in experts, false information or disinformation spread 6 times faster than real news. oftentimes because of misleading headlines that have nothing to do with the body of the story. rectifying or neutralizing misinformation is far more difficult and is turning out to be a major challenge for what maybe the 1st constitution written under the influence of this new technological age. you see in human al jazeera santiago. ah, so this is on dessert. these are the top stories and the mother to palestinians have been shot dead by the israeli army in the occupied westbank. it happened during confrontations near. janine raids are being carried out on villages and a refugee camp. natasha can aim high school. we are in the town of sil word,

and people are gathering in the courtyard of this school behind me shortly. they will have a noon prayer in memory of a 20 year old man who is killed during clashes wednesday evening. then they will proceed to the cemetery for burial. there were clearly heavy clashes along this street last night with the israeli military. when we arrived several hours ago, there was rubble all over the road. the israeli military was here on the hunt for a man. they say is wanted in connection with a 2015 terrorist attack in israel that killed one man. the leader arrested that man in a nearby town. the sight ship of russia's black sea fleets has been severely damaged by a blast. ukraine says it hit the war ship masika with a cruise missiles, but moscow says a farm board calls ammunition to exclude russia says it is now in full control of the ports in the ukrainian city of maria pole, and that more than 1000 ukrainian marines have surrendered ukraine denies this and

says its troops still fighting president sir ram opposed to has visited, south africa's flood ravaged, east coast, where more than 300 people have died. he described the situation as a catastrophe of epic proportions. somali as new members of parliament being sworn in more than a year behind schedule, hours earlier, a series of mortar attacks struck the area of mogadishu. the legislators were gathering political, inviting accusations of irregularities and of rise and violence of all stalled somalis election process. some asylum seekers trying to enter the u. k. and to be center a window for processing u. k prime minister boys johnson had announced it would apply to those who crossed the english channel. so part of a $130000000.00 deal that's been criticized by rights groups. just headlines, more news coming up here on our desert. right after we hear from inside story. i for now. ah,

sir, like a says its defaulting on all its foreign debts. the island nation is seeing its worth economic crisis and decades and growing public anger. but what does this move mean? and will there be political fallout? this is inside story. ah, ah ah hello and welcome to the program. i'm debbie and abigail. the economic crisis in sri lanka appears to be getting worse by the day. it's government has been forced to default on its entire $51000000000.00 of external debts. there's been

a shortage of food fuel and schools have had to cancel exams for a lack of paper. it's all lead to weeks of anti government protests culminating and cold for president. got a buyer, roger pox up to resign. we'll bring in our guests in a moment, but 1st, michelle fernandez reports from colombo. this is the colombo shot of hub, is teaming. you can see stalls selling so wrong, and people are sort of taking a look here. another ford shop where people are trying to buy some trades for the new year. but a reminder down here of what the situation is, a generator just to keep things running for the power. ah, because many, many people are suffering with paul cut. just one of the issues that's the reality of the economic price is the truck is going through and we're just. a hearing from the government that they have decided in the interim to stop debt repayment in the

process of going to the i m f. they will be looking to restructure their debt. that announcement has come today. some economy said this is far too late in the coming. they've been asking for it for months and months. and the government insisted that it was in control. but now deciding to put a halt in the interim and can centrally restructure debt. then when i come out to gorda with the guy, now everything has gone up in price. i came to buy close by the are so expensive. the question is, is it enough for months and months, economist, opposition politicians have been asking the government to put a hold on its debt repayment to negotiate a sort of a plan default. and meanwhile, to save the precious foreign currency, which is so so depleted and that's what led to all one of these shortages fuel cooking, gas, food items medicine. and that is what

a has been the rallying cry to the government. so what does it mean for us or lanka to default on its external debt? well, it happens when a board fails to pay an international loan at the time. it's due sherland coast, usable, foreign currency reserves have plunged below a $1000000000.00 limiting its ability to repay loans. defaults can lead to lower credit scores, reducing the chances of obtaining credit in the future, and higher interest rates on existing as well as new loans. ah, to discuss this, let's bring in our guest. joining us from columbus, johan perrera, who is the executive director of the national peace council of stir lanka in jaffe, not helena kerrigan mar, who's a political economist and senior lecturer at the university of jobs. not insure lanka as well. i'm joining us from melbourne is amanda para, a researcher at the school of education and the arts at secret university australia . welcome to you all. thanks for joining us on inside story. i helen over to you

1st. so now that's your lincoln has announced it is in fact, defaulting on its foreign debts. does this stop the dot a downward spiral? yeah, it's to be seen how the markets are going to this. this is, i'm president, the g like i have never done this might stock aspire? well, your difficulties to gaining international markets with my financial transactions. but the question is also why they had to come about at this point, the government at the time or the last to try to show up it's far back. last year we had it's highest or bill $21000000000.00. so rather than saving some of that foreign foreign exchange towards the situation like this,

we continue to spend the other question that you guys going when i met next. why did we have just a heads up when i'm asked? does that reduce the bargaining power that she got the house and the condition averages from the i'm a lot of questions and a lot of about the sales process as well as what we pre cation that are going to be right. the claim that we have a launch but is unable to reach an agreement, what the consequences for the people right brain's left come all important point. all important points. in fact, as part of our discussion, let me just bring in colombo for the time being. and john pereira, so if this i m f program actually goes ahead, it would be through like a 17 financial rescue package from the global lender, and i got it from jeff and i was saying it does, comes with strings and conditions attached. i will. why is this, i am

a flown going to work when the country has already had 16 in the past, in your opinion? it a significance of this, this all it is that she long cause currency also has been said to the following has fallen by like close on 100 percent in the last 2 months. and we are also going to countries foreign countries such as india or bangladesh. china asking for loans for to just title the next month. so in a sense that the government taking this action of tried to preserve whatever the foreign exchange it has by not paying the debt is, is to the people. it will be something that baby welcome because they do want the petro the d, so that i q, q is lions stretching for a kilometer more every day. people stay over night in these guess that these gas

station waiting to fill out where he goes that tractors that combine harvested because they had to do the farming properly. so for people, the, that the importance is that the government should have money to import, the essential that no man just didn't know in the, in the hospital, the government has denied it, but the doctor says that that isn't medicine in the, in the hospitals. so yes, so what you're saying is different. so, so what you're saying is this is a good move on behalf of the government to show the people that they're actually doing something. i mean double edged sword, but up to now the government does not doing anything. now, at least they have taken some decisive step. they appointed a new central bank governor. the person goes saying that you're going to somehow get the money to repay that data management team, the country. now we have got

a new person who has also increase the interest rates vary considerably, because that's the way to i think there's still some confidence in people to, to actually save the money that they have been printing money or printing enormous amounts of rupees. these last few months, and that also has contributed to the downward spiral in a contest, a very bad economy management. now we have this decision, ok. and so i mean, ok, let me bring in a month from melbourne. i mean, what do you think about the i m f loan? if it goes ahead, is this going to be good enough for the people i'm on time? because as, as we've been hearing, i mean the i m f loans come with painful policies. the people have already been feeling a lot of pain on the streets. we've seen the process taking place. so how will sir lincoln's be reacting to this news? do you think? well, i think housey lincoln's react to this news will depend on the very fact whether

the laws on these negotiations are going to be felt on the ground. because what we're seeing is something that is really unprecedented. there are pockets, there are few shortages, there are gas shortages last filing, a price hike. so all these things i have come together and they are felt by every citizen. so whether this is going these last these negotiations, guy, math, and we are in your countries whether that will really make an impact is whether these shortages are going to, are revealed in any way if the bonds are going to become shorter. if the gas lines are going to be shorter, if people can find fuel without staying in line for half a day or even more, i think that's what's going to change the moon on the ground. because these

projects that we are see they have come about because people, everyone in 3 lines are full of very, very small minority, are feeling the impact of the economic crisis. you cannot go through a day when there is a 30 now, right, and then you can. so it's, it's going to depend on whether all this negotiations, all these loans are going to be felt like a back for a moment before we look at how this is all impacting the, the roger packs a family. but i learned just tell us what caused this economic crisis and whether it can be sort of pinpointed at one thing or is it several things over the years? things or do you think the, the war and your brain and the, the rising commodity prices increased on me and the destruction opportunities in check that has happened. but really,

this is all wrong. prices where she has been getting beyond the sovereign was in the capital markets and that's fine. so that's the question. even design agreement that the process we didn't find implementing many of the recommendations, but whether that's only going to be that start the home. i just an issue without restricting impulse because i'm going to change you look at the measures that i've already joined. the last one that came out on march from the broken i exchange rate was that the decision warned by the people they have to pay for the items. they are just rich. not a business is not going to go back because you have double, they just say they won't have working capital. now, i'm

a recommend going to restructuring the boat at the mercy of the island. right? but let me ask you this. what more could the government have done? what more could the government have done a headline? because as you were just saying, there is a rising, we saw the rising cost, the fuel, the corona virus locked down. as a result there was a drop in tourism. so there were a lot of external factors that battered through lanka much you have done all in all essential groups. so now i'm talking about but as i mentioned last year, we have all kinds of lunches. i need to have a distribution system. all of that was dismantled when she got into a structural adjustment on the back consent from one of the reasons this

one is going to be consequential when the economy in 777. and since then, equality grown, not only are all colombo and these are just that are coming now. yeah. the action against such quality engine, our country destruction of services. but i'm like, please, my worry didn't just gain on the what. ok, john, if you agree with what's being said from just now and also, you know, we've seen much of the anger recently expressed in terms of protest and such directed at the roger pox. a family courses who's been in power for, for decades. so the criticism is that the government failed to take basic steps and there were warning signs. is that something that you agree with? if i'd like to add to further points to what i said. and the 1st is that,

as i said, we were living beyond down means, you know, we thought we had a war in our country for 3 decades. and a lot of money was invested in the wall. there was a lot of destruction also that took place. but did not really suffer a reduction in our living standards. so i maybe we didn't develop as fast as the countries did. but we also are living standards did not drop the also rules. and how did the right, because we took the going, we took these lawyers 1st from institutional lenders, then from the private sector, the commission lenders, and we live beyond that means that's one thing that we need to keep in mind. the 2nd thing is that the people are really, i mean, they're really but the, focusing on what the roger boxes have done. there is a business that they have taken the money that they have stolen this money and that there was a mis men. people behind of course, been, you know, that no one did the right department,

but the entire point because he's kind of got extreme, the current. and you know, for a long time the devil commissions be taken by politician. be know, for instance, that there are such huge investments that have been made. it's been keeping the chinese lawns. we have the tallest building in south isha, a tower which is this is empty, which has not been functional about several years. we have a airport in the south of the country, which is rather strong to see which is which is hardly having any plans coming. we have a port that to which we expect that the fits to come. we were promised. and when the 50 or 60 ships from which we have now had to lease to the chinese for $99.00. yeah. right. so it is this issue of corruption, lack of accountability that people are blaming their focusing on the boxes. and they want them to go because they think that they are the ones who have done this

damage. but it's not only, there are the boxes, in fact, i think the entire government. and that is, you know, be reflected in what the people that same the same i think we want all 225 m p 's to go. this is an exaggeration on their part, but they really mean they want to corrupt m. p. 's to go ok a month as a something that the president himself can survive. he's called for talks with protesters, is not likely to appease them at all. well, i mean, the reaction from just this incentives, the prime minister, who wrote an open letter saying that he would like to open discussions and dialogue with the producers and the british have quickly, or at least some of the reactor to say, we're not going to talk unless our demands, which is that the president resigned and all the right boxes in government, we wish that post. so the anger, the protested,

our director and the raj about the family. now one thing that we need to understand is that the good of the right and ministration, when it came into power, it actually promised a change if slogan was, system change. what he said was we were going to change the system that has been in place, which people said was come up, which didn't deliver equally to all 3 longer. so they came on the platform that they were going to be what they were going to change the system. and instead, what has happened in sort of any kind of improvement. think that regressed, then anyone has ever seen in their life. and so what we are seeing is the anger boiling over and the roger boxes have become the target because for the better part of the last 2 decades, they have be the most powerful political plan in sri lanka. right. ok, so look,

i mean a lot of the opposition amount has also pouncing on this. they are hoping to hold some sort of no confidence vote, but the opposition is also weakened. i mean they don't have a majority. they haven't been able to take control of parliament. so what did they do? well, i think the real interesting be list best is that the best are taking place with out of the day without, without a political party. all the politician all by the code structure, guiding them or giving them momentum. so the opposition cannot expect to gain power or to form a government through this purpose because the protest is i in fact saying that they want this whole system change. by for starters, they want the government that is in place to change. so there are some decisions

would be made that the prevailing situation can be changed. so it's quite a unique situation that is happening in syria because what we're seeing the past is that most certainly not this large. i have always been led by a little bit now. yeah. these based on getting people are pouring on to the streets without being prompted by dish. right? so it would be very, for one political party to gain momentum from base, but it most certainly will mean that one. will it go, how family would be and the receiving end of this? but i a lot, i mean, how challenging isn't going to be to dismantle this deep rooted corruption in the system as what's being described by my guess from colombo, jan pereira, corruption and instruction. why is. ready and. ready she was

a crisis itself as also be the consequence economic trajectory, but the kind of investment that john talked about investment in instruction, but these other programs that maybe you don't have all the regimen we're back. ready back and did this, i'm it. but the question is whether i'll be going to continue investing direction all the tours of boston and just the kind of economy. she's not going to prices agriculture. the foods just don't let the kids manage the real ship in the tragic economic policies and what that happened, the wrong kind of a crisis that bound to be about major changes like it or not. at the moment the angry is against the router. they've been completely mice because been

going to by rather than the like you don't have to go sooner or. ready i think that would come after that, which is similar to what happened to 7. and i'm if agreement that leads to the suffering of the people we might see again as we to the right. you might even have a worse fashion. that merges don't actually satisfy too much or the last couple years and it's not a crisis. so they really should foremost, and my body is that the projection, which is going to bring about most often and then give stage for other kinds of testing because you missed one connectors rather than centurylink on the macro she right. ok, john, i mean we spoken about the, the process, some people coming out, but you're in colombo, just give us a real sense of what life is like today for ordinary sheer lincolns who are trying

to make ends meet the situation today at today's holiday here. if you do need some new, you know, just a protein, our tradition you yet, you doing very quiet usually. but in the, in that area and you know, the presidential secretary that lots of people and lots of young people. and you know, we have made it a sort of like a festival of, of democracy that talking democracy. they're talking about ideas that brings kids, and that's keeping their spirits up because also reading, reading very heavily colombo but that's so the rest of the population. they actually demo 70. now most of most of us during this period, we want to travel back to our villages and we don't want and we can do that because there are no buses. and there, i mean that the shortage of the so the to a few of the buses. so many people that just staying in their homes and they're

going shopping, they're going to bring their shopping. but as the saw in the, in the, in the year, the prices have risen tremendously. so people are really suffering. and at the moment it's the people who are paying the price, but because that, that, that they do using food intake, for instance. but later on it's been, it's been a hit the others also. and also keeping us in the sense that our thoughts, which are very unbearable, what do you think it was going on next? how is this going to play out in your opinion? yeah, my, my hope is this that see what we would like. what i would like is to see the change to the democratic system to the constitution. and so that it requires that the parliamentary majority should shift all ready of 40 members of the, of the ruling of the government have opted to become independence. but this needs

to be aligned to the government, but when they see that this, these protests are not stopping. and they see the wide spread nature of the, of the desire for a change in the leadership. that they will shift. and as a, as a consequence of that shit, but i would like to see because the president is not going at the moment. but i would like to see is a constitutional amendment brought in broad bringing back constitutional amendment we had, which is all written by this president, right. he, as soon as he came to power, he came to the 20th amendment, it's concentrated poverty and himself, and iraq, the independence of the judiciary and other institution by the public service. i would like to see that amendment repeal okay, will pay the way far for reform in the future. thank you so much. we'll have to leave it there on that. no, thank you for joining john perrera lancaster gum r as a month for thanks so much. thank you for watching. you can see the program again

any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com for further discussion. you can go to our facebook page on facebook dot com, forward slash ha. inside story. you can join the conversation on twitter as well, or handle as a james. i story for myself and the entire scene here. and thanks for watching. bye bye. for now. the news ah, along with in the run up to worth date, al jazeera showcase is live discussion programs and special documentaries, exploring the issues behind human caused climate change. climate skepticism is

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the melting of the frozen no. on al jazeera. there is no channel that covers world news like we do, we revisit places, mistake, i'll just 0 really invest in that. and that's a privilege. as a journalist. ah hello, i'm on insight in doha here. top stories on al jazeera, another to palestinians have been shot dead by the israeli army and the occupied westbank. it happened during confrontations near jeanine israeli forces have been carrying out raids on villages and a refugee camp. natasha can aim has more from sil, what, where one funeral has taken place. we are outside the funeral of a 20 year old man named omar ileana. i'm going to step out of you. your look.