Cincunri Sakia

Minggu, 10 Juli 2022

Selfies, picnics, board games: Inside Sri Lanka's presidential palace day after it was stormed by protesters - Sky News

Sri Lankans are roaming through the presidential palace a day after it was stormed by thousands of people angry at the country's worst economic crisis in decades.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe both announced they were going to step down in the face of the protests.

The prime minister's private residence was set on fire on Saturday evening after a day of turmoil in Colombo.

Calm returned to the city on Sunday - but protesters vow to occupy the presidential palace until both leaders have left.

Thousands have been milling in and around the presidential palace with their families, and streams of people with young children and food hampers queuing to go into the president's house.

Speakers have been set up in the trees telling visitors to be patient and queue in a one way system for a "bizarre" tour around the palace.

Indika Jayawaradana, who is visiting the residence along with his wife and two children, says: "They thought we got independence from the British in 1948 but today is our real Independence Day."

About the president, he adds: "He might leave but he might be replaced with someone loyal to him. I'm worried about that."

The protest organisers, who were some of the first people to break into the residence, have turned into tour guides.

They hurry the crowds to move along and follow instructions from the loudspeakers.

They are in total control of the building. Some police are outside - other officers wander through the crowds, taking photos like everyone else.

39 people hurt during protests

There doesn't appear to be any attempt to stop this.

During the protests on Saturday, 39 people, including two police officers, were hurt.

Police fired shots in the air but they were unable to stop the angry crowd from surrounding the president's residence.

Hundreds of flag-bearing protesters packed inside the president's sea-front property and used the swimming pool on a Facebook livestream.

Picnics and lounging in the palace

Protesters also assembled outside the Presidential Secretariat, the office of the president, and the home of prime minister.

Both Mr Rajapaksa and Mr Wickremesinghe had been moved to a secure location.

Sri Lanka, home to 22 million people, is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades since it achieved independence in 1948.

Inflation hit a record 54.6% in June and is expected to soar to 70%, piling pressure on the cash-strapped population.

The country has been struggling under a severe foreign exchange shortage that has limited essential imports of fuel, food and medicine.

Many blame the decline on Mr Rajapaksa.

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2022-07-10 12:24:33Z
1485373155

South Africa: Fifteen shot dead in Soweto township bar - BBC

A police car parked in front of the bar where the shooting took place in Soweto

At least 15 people have been shot dead in a bar in the South African township of Soweto, police say.

Police said gunmen entered the Orlando East tavern in the early hours of Sunday morning and started firing randomly at a group of young people.

They then fled the scene in a white minibus. No motive for the attack has been established, police said.

Several more people are in a critical condition in hospital, the BBC's Nomsa Maseko reports.

The victims are believed to be between 19 and 35 years old.

"Bodies were on top of each other with blood all over. We were looking for our loved ones, we had to jump over bodies looking for our brothers," said local resident Ntombikayise Meji.

Gauteng province's head of police, Lt-Gen Elias Mawela, told the BBC the shooting appears to have been "a cold-blooded attack on innocent tavern patrons".

A press statement released by his office said the gunmen had been armed with rifles and 9mm pistols when they entered the bar.

Police are searching for the suspects, whose identities remain unknown, it said.

Thaban Moloi, a community leader in Soweto, was angered by the amount of time it took police to arrive at the scene.

"It's terrible, I'm telling you. People don't know what to do. If you were there you could see women and children crying," he said.

Mr Moloi said the attack happened at 23:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday but police didn't arrive until 04:00 on Sunday.

"It took five hours for them to come, honestly," he said.

A relative of one of the victims shot dead in a tavern in Soweto reacts next to the crime scene in Soweto

Four other people were killed in a separate tavern shooting in the south-eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, police said on Sunday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the relatives of victims of both shootings.

"As a nation, we cannot allow violent criminals to terrorise us in this way, regardless of where such incidents may occur," he added.

Shootings are not uncommon in South Africa. They are often linked to gangs or alcohol.

But this is an exceptionally high death toll and comes soon after the death of 21 teenagers thought to have been either gassed or poisoned at another bar in the city of East London.

A country seeking answers

By Ed Habershon, BBC News, Soweto

The crowds were gathered around Mdlalose's Tavern under a typically cloudless winter sky in Soweto - some here to mourn, others just to gawk. They were pinned back by yellow police tape, as forensics went about the grim business of retrieving evidence from inside the bar. Groups of women burst into song, dancing in the litter-strewn street.

South Africa is a very violent country at the best times, but this particular incident, coupled with another shooting in Pietermaritzburg, has shaken many here.

We spoke to one man who was inside the bar when the shooting happened. He described how a group of men burst in, opened fire, and how they didn't take anything from anyone, wallets, phones, nothing, leaving him and others baffled as to the motive. Halfway through the interview, a police officer intervened, and said we can't talk to him. The gunmen may be among the crowd, he said, and they may target this witness next.

Another woman who lived nearby told us she heard the gunshots and ran to the bar to find the horrific aftermath of the shooting. People in the community are afraid, she said, and she has no idea who might be behind it.

She, Soweto and the country, are all desperately seeking answers.

Were you in the area? Did you witness the incident? If it is save to do so, email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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2022-07-10 14:32:54Z
1490072282

Sabtu, 09 Juli 2022

Sri Lanka protesters storm president's house - swimming in his pool - and clash with police - Sky News

Thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka have broken through police barricades and stormed the president's official residence.

In one of the largest anti-government marches in the country this year, the demonstrators are demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, announced he would quit on Saturday afternoon.

"To ensure the continuation of the government including the safety of all citizens I accept the best recommendation of the party Leaders today, to make way for an all-party government," he said.

He stepped down after thousands of people descended on the government district in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, shouting slogans against the president and dismantling several police barricades to reach his house.

Police fired shots in the air but were unable to stop the angry crowd from surrounding the residence.

At least 39 people including two police officers have now been hurt by the unrest, hospital sources said.

Protestors also assembled outside the Presidential Secretariat - the office of the president - and the home of prime minister.

Both Mr Rajapaksa and Mr Wickremesinghe have both been moved to a secure location as a safety precaution, defence ministry sources said.

Hundreds of flag-bearing protestors were seen packed inside the president's sea-front property and using the swimming pool on a Facebook livestream.

Mr Wickremesinghe, who was appointed in May, resigned after summoning political party leaders for an emergency meeting in the wake of the violence.

He also requested parliament to be recalled by the speaker, a statement from his office said.

US ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung called on people to protest peacefully and for police to give demonstrators space - as she warned "chaos and force will not fix the economy".

Sri Lanka, home to 22 million people, is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades since it achieved independence in 1948.

Inflation hit a record 54.6% in June and is expected to soar to 70%, piling pressure on the cash-strapped population.

The country has been struggling under a severe foreign exchange shortage that has limited essential imports of fuel, food and medicine.

Many blame the decline on Mr Rajapaksa, who has faced ongoing calls to resign.

Protestor Sampath Perera, 37, criticised the president for "clinging on to power" and warned: "We will not stop until he listens to us."

Anger intensified in recent weeks as fuel shipments dwindled, leading to petrol and diesel being rationed for essential services.

The British Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to the country, which has been left in financial turmoil due to economic mismanagement and the impact of the COVID pandemic.

In April this year, Sri Lanka announced it was suspending repayment of foreign loans, blaming a foreign currency shortage.

It has accumulated debts of £42.4billion - of which around half, £23.3bn, must be repaid by the end of 2027.

The crisis has severely dented the reputation of the Rajapaksa political dynasty, which has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades.

Mr Rajapaksa has so far held onto power after his brother resigned as prime minister in May and two other brothers and a nephew quit their cabinet posts earlier this year.

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2022-07-09 12:17:02Z
1485373155

Sri Lanka protesters storm president's house and clash with police - Sky News

Thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka have broken through police barricades and stormed the president's official residence.

In one of the largest anti-government marches in the country this year, the protesters are demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Thousands of people descended on the government district in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, shouting slogans against the president and dismantling several police barricades to reach his house.

Police fired shots in the air but were unable to stop the angry crowd from surrounding the residence.

At least 39 people including two police officers have now been hurt by the unrest, hospital sources said.

The president was moved from his official premises to a secure location as a safety precaution, according to two defence ministry sources, ahead of a planned rally at the weekend.

Hundreds of flag-bearing protestors were seen packed inside the sea-front property and using the swimming pool on a Facebook livestream.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe - who has also been moved to a secure location - summoned political party leaders for an emergency meeting in the wake of the violence.

He has also requested parliament to be summoned by the speaker, a statement from his office said.

US ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung called on people to protest peacefully and for police to give demonstrators space - as she warned "chaos and force will not fix the economy".

Sri Lanka, which is home to 22 million people, is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades, since it achieved independence in 1948.