For the second time in a few weeks, the president uses an iron fist to stop protesters demanding the government’s resignation due to the country’s severe economic crisis. Yesterday, the mass strike brought the whole island nation to a standstill with more than a thousand trade union from all sectors joining in.
Today's headlines: The ban on fertilizers and the Ukrainian war torpedo Sri Lanka tea exports; in Dandong hundreds of North Korean workers in China undergo mass testing for Covid-19; Manila, the Christian sect Iglesia ni Cristo supports the Marcos-Duterte candidacy; over the skies of Moscow in flight "Putin's plane" ahead of the May 9 parade; in Kazakhstan a law on cyber-bullying threatens to limit freedom of expression.
Despite the economic crisis, Muslims celebrated Eid al-Fitr with joy and renewed hope. Young people seek an end to sectarian divisions. In the meantime, protests against the high cost of living and calls for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa continue.
Today's headlines: Human rights NGOs accuse Phnom Penh of "repression" of fundamental freedoms; Iranian sources report an attempt to assassinate Syrian President Assad; the opposition in Sri Lanka files a motion of no confidence in the prime minister and his government; Taiwan and Japan's armed forces are on alert after a Chinese fleet navigates straits; systematic arrests by Armenian police of those participating in protests.
Many Sri Lankan refugees who returned home after fleeing to Tamil Nadu during the civil war are considering fleeing again due to Sri Lanka's financial woes. However, the Indian Navy has stepped up coastal patrols and is returning refugees to their villages.
The Christian Workers' Fellowship organised a procession to mark the annual event. Participants later joined anti-government protest. Rev Marimuttu Sathivel called for action to “protect oppressed workers from further exhaustion and defeats.”
