set the prime minister's house on fire. Economists say the crisis stems from domestic factors such as years of mismanagement and corruption. The government needed to boost its revenues as foreign debt for big infrastructure projects soared, but instead Rajapaksa pushed through the largest tax cuts in Sri Lankan history. The tax cuts were recently were reversed, but only after creditors downgraded Sri Lanka’s ratings, blocking it from borrowing more money as its foreign reserves sank. Then tourism flatlined again during the pandemic. Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt is considering a Tory leadership bid as the race to succeed Boris Johnson heats up following his dramatic resignation. Mr Johnson was forced out as Tory leader after a cabinet revolt over his leadership but wants to stay on as PM until the party chooses a successor. Opposition parties and some Tories want him to go now - but that appears unlikely to happen and prime ministers have stayed on during leadership transitions in the past. Six Royal Air Force fighter jets have flown to Finland and Sweden for joint training exercises, the MoD has said. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the deployment, which came at the request of both nations, underlined the UK's commitment to strengthening collective defence capabilities. Canada will return a repaired Russian turbine to Germany needed for maintenance on the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, Canada's minister of natural resources said in a statement on Saturday. The Canadian government, which is issuing a "time-limited and revocable permit" to exempt the return of turbines from its Russian sanctions, said the move would support "Europe’s ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas." Former President Donald Trump spoke for 90 minutes at a rally in Anchorage Saturday to support Republican U.S. House candidate Sarah Palin and U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka. Hundreds of pro-gun protesters marched in Brasilia's streets on Saturday, calling for an extension of the loosened firearm regulations enacted by Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces reelection this fall. 1000s in Argentina demonstrate over economy, want more state finding to offset poverty. @0406z "Newsroom" begins. Backyard fence antenna, Etón e1XM. 250kW, beamAz 315°, bearing 63°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 15359KM from transmitter at Talata Volonondry. Local time: 2258.

[theechudar]

Sri Lanka: Prez Gotabaya to Resign Next Week; PM’s House Torched as Economic Crisis Pushes Island Nation to the Edge

Sri Lanka: Prez Gotabaya to Resign Next Week; PM’s House Torched as Economic Crisis Pushes Island Nation to the Edge

Last Updated: July 09, 2022, 22:51 IST Demonstrators protest inside the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday. (Image: REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte) Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s home was attacked just hours after he offered to resign and make way for an interim all-party government Protests in Sri Lanka intensified on Saturday as swarms of…

[peacocksandsnakes]

the Sri Lankan PM just resigned