your help with this, we have seen her anxiety some chaotic move. something was bothering her in the beginning of the limpid games. she was keeping quiet and calm. but then there was some actions which disappointed all of us, all the supporters and when the country with the bell, russian government has not commented on poland decision to help similar skies. but right to say many athletes bel roost, have been detained, and excluded from national teams. yeah, it follows laws he is mass protest against president alex, not lucas shanker, disputed election victory back in tokyo. tim last guy said she was deprived of her right to compete, but at least for now she is safe in the polish embassy and she hopes they can help to secure her future. norbert among the outer syrup. ah,

this is al jazeera and these other top stories. the delta variant is being blamed for the cove at 900 surgical, 30 cities in 19 provinces in china. and jing is believed to be ground 0 of the nation wide flareup. among the hottest cases, the scenic city of john j, where all attractions have been closed. katrina, you has more from teaching what's particularly concerning is that previously we had cases in china that was sporadic, isolated outbreaks. this time, this has become very widespread. we've seen it reached now 16 provinces, that's half the provinces in china. it's the delta, very in the highly infectious strain of covered 1900. and it's also taking place during china's peak travel season. it's the some holidays here and many families are traveling to different areas in china, lockdown and thailand's capital and more than 2 dozen other provinces has been extended since that delta variant causes a spike in number of cases. 29 provinces have been classified as don't read zones

around the next president will officially take office at a ceremony in the next hour. abraham lacy will be endorsed by the supreme leader ahead of his oath of office on thursday. i've gotten astounds president is blamed his country's deteriorating security crisis on the speed of the with the wall of us troops. fierce fighting is happening in the true southern cities, the last calgon and kind of home. at least 8 people have now died in turkey, where high winds in temperatures above 40 degrees celsius offending while foes. thousands have been evacuated from their homes and tourists forth from the hotels. the heat driving turkeys 5, calling similar emergencies in italy, in greece, coastal areas around the italian cities of katana and best, gotta have been engulfed in flames. those the headlines. i'll have another update for you here on al jazeera of the counting the cost. see shortly. did you know you

can watch the re, english streaming live on? i get 2 channels. plus thousands of our programs award winning documentaries and get new to a subscribe to. you choose dot com forward slash al jazeera english news . hello, i'm sammy's a than this is counting the cost on al jazeera. look at the world, the business and economics this week. shoreline car, void, the debt defaults, but it's fast running out of money to pay for import. will china and india continue to bailout colombo. lebanon has a new prime minister, designate the 3rd, since the government resigned a year ago, can form a cabinet and thought the economic rock. what's driving up food prices in bangladesh. and it's not only the poorest been hit hard. the middle classes are

suffering in silence. ah, despite avoiding a debt default for now, sure lank has finances are in a precarious state, was for lankin, president has appointed his brother as a new finance minister. the sign of how serious the situation is shanaiah because economy was in trouble before the pandemic between 20052015. colombo borrowed billions from china, accumulating a mountain of debt for expensive infrastructure projects. but you may remember sure anchor was forced to hand over it strategic, humble and total port on a 99 year lease to a chinese company in 2017. that was because it failed to service the $1400000000.00 debt from beijing used to build it. the government's debt rose to 101 percent of g. d p. last year,

up from 86.8 percent in 2019 credit rating agencies are concerned. it may not be able to service its debt according to bloomberg. the probability of a one year default was that 27.9 percent. the steepest in asia to make sure it can make repayments, the governments put limits on the amount of money that can leave the country. the central bank says it has currency reserves of $4000000000.00 enough to buy imports for the next 3 months to boost its reserves. its strong currency swamps with some of its biggest trading partners, which basically sense the exchange rate, reducing volatility. the biggest deal was with china worth $1500000000.00. and that's important because china and india have been trying to pull shoreline into the geopolitical orbit. spot of a struggle to control key maritime routes in the indian ocean. now, one of its key sources of foreign currency tourism is dried up to,

to the pandemic of the industry. that accounts for 5 percent of g d. p and employs about 3000000 people hasn't recovered from the suicide attacks on easter day in 2019 to conserve calling see if the government is also banned the impulsive fertilizers. the ramifications could be profound as al jazeera, as michelle fernandez. explains john, cuz my son plays worried the petite of my entry long because we're putting a gun, the region says he used less than half the usual amount of chemical fertilizer on his crop. i'm often they've, i have the buying and i phone a lot of the plans was effected usually by this time the harvesting and the about do once or $75.00 days after planting the area is covered by the plants. but this time, growth is far less. farmers across the country have been protesting the shortage of chemical fertilizer. since the government been import in me in because you saw my current success will greenhouse farmer has had to cut down his crop as well. he

says, farmers should have been consulted about the ban. every last cannot have enough. when things are being changed, they must consult us. make us aware of how things will change the scot. this is going to be done. the ban on fertilizers come during an economic crisis that has like a badly for in reserves have fallen below $4000000000.00. people's incomes has suffered since easter bombings 2019. and the corona virus pandemic has work. in the situation. the government is under pressure to find the money to pay back billions of dollars in debt. that's one of the reasons present good or bad. roger says he's government been the importer, doesn't the items including anger chemicals, and also 18000000000 repeat. 80000000000 re pcs watch these countries spends just to in port fertilizer. who does this money go to?

the money goes to companies abroad. there are only 4 to 5 local companies making money from this. but the decision we talk will make this industry into a local industry. the president says he will not back down on the fertilizer ban, which he says is also aimed at improving the health of citizen. many of whom are struggling to make ends meet. a government blitz of money printing has driven up inflation, which is the central bank at 6 point one percent daily journey, roster income because of the pandemic. if you are a pensioner, the interest rates are low and your income has come down. you're lucky if you have a permanent job, but without 11th is to get an income. income is limited, expenditures are rising. the can make situation is creating a challenge for millions of sheila anson. i might be able to find out it's very difficult to survive because we have to spend more than what we own back informing country communities. a bracing the smaller harvest and

a major impact on income. one from a leader as an even more di, warning america off the pharmacy, manage the season with whatever fertilizer and chemicals they bought, a higher prices. but i say with responsibility that we clearly going toward food shortages. that's a certainty. even god can't prevent that. most farmers agreed the plan to cut down on chemicals use is a good thing. but say the sudden decision is not practical. lead tom pack, what's happening now with russia decides the fund manager of asia frontier capital join us now from hong kong. good. have you with us so other fears of a debt default overblown. well, i mean, do you see those about she didn't default thing on the board has been a story for the last one years. stony auto, an issue which has come to the last couple of weeks the last couple of months. in fact, just a few days ago this week she paid a $1000000000.00 to its bondholders sovereign bond. and also last year in the 4th

quarter of 2022 was she's not a 1000000000 dollars last year, but so he's what he does have been around for quite a while. so i will keep him in for you this week. do you know default on that was kind of order? i mean the issue one of the, the payments of 21 issues or concerns about the de demons. it tells you 22. so you have 2 bonds which are due in 2020 to $500.00 payment due in january 2022 and up and a $1000000000.00 due in july plus we need to and that's a concern, especially now that you know that those are all foreigners of the law and also the important dog for him to do to him sector as be good by the pendant. i'm glad you mentioned that. so how is it going to do because it's still obviously has financial problems even if some of the default worries are overblown. how is it going to finance it's huge debt burden. right, so i think she done some funds on the next couple of months. effective bought some,

especially some funding from important partners in the region like in gang china and also some forms coming from the m s. d. possibly in the next, the next one months or so they haven't lined up, you know, funding for what, almost $3000000000.00. and if that comes through, in fact they should be okay for the payment to show you. probably 20. it was not for the song and it kind of can down the road, the hope because you take more money to pay off more money the the mounting grows. exactly. that's the issue or concern that it must have because it's not about, you know, she didn't before now or after 6 months. but i think what in this is want to look at is the most up to be for the most structured long term financing. otherwise, you'd already have this up until and coming off every 6 months of months, but she liked the structure was so i think it may meet the locations or next month . i think the issues with different been as long as the such reforms won't happen. but more importantly, i think that the room sector was started

a pretty large change on the country, but support for when it almost dependent make and also before these to your techs. but hopefully, you know, once back vision levers improve nobody and also in the region and they can some of the sources and change your position as well. position has been pushing for the government to turn to the i m f. something the government has been opposed to. why do you think any program, especially in countries, the highest deficit and a lot extra g p issue would always be entailed both measures such as leading tax expenditure in our balance. you know, if you do some of the specials on the, on the economy and also on the desk. but i think especially at this point in time when you call me back even the panoramic, i get to go to the law. so i don't think they're going to be wants to take any positions or at least in the unpopular positions,

especially at that point in time. so i think they would probably really put some of the government going on. so but or the, or the medium tom, if they can do that, some of the reasons revenues or if they get the vaccination right. and the vaccination thing must be as well. and that should have some, some work to do using all the shows and then proven to can for the ins and probably a better bargaining position will help also, with relieving the ban on the imports of some goods like fertilizer. all they also just storing up problems for the future and pushing that can further down the road . but i think the board ban on data is not just what happened to be and some of the other end border goods has been there for almost more than the especially since the panoramic began. look at you look for in context point to this was about $4000000000.00 of influence for the pending. and that because you went to 0, the last last to especially images dependent on the last month. and i think from

this and i also initially the initial few months of the band to be exposed to it as well for dominic sport, one in just been in the, in the 1st of the month of the band. so i think given the given situation of the country wasn't, they had to stop measures and i think they were using or bands will continue probably to stick with the new problem into the end of the you know, especially now that you don't have any be coming out of the bonds when you do and do they have some long term funding lined up? they were probably the thought using this issue for the next 6 months. all right, then let's talk about maybe the plus side. the competition between china and india for influence in the indian ocean does not offer sure lanka, some strategic advantage and how best and how far can use that? absolutely. i think you guys to hopefully leverage this position in the region. so if you've seen that a last couple of china making investments and also in debt coming in now. and

especially now, you know, for funding require 40 payments going there. and i have been quite handful employed in some funding. she was given that you are important that she mostly in china to go home and can do more. i mean the bunch you can do much more with the graphic position. i mean, they can pretty much more long term for jake investments, transportation at logistics sectors, of which has not yet happened and largely, and also some important points. it can be long term, very much for the, for investments given the location of the, of the country. so yes, i think that is something that will continue going forward is all right, we'll decide. thank so much for talking to us. thank you. thank you. me on thank you. the migrant workers from me in my living in time and florida areas are facing increased hardship locked down, van means there's less work leaving many to rely on donations. yet people still flee to thailand, to escape from military rule. back home florence louis reports says,

usually no shortage of work or laborers for farms in pop prod, district in western thailand. many farmers here employ migrants from across the border in myanmar to work the fields. but the surgeon corona virus cases in the 2 countries has made life more difficult for migrant workers. thailand has imposed a nighttime curve. you and travel restrictions. this lady who doesn't want to be identified had gone back to me on my last year to renew her passport. but she couldn't return to thailand, eagerly after the borders were closed and ended up paying brokers to sneak back in illegally got on the loading movie. i'm in many migrant for me and my in trouble. now, many of us have to hide and escape to thailand. to find a job. some of us got caught and was sent to prison. more watson, johnnie id curry is also a migrant from me. and mom who has settled in thailand for many years,

he helps run a local charity. there are a lot of children also come along with the parents and some parents. they don't have a document. so they had a lot of, you know, issues to going around. and if the parents get arrested, the children will be left behind in a hot or in houses and who's going to take care of their children. he says, live here is also getting increasingly difficult for migrant workers because of corona virus restrictions. when a new infection is reported in a village, no one is allowed to leave unless they can show their tested negative for cove at 19. many are unable to find work and has been relying on donations, but supplies are slowly dwindling, as continued restrictions cause economic hardship for everyone else. the struggle for survival is also made was by a sense of frustration at what's happening back home. me my views, he said,

you know, i want the manmohan touch released on sushi and focus on helping the people from the crisis. i want democracy in men more than the country can move forward to develop. but there's no indication the generals in myanmar are ready to give up power. now, global development institutions like the international monetary fund, usually cautious and circumspect in their assessments of member countries. but the world banks, recent assessments of lebanon, have given up on the niceties it seems, it's gone as far as calling out the deliberate depression that has seen the economy contract, 40 percent, and the poverty rate increased by 50 percent in the world banks. assessments such a brutal and rapid contraction is usually associated with conflicts, or was, it goes on to say the bankrupt economic system that benefits the few has the backing of the political elite. now all of this has been public knowledge with even

the europe in union preparing to sanction some of the key characters, while 11 has a new prime minister designate. now the 3rd, since the government resigned a year ago, and g mccarty has to form a government to reverse the economic crisis. until that happens, the growing concerns that 4000000 people are more immediate risk of losing access to safe water. among them, a 1000000 refugees already facing hardship, with shortages of funding, fuel, and supplies. unicef estimates most water pumping will gradually cease across the country in the next 4 to 6 weeks. and it's a years since a huge explosion in beirut pulled killed $200.00 people injured thousands and devastated the capital. let's get some analysis now with diana. madame, she's managing director of advocacy group co luna it although which promotes solutions to the crisis. good to have with us, so that of the world bank is being very critical lately of the lebanese political

elite. not a huge surprise to the lebanese, or frankly 21 is being familiar with lebanese affairs for a while. everyone knows there's been a problem with the elite for decades, right? why the change in the world banks, toe? now? i mean, the change in the world banks to now is because this is honestly now bordering the criminal. you have the poverty rates that are increasing in a way that has been unprecedented in the country over 50 percent of the lebanese, our court, and the world back anticipates that over 75 percent of the lebanese will be poor by end of year. this is really devastating. the incapacity of this political class to govern is manifested day by day. it's really appalling that this is a political class, but the still trying to cling to power. despite all the misery and the destruction that has called, i mean since the resignation of the 4th of august of last government. there have

been several attempts after government formation today, the 3rd prime minister has been designated and then as you can at the end attempting to form a government for the 3rd time. i mean, this clearly indicates that the problem goes beyond prime minister nomination. the system is blocked, the people that are today in power are incapable of reinventing themselves. they have lost their legitimacy. people will no longer tolerate recycled formula of the same components of the political clap. and everybody realizes today that any government formed using the same war, the randy that has been adopted for the past years will no longer be acceptable. this is a government, it will be required to conduct radical and sometimes very painful reforms to the financial and economic system and to pursue the investigation in the be who the

court black. and there is no way this political class is going to do the oh, let me jump in. if i could then ask the question, would sanctions on the political elites? would that fix the situation and fix the economy? sanctions would definitely be 11 to, to increase pressure on this political class. and to legitimize them, i mean, and they would also hit the political indeed where it hurts the more which is their pockets. but it's not definitely not the only tool. there is another track that is all the more crucial, and it is the continue with opposition off the lebanese to this political class. it is about bill a beneath trying to strip this political class out of power tripping them out of their positions, and syndic and municipal counseling, and particularly in the upcoming election in 2022 functions known will not suffice . and here i need to say something very important. we should not even think that

increasing sanction to force this political need to form a government is a way out. the same people forming a government over and over again would only lead to further destruction and further poverty. the only option that is available is a truly independent government formed outside of the political class and with eggs, with exception, and just let the power that will allow it to 5 lines today, d ledger to mind parliament and conduct the forms that i have just mentioned so let me jump off the question though. would it be enough to change the faces in the position, or are we ultimately talking about the necessity to change the entire confessional based political system? right? doesn't key. as i said earlier, there is a deadlock in the system, is there is the need to really ask ourselves, what does the new model, what does the new state that we want to go much all the lebanese,

ready to answer that question. do they truly want the system of government that reflects no confessional interests or balance between the different confessional sections of society? the, when you are definitely ready to answered this, the post october 17 uprising has shown that there is today a new group of lebanese that are really and sincerely pushing towards the formation of the real estate. that 3, that side of the shackles of political confession, lithium, is in need. and the court for, for this faith to be, to be really free from any condition and related to political confessions, them has been very clear. it has been a main floor and that has been repeated over and over again in the streets. i believe that there are beneath already yes. ready. but we realize that it will be a long and i've heard about that. all right, it's a time to do this because if you look at the situation now, economically that needs pound pretty much worthless poverty, rising electricity,

patchy. now we're talking about possibility of both supplies being held up. if the country about to collapse before the kinds of reform you're talking about can take place. the country is collapsing as we speak. yes, it is true. the lebanese pound has lost nearly 92 percent of its, of its value to the dollar. people have lost all of their savings and purchasing power. there is an urgent need for very urgent economic and social reforms. and for urgent i am of them that inject liquidity in the system. we are in the system that is out of foreign currency. we urgently need for an currency. there is no way this for insurance is going to come in without an eye and the program, there is no way and i am a program is going to come in without necessarily the form. and there's no way this political class going to conduct these forms. i've been good talking to you. thanks

so much. diana manenda, thank you. bangladesh is battling not just the pandemic, but soaring food prices too. and that's putting basic foods out of the reach of many times. the challenger has more from the capital. dot com carn buzzer is one of the busiest open air kitchen markets in dhaka. but there are hardly any shoppers on this day because of a nationwide lockdown to prevent cobra. 1900 begum is among the few who came out for groceries, but finds food items are more expensive than usual. so yes, kicking the initial, i came out to buy some green vegetables. the prices of everything has gone up and the market may be due to the lockdown or because they're not enough buyers, but logistics and supplies are open. not sure why. market experts say soaring inflation, along with rising foot prices in bangladesh and recent month have put an additional

burden on low and middle income households. many here have lost their jobs. the sources of income during the current virus pandemic was that the, all the essential food items, price given height. but in comparison, people's income has risen. so it's becoming hard for middle class families like ours to cope with. it would be good if the government intervenes to stabilize the market. according to data from government agency, nearly all types of daily commodities are now been sold at a higher prices compared to the same period last year. right. adelanto, 2 of the most basic food staples are most bangladesh, and recent prices are many for the essential have gone up, making it increasingly hard for people to make ends meet. the government has announced a number of stimulus packages for different sectors and beneficiaries. during this health crisis, but not everyone is getting the help that need. so we've got a lot of them. it's very hard on the daily rate. they're not able to earn enough

money or get a full square, mean estimated glass with suffering the most. many are not able to go to work and they are also embarrassed to seek help. they're not getting any kind of help. many are suffering likely at home. some here believe holding of goods and manipulation of the market might be creating an artificial crisis. we think one of the main reasons for the price, like if the desire to make an unreasonable profit by vested business interest groups, and lack of proper regulation and monitoring by the government and the business it's open access to manipulate market. despite the pandemic bank, this is economy continues to grow by more than 5 percent, but annually swung the rising inflation and growing food prices could hamper economic recovery and possibly lead to food shortages in a country already heat by severe weather and pandemic related disruption. and that's our show for this week. there's more for you online bow down just 0. don't. com slash ccc. that'll take you straight to the page which has hire you to catch up

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this has become very widespread. we've seen it reached now 16 provinces, that's half the provinces in china. it's the delta vary and the holly infect.