to members of stuff and they're only able to touch it with gloves on. now you might think all of this is rather excessive, but fever have learned from history. in fact, this is the 2nd version to the well cut. the jewel remade trophy, which was more of a golden cup shape. well, it was stolen twice back in the 60s, in england and in the eighty's in brazil. and of course he was never recovered off to that. so or that really adds up to a feeling of being mixed to something very special indeed. yes. got, ah, well. 2 good, this is al jazeera and these are the top stories u. s. intelligence director, admiral haines, is warning that russian president vladimir putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in ukraine. haines says the criminal actions could escalate and become more unpredictable over the next few months. the most likely flash points for escalation in the coming weeks are around increasing russian attempts to

interdict western security assistance, retaliation for western economic sanctions, or threats to the regime at home. we believe that moscow continues to use nuclear rhetoric to deter the united states and the west from increasing lethal aid to ukraine and to respond to public comments at the u. s. and nato allies let suggest expanded western goals in the conflict. the world health organization says china 0 covet policy is not sustainable. chinese authorities have resumed mass testing on people in shanghai, which has been under lockdown for nearly 6 weeks. gunman have killed at least 70 people in separate attacks and eastern democratic republic of congo. villages were rated in a tory province where the government says its combating groups battling for control of gold much true long as military has been ordered to shoot anyone involved in violence. there at least 8 people have died in unrest. despite the resignation of

prime minister. my hinder as a proxy protest, there's also one, his brother president got a bio roger boxer to step down. they blame their blame for major shortages of food, fuel medicine and power. a nation wide curfew has been extended to thursday. international donors have promised $6700000000.00 to syria at a conference in brussels saying the conflict hasn't been forgotten. it's slightly more than the money raised last year. it goes to syrians and neighboring countries hosting refugees not to damascus. the former president of honduras has pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges in new york court. one, orlando, hernandez, is attorney plans to subpoena 3 former us presidents and imprison mexican drug lord walking l chapel guzman. he says they can vouch for him. hernandez was an extradited to the us last month. he was arrested at his home in honduras in february, just weeks after his 2nd term and office ended. those are the

headlines. the news continues here on al jazeera, after inside story. thanks for watching. ah oh he is the roger pucks up this cool dentist in sri lanka, about to end president got to buy roger pox. i was under pressure to resign after his brother a hinder set down as prime minister that that wasn't enough to con violent protests . the where does sri lanka go from here? this is entire story. ah.

hello there and welcome to the program. i'm natania tay. now for months, protest as have been chanting go home, a tree line cuz most powerful political family president got to buy a roger pox and his brother, prime minister may hinder roger pox, are accused of corruption and mismanaging the economy may end his resignation on monday, failed to quell public anger, at least 7 people were killed, more than 200 injured after roger pox, the supporters fault with anti government protesters, police and security personnel, 5 t a gas water cannon demonstrates has tried to storm the prime minister's residence and set fire to properties earned by the roger pucks of family and government ministers. the president has given the military and police even more power to detain people without warrants shortages of fuel, food and medicine balls. thousands out on the streets and protests that had been mostly peaceful until this week. michelle fernandez has worn out from the capital columba tom restored more or less in most parts of the country as

the curfew extended now obviously helped by a big presence of the 3 armed forces supporting the police. we had members of the army, the air force, the navy stopping us at different points, checking us as to where we were going. because obviously there's a curfew in sri lanka till wednesday morning. many people don't seem to be heating the curfew in terms of even you can see some of the scenes behind me. those burnt out wreckage is that a full buses? and this was the scene right throughout many parts of colombo, close to the prime minister's official residence, which is just down the road. obviously, these were the buses that brought in many of the supporters of the prime minister that subsequently march on the protest as who are demanding the resignations of the roger pox, the brothers and their government. but when they tried to go back to their homes, to their villagers,

they had their just desserts progressed as say they were giving these support as a taste of their own medicine. that they were absolutely fed up of intimidation and strong arm tactics that the roger boxes have been employing for a long, long time. now internationally, there's been condemnation of the violence. we've heard that the commissioner of human rights michelle vaseline geneva has condemned the violence asking for a proper investigation into what spock the violence and these incidents for the professors themselves. the fact that the prime minister has resigned does not go far enough. that rallying cry for this campaign was go to go home. and they did specify and continued to stand by the fact they want a clean sweep. so the president, the government, they all need to go in order for the protesters to be appeased. bonaire fernandez inside story. while she lycos economic crisis has been brewing since 2019, when the government started dipping into foreign reserves to pay its debt,

revenues dropped in 2020 when exports fell. after the pandemic also ground, the tourism industry that to a halt and agricultural output suffered last year when the government band fertilizes and ordered pharmacy to go genic. by march, the situation was dia, sri lanka couldn't pay for imports of food medicine fuel. people faced power cup last out to 13 hours a day. the government tried to contain discontent by shutting down social media and declaring a state of emergency. but protests grew and in early april, sri lanka, the entire cabinet resigned. ah, well let's now bring in our guests joining us from colombo as harsh to silver. he's a member of sri lanka, parliament in the main opposition party. we also have gone a shot with no raja, he's a senior research associate at the overseas development institute. he joins us from london and also joining us from the sri lankan capital is bonnie from 2nd. she's

a senior research, an attorney at law with a sense of a policy alternatives, a very warm welcome to each of you. thank you for your time on our program. i want to ask because we've been seeing these protests continue now for weeks months and they've been mostly peaceful. bonnie, i know you've been out on the streets. what do you think has triggered this level of violence that we've seen? so thank you for having me and it's a timely discussion, considering what's happening in sri lanka, the progress as you said, has been rod peacefully the last 2 months. we commenced a protest in the suburbs of colombo in early march. i need spread across sri lanka with the large protest in the center of columbia, and it has been peaceful all these time. what happened yesterday was when the protesters were outside the official residents of the prime minister, there were going to associated with the government who went and attacked the peaceful protesters and continue to travel to the other site,

which was the largest site. and that's rare. so someone and a happen so really piece will protest by citizens for 2 months and the while and really needs to be directly attributed to the prime minister and the government . because so far we did not see any wildlands coming from the producers to yesterday. well, i understand there was some sort of meeting with the pro government protesters ahead of the violence that some ministers were also present, calling for action as some thought. now we've obviously seen homes and officers torched. does that mean the government side as backing down or, or hasha, do you think will seem fair the confrontations? well, i actually hope not because it has completely gotten out of control and days, nor government days, nor prime minister days, no cabinet. and i don't know whether the police are able to act or we haven't seen

the president, he is hold up somewhere. and so things are very, very dicey, right now, a sore to get the country back to some sense of normalcy. or we need to urgently have a government in place. and so that the law enforcement officers can control these mobs. because otherwise they could go berserk. well, this is all obviously taking place within the context of this very dire economic crisis that we've been talking about. i see a form the finance minister warned that some have gotten by raj impacts has policies, especially those sweeping tax cuts that we have previously come on this or would send to the country bankrupt. but it seems like this level of profound anger that we're seeing or is beyond that there's this sense of betrayal and connection. where do you think that's coming from? so essentially, the crisis in so function of both the pandemic which less deep scarring on the

sheila going economy grows, slipped to minus 3.6 percent in 2020 and policy missteps by the government and the policy missteps do include indeed, but that's got a $29.00 d, which last revenue about 2 percent gdp but also printing money, which led to a hyperinflation, which we face today. inflation on the year, on the basis to a probably about 30 percent and inflation is running at practically 50 percent. and then you've had this rapid switch from chemical fertilizers to organic lasers, which without preventing farmers, we radically affected agriculture. so this combination of external events and parties, you missed it, are leaving us where we are. the only other point i want to add to this is that a communication by the government was very poor and people were not prepared for

this dire situation. we weren't really, we were told that there were these non conventional policy that being done, which would save the country, but this is proved to be talking wrong. well, given that the resignation we saw of the prime minister who acted a lot of these policies, it seems to have done very little to appease the protest as many and now asking if this is actually going to be the end of the roger pucks, i era now, just to remind our viewers, the roger boxes have been one of the most powerful political families since in 1930 1000000 to roger puck so fast became president in 2005, and he's soon appointed. his younger brother got to buy as defense secretary and they saw the family members in senior political positions. 4 years later may hinder gained praise for ending the civil war against the tunnel tigers. but he was also accused of violating human rights and crushing descent. gotten by himself and won the presidency and 2019, he then appointed his brother hinder prime minister, year later 2 other roger pack, the family members were also appointed ministers. many others also hold senior

positions. it's believed that the brothers controlled up to 70 percent of feline because budget one point and the family denies this and has repeatedly rejected allegations of nepotism. i think either that there are a number of other roger pack, those who have been in ministerial or other senior positions who's now been removed . basil roger, part of the finance minister accused of corruption, jamal roger pox administer of irrigation, his son, finra, who led that whole battle and the band also gone may hinder son num, all also at one point minister of youth and sports, he said the family is now going through a bad patch, hossa, is it more than that more than a bad punch? who has some and that's putting it mildly, a situation in the treasury and center bank is nothing to, you know, be happy about. we are in serious trouble. we need

some sort of bridge financing to make sure that we have sufficient or fewer lp gas or, and without the coffers sufficiently failed to purchase these items. we have long power cards and we have long lines of fuel and so on. so the situation is pretty bad. we need to really be able to quickly put the plan a in action to be able to deal with the situation. so it's more than a bad patch. it's a pretty terrible situation. we're looking at the leadership specifically. i wonder, is there more state care for the roger pack says than simply staying in power? i know, given there have been allegations of human rights abuses,

war crimes from the time of tiger crackdown. could the brothers then be concerned about some kind of accountability for that divani i want to point out here and the end is already been refusing. prob, still hasn't been a proper investigation. do you think that's what bleeding into this? i think there's a combination, but definitely there are serious allegations against but t playing do each was in the family and this is bored on corruption issues as well as what's happened in the past. viewing the war as well as for stores is very serious allegations, which has now gone to the un, and there are also cases in other jurisdiction. so days of fear that if the news, however, that these cases came, come back to haunt them. know we're also seeing what we saw yesterday in terms of the while and, and coming back to the protest as fees. we need to recognize that the while and

started from the president's race. deborah prime minister's residence and is footage to show that there were not just a prime minister in his son, but there are the ministers. so there needs to be an independent investigation weather, particularly, and to rejoice in the family as well as the fall. my cabinet and i said, farmer, because we don't now have a government are responsible for incitement and organizing some of these wire lands . so there are serious allegations against many, not just the raj, a box or family, but those around them as well. and the question is, can there be accountability or for all of them? these in a context where there was serious cases that were brought against them in 2015 onwards, and those cases being proceeds. so lots of questions with the accountability can happen in the present set up. but there are lots of allegations and i fear that they're holding on to power because they're preventing those cases from moving

forward. but there is also by my understanding and ethnic dimension here that i think is potentially quite telling. so the roger packs as it always banks, on their support from the finale, is buddhist community, majority 75 percent of the population. but we've also seen them join these protests in very huge numbers, again ish. and you think that that's pushing towards political change here. so in a context of course, context, society like oz wondered, hope that when the roger boxes come to the civil conflict in 2009, that would be an attempt to heal the wounds as you have in south africa in ireland and in other places which has been config driven. sadly, that has not proved to be the case. and if anything, there was an element of triumphalism and what is very interesting with the current project, at least as i observe it, is that your head, multi ethnic protest coming around. and i think this is an interesting and

unforeseen development in our society and hopefully a positive step. and we certainly need, if we are going to prosper and grow, we will need to heal the wounds of a long conflict and the ethnic divisions that we had because no country can really develop and grow very fast if they are ethnically divided and have these perpetual balance of instability as we have seen. so we have to rethink a lot of what we have done in the past and introduce of proper policy measures and provide the proper rule of law if we want to move forward. i was trying to gauge public opinion around all assess, and i was looking at some surveys. i see gallon put confidence in the government record lows heading down with at the end of last year. another poll, the approval rating for the government was 10 percent back in january and house and how much the pores at you're sitting in your possession. i'm curious, how much support does the government have? do you think and, and what are the demographics here that make up the bulk of that support ongoing?

well, i don't think the government has any support any longer. i mean, yesterday was a absolutely turning point because the gum and it was all for everyone to see called on goons, and thanks to a residence of the prime minister and let them loose on the protesters. and what they didn't expect was the reaction of the general public. you know, they caught the tugs and threw them into lakes and burnt buses, and unfortunately, several people also lost their lives. so if there was any confidence left in these people that just dissipated yesterday. so now we are, like i said at the beginning in a very precarious situation where that confidence need to be rebuilt. and the only

way that confidence can be rebuilt in my view is to have a new government. hopefully the president would resign because the cry for his resignation has gotten even louder post yesterday because otherwise we are going to go into some crisis. i mean, of course you're in a huge crisis and president a crisis and it could even worse and, and i shudder to think what might happen if there is no political solution in the next 2448 hours. the funny. how realistic to think that is to think that the president might resign, especially now that he has these and i don't see power the needles are now given officers the power to detain in question without arrest ones. well, i'm glad you raised the deposit of the executive president sees enormous, and this was consolidated under the president under the 20th amendment. so this president for weeks have been hearing the cause of one assumes. he heard the cause

of the protesters calling for his various ignition a survey, read the door, so showed that 87 percent warranted the president to resign. now that's a huge number. if you really think about it is significant ocean, including he's on base. and regardless, he's held on to power and now i don't see him leaving that easily. and that is the unfortunate situation that him holding on to this office is all powerful office is having a huge detriment to this country. i need citizens. so i fear that unless there's more pressure broadfoot to meet the president resign, we're going to see much, much more dia times. that said, i just wanted to say this, the president resigning doesn't mean we are lifting a vacuum. the constitution provides for a prime minister to be appointed in

a precedent to be appointed by parliament. so there are specific measures provided in the constitution. there can be taken very quickly as soon as the president resigns of the seats the most critical. urgent need right now. well, let me ask then if the roger pack says are removed, connection given the dia, state of the economy, you are an economist. the challenges are obviously likely to continue. we could see austerity measures, and these could be very painful. so many people in tre lanka who already suffering even with these economic reality is than do you think we could see discontent continue. so i think that re, lunk of hanging eventually come out of this dies situation if we put in place the right policies and we have political will. and one has seen this elsewhere in the developing world where countries such serious situation. so i have a little bit of need them for sri lanka, but we need to do at least 3 things to try to get this back on track. the 1st is we

need to restructure the foreign debt, which is held by, by a private creditors. that's the majority of the debt and also the bilateral trade, that includes china and india as well in japan. and that's quite a tricky sort of conversations that have to be held. the 2nd thing is we've got to agree on and implement fully, and i'm a program on macroeconomic stability and management. and that is going to be quite a complex discussion because there are to be some money that will have to come. there is a short bit of money under rapid financial facility from $400000000.00 and then days something called an enhanced program from the m f, which is about $3000000000.00 a $1000000.00 a year, which will have to come. and we'll have to show a substantial progress in debt restructuring. and that's the tricky bit. and the 3rd thing which government has to do whatever comes into power is to put in place of program of structural reforms to deregulate the economy,

to green it. and to ensure inclusiveness. and the program is essentially. but if your government and the history of actually reformed the economy, when there are 34 elements in that reform the 1st and we've got to cut red tape which is strangling business. and that's critical. the 2nd, if you got to encourage women's participation in economic activity limits, participation rates are low and this is a problem in an aging society. going to find, i, i, i do want to bring in harsh or that because what it sounds like you're saying is that wholesale economic changes, sorry, but then high. so let me ask you, does wholesale economic change require wholesale, political change, as you say? yes, yes, and i think i agree with her ganesh and said, but you know, we need to be able to get these refunds done. but you need to have the political really to do it. and like you said,

nobody really had that previous to do it. and i think this is the best time to get all this stuff to reform stuff. however, we need to ensure that people are who sam somehow. so i will have to add a $4.00, he's 3 and that is a very strong social protection system. so we need to be able to, to protest the people who are going to be the worst ship with this reform. so those are the things that we are thinking about right now. because if you take government in the next few days, that is the 1st thing we would need to do one of the i m f is fully on board with that plan and we hope that we will succeed divani. i want to ask you something that hasha alluded to a little bit earlier in our conversation and taking a step back from all of this. i've seen speculation on past the various different people in sri lanka that this is part of the conversation that could shape a country. do you think that the protests that we've seen,

the process that we're in now, is this part of nation building? definitely, i believe we have this unique opportunity and i think that's a very important thing to remember. you know, while we've seen the wildlands of the last 24 islands, the last few weeks showed that citizens have come out peacefully united. there has been some issues, but i mean recognizing that there's a lot to do, but people can be united in building this country. and there's also recognition that there needs to be structural reforms, broadening the changes the structure of these countries. so one of the key reforms that people are now coming behind, he's the voice in the executive precedence. you now use things like that. the devolution or par reconciliation. economic just is all of that can come together. we have this unique opportunity to really push this country forward and bringing

stability any konami groat. but you know, these are long term plans. i think immediately what we need is to have a government that gives people the confidence that this is possible. and that's the problem right now. well, it is a very tricky situation for sri lanka. thank you so much for joining us to discuss what's happening on the ground. now we'll be watching it very closely here on out to 0. thank you to all of our guests hush, a da silva, gunnison wagner, roger and bonnie fonseca, and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website that's al jazeera dot com. and for further discussion to go to our facebook page, that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. and to remember, you can also join the conversational twitter handle is at a j inside story. for me, an associate in the whole team here in durham. bye for now. i

ah. and a, a unique folded protest by a palestinian artist using a symbol of national identity to create postage and passport stamps. but as for some birds were not re donny life player to be at the conflict anyway, sending a message of resistance about the arab israeli conflict. our son, we come to palestine, palestine sun bed, a stamp of defiance on al jazeera. we don't simply focus on the politics of the conflict. if the human suffering that we report i,

we brave bullets and bomb and we always include the views from all sites on may. 15th webinar will hold that 1st parliamentary elections since the country went in for economic collapse in 2019 political and security pensions are running high with many lebanese desperately wanting change for, and new leadership. but well, they're both to be enough to change the status quo. special coverage on al jazeera move in hebron boys breed that fly pigeons. but then this occupied palestinian city boys are also close to watched vice railey forces at times, shot and often arrested. a delicately told tale filmed over 5 years of a coming of age and a place where even a child's imagination is heavily restricted, for the skies above had brought a witness documentary on jesse era. the latest news, as it breaks,

we've rama god easter. i'm paul. so, but all happening right now, thanks in the city and it's holy site said to remain high with detailed coverage. this used to be a cultural center. it will think we, before all this rubble is loop from around the world, 825000000 books were sold around the world. we're talking about paper wars. ah, i'm a german durham, the top stories on al jazeera, a top us intelligence official, is warning that russian president vladimir putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in ukraine. national intelligence director, admiral haines says the kremlin jackson's could escalate and become more unpredictable over the next few months. she's also warning the putin will impose marshall lying in eastern and suddenly the most likely flash points for escalation

in the coming weeks or around. increasing russian attempts to interdict western security assistance, retaliation for western economic sanctions, or threats to the regime at home. we believe that moscow continues to use nuclear rhetoric to deter the united states and the west from increasing lethal a.