rain, yes, and investigates the devastating effects on the planets and all those who inhabit the industries. ha. because of uranium on al jazeera, joe biden is set to visit israel, the palestinian territory, and saudi arabia in an ultimate test of foreign policy set. during his election campaign, we're adding all american support for a french of operations in the war in yemen. what we've done by the actions that we've taken is not to rupture the relationship but to recalibrate as russia and china compete for influence over the region at a moment of growing tough people with us get back in the game. biden, in the middle east on al jazeera ah anger purchased in sher langkow to present and go to buy a raja pox, a fleas, the country ahead of a promise resignation. protest is demand. the resignation of the prime minister

often takes over his acting president and declares a state of emergency. ah, i'm on the inside. this is out. is there a lie from dollars that coming out? joe biden is expected to arrive in israel in the next few hours on his 1st trip to the middle east. as the u. s. president and a 65 year old hong kong activists known as grandma won't plead guilty to charges with ah, there was growing anger in sure langkow to the prime minister was appointed acting president. thousands of people have gathered the offices of the prime minister,

run a victim a singer in colombo to demand his resignation. despite a state of emergency being declared, many of tried to scale the walls even break through the gates. protesters have also entered the state t. v and radio offices. we know the state television has been suspended. security forces have 5 volleys of tear gas at the crowds, but they have not despised many thousands still on the streets. the speaker of parliament confirmed in the last few hours that vic, i'm a singer, is now the acting president as well as the prime minister. and he has taken over from the president, go to buy a roger pucks a who fled the country and is now in the mal dave's head of a promise resignation, which we still have not officially goes. let's go straight to manella fernandez, who is a lie for us in colombo. i feel unfortunately, i think we don't have for me now. we can go to step wanston,

who earlier spoke to one protest, a who made an appeal to the international community, not to support shoreline because embattled leaders of the don't like violence, but that is what you're g, aren't wireless at the this like quotes he can gain the poa, i can mobilize them legally and he can crash outdoor and we can swap them to partner. and no offense to me. come on. that's the plan. he's a master mine and please i am asking even if you're a community born custio's grandmother, he's the be just to be let me read on top right now. he's the biggest, biggest will any longer. he's more treated. he called that our doctor. how are you personally affected by declined to be don't go to school right now, or you knew what it is, even the columbia university's flores and the public life piece will was we sat down and you can see this is not the column will like eat one die you have the on

the street is hardly any car he eats at the, at this time. usually the how high optics in the spots of good oh, he's completely completed. i don't box us and become a thing that then bought these would be some people say when before you passed, completely ruined us. that is to be gathered here to the doors once and you got a email, illustrator, government, undisturbed, economical, alma getta, and who bts passing our community, but got to buy a flap the country early to leave. you go in norway. there he resigned or not. you beauty st. visual use, i'm labor already use on news. so something you didn't do was bad. let's go straight to michelle fernandez. his life for us in columbia. manella spent eventful couple of hours there where you are. talk through the highlights.

absolutely, i'm right now outside the state television broadcast of the shalaka, rupa, hiney, corporation. if i just step away, you may be able to see the main, the main gate. there are a couple of military personnel, a just holding just the inside. but it's very calm, i mean, under the porch just to the other side. or we can see special forces commanders obviously, because a, just a little while ago, we're hearing that there were protested that manage to actually break in a, to the institution. a d, a signal uh that the said broadcaster was putting out apparently just went, went dead. the engineers were being told actually switched off the transmission when there were those protesters that came into the building. but they seem to have brought that under control. the military is holding the institution and like i said, there's absolute calm. there's no clashes, there's hardly any military to be seen, to be quite honest. but obviously inside there are signs that there are commanders

holding that line in. and essentially, the state institution seems to be secure and going back to the events of the last few hours. what exactly is it the protesters that us where is that anger stemming from? is it the fact that the country's prime minister has now been appointed acting president? absolutely, i mean i think what really, really irks this massive number of protestors is that these politicians and these leaders that hold positions of power are taking them for fools. i think that is what really, really has brought them to the end of that ted that they see that they have had enough with successive a politicians and parties are bleeding. this country dry just lining their own pockets and working towards their own art of self preservation rather than the

country or its people. and even in this case, as the countries on its knees with an economic crisis that is completely unprecedented, people are having trouble with putting food on the table for their children. they go to the shops, are things are 3 to 5 to even more a times more expensive. now, inflation is 70 percent, according to the central bank governor expected in the coming days. although economist put it at more than 130 percent. and you can certainly feel that if you go to do your grocery shop, there's no fuel that a q is that a kilometers long people got can't get on with some sort of finding that daily income. so those are the problems or people say is what have we done to deserve this, the, the country you know, deserves more that the politicians a can't have mismanaged. it's so much allowed corruption to run rampant. and that is what has brought this country to its knees. so,

and particularly having had this campaign, we had this got our go campaign to see the exit of president got our were roger pox for 3 long months. they dug in outside the president's office and they continued after that much on colombo and then they put him on notice that if he didn't go on the 9th of july would be dd that hundreds of thousands of people would conduct converge on the capital literally over on his residence and that's what they did, the president's residence, the prime minister's official residence, and that, that body of people, a large number of them have stayed put. they said they will hold these institutions until such time that there is a former resignation of the president. and just this morning, having in the early hours heard that president got of a roger pox a has fled on a military flight to the maldives of this after a number of attempts to get on commercial aircraft during the day yesterday. feel you had any grecian officer stepping away from their positions,

refusing this to stamp the passport of the roger pucks, or entourage or so that didn't work. there was talk of him leaving by bought or by ship a naval vessels that didn't work. so ultimately it was a military aircraft, and in $32.00 that took off the air force issuing a statement in the face of massive public anger against the air force that they facilitated this movement and the escape of the president that they had to do it. it was an executive president and they were own orders of the defense ministry. but in general, people are really, really unhappy because once you have seen his departure, the prime minister comes up this morning in usual circumstances, the prime minister becomes acting president. the moment the president resigns up, but we did not see or hear a formal resignation. however, we had a statement from run, a vicar missing a saying, as acting president, he was declaring curfew, and that he was extending the state of emergency just alongside that we saw huge

number of military of special task force commanders of the police being deployed of foot patrols a carrying heavy, automatic weapons tear gas canisters, gas masks, and all holding that sort of massive barricade at the prime minister's office, where a lot of protest as are. so that is why the anger people just don't want to be taken for fools. any moe. thank for wrapping all that up for us. manella fernandez outside the state for bro cost. just before we go to steph, and i just want to bring you a little bit more breaking news that were getting here on the, on the y as to lanka. lincoln president go to buyer, who we believe is in the mall div, has he has the phone, the speak of the parliament and, and said that the resignation letter is coming on wednesday about news coming into us that got to buy a raj, a pass park. so has phone to speak of parliament and has told him that there will

be a resignation letter coming on wednesday. of course, a lot of the anger that we're seeing on the streets at the moment is because they have yet to see any official resignation from the president. go to buy a roger puck so. okay, let's go to steph. thus. and it looks a little bit come away. you recap for us the events the last few hours. well, what i've seen happening here in the last hour or so is that the dozens of injured people have been treated by volunteers from the red cross. we have a number of 24 that have been treated and taken to the hospital. several injuries i've seen had injury had injuries, people really fainting because of the see, i guess attacks of happens just the earlier at the prime minister's office. i spoke to one man who perhaps was bandit, she needed stitches. you said he was hit by something that came from the water

cannon. you are a teacher actually from a city 150 kilometers from columbus. he came here just show that the whole education system was ruined by the current government. that's what he said. and that's why he came here and looked into frontline, basically right in the front at the prime minister's office when he got severely injured. but this is one second, and you see now a lot of people are coming again. they were, they didn't change the way by gas, but now they're marching back in. and i'm also joined here with one of the protest this you were protesting. he has since this morning. wow, yes. why did you come here? i just, i think it is really, really unreasonable bodies happening. there is a clear public message, my master coming to columbia demanding that the government should step down. but the prime minister become a thing he's not stepping down, he should be, but i think he wanted to become the president because because which is very unfair and also up to certain big be on constitutional because people are saying just

leave and he's not leaving. and the president got to buy a box that has now announced, told the speaker of parliament he's on assign, assigned the latter office. right. that's the nation today. and what do you think about that? well, i think it is a high time, but he took 3 days. he just waited all of the energy. he just basically put the country's economy spent. he shouldn't have done this. he should have gone months ago. but now the time in he says, not living, he's going to do the same. this is where the and family i'm just urging the international community. you have power, you have interfered in this country's business so many years. why can't you saw this mess out? because if, if the international leaders just take their phone call and say, now it is enough, lead the people decide who they have warned and who would, who should be counting the country? what do you want now? i've warned freedom, and i've warned a new government, at least for the time being i warned. an interim gone man. and just to run this country and then hold elections within

a couple of months time put an end from government consisting of who i think it is fed that everybody should be part of that into the govern government. there should not be taking any significant serious decisions that is affecting the people's life . they should just many status call and manage the fuel crisis. and if i and, and all the other kinds is for the time being and quickly been, the situation comes back to normally see there should hold the elections, canada prime ministers is now the acting president. yes, this is what we wanted to avoid. be at over the course, but you know, in vain. 3 or after all these, all these protests and people in masses in millions coming to the coming to con, i'm been demanding. just leave. he just is clinging on to that position. he should leave for god's sake, he should leave. now you're going to stay here until he does. yes i'm. i'm a resident of columbus, so i am not going anywhere. so he has begun to hang out here. thank you so much for your comments. so this is the mood here, as you are sad that there will be

a letter of resignation by the president expected to day. he was actually 3 days ago already saying that he would officially resign on the 13th and it's already past mid day at the moment and it's still not a laptop. but for the protest this, he had thousands who are now again knocking out of people coming back with going to the prime in office. apparently it's old, but now they managed to break to the gate. that's what i was told just before going on air. they are now demanding also for the prime minister to spend down. okay, for now. thank you stefan. there for us outside the prime minister. now president's office earlier the speaker of sherland has parliament cited the constitution to appoint the prime minister to the presidential post. as i was saying on to come with me as the president has left the island, i was informed that in terms of article 37. so to section one of the constitution, the prime minister mister ronald rick grimma singer, was appointed to cover the duties of the president obama. okay,

let's bring in shamira dead to walker. he is a protester. he also lives in colombo, thank you for joining the program. have you been out on the streets this morning? tell us, oh, what have you been protesting about oh, thank you i. yes i actually, i, i actually only have the goal for his premises early in the morning. and right now i'm going to see if i was given the condition because the situation is quite wallet columbus and be exactly no acre. all these 2 people out mean the current president and the so called acting president, what they're capable of. so we feel that it's really necessary that some of the people who have been very vocal level is from the beginning should be, should be taking a step back and then like waiting the game out. so yes, i have been on the streets or in the walking because they're like 9 to 6 days. maybe 7 days if you will be told. no,

yes we actually currently is position been unsafe? houses of all 9 to people are currently a position dcf office, a couple of highest people i should say, and in so we are, we are waiting laker. yeah, we can be inevitable. so what do you mean by that with when you say you're waiting the inevitable, what do you mean by that? well, what is, what is happening is really a really ugly example of where dual credit abuse or abuse abusing of constitution or policy because right? know what is happening is literally a joke, right? so we have a president, and then when the president bes otherwise occupied in some or was he's acting east . that with the prime minister can look after the duties of the president. right. and now they have actually appointed and acting crazy. and if you read the constitution very general, the only circumstances under which an acting president can be appointed is only the

president resigns, which he hasn't. right. i mean, there are, there are the ones we have even seen the lid. so i think we're hearing that letter is coming today that we are hearing. that letter is going to come today is that, is that what you want to see? will that take you off the streets? yes, that with with us all the of the soon. but one more thing to read. but let me come back a little if, if i remember the political dilemma he is, are the point these reg, the point is here, right? the letter will be coming, right? it hasn't come. i mean, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, i rick these to draft a resignation letter. but i'll tell you what the, what the real problem is here, right? so the president is using his resignation letter as a bargaining chip in a really ugly game. the president basically wants to ensure his safe passage block to face the wrath of the people. and then he's, he's actually using this last trunk card his resignation letter as a sort of oh so who get out of jail free card. and there is a really,

really ugly example of workers to show us. oh, so that should not happen if the exist, it should come from the late and how do you feel like, how do you feel about the fact that say a him and many of their roger pac says have actually managed to now leave us for lanka. he himself is now in the mall days, i believe, possibly heading to another destination. do you feel frustrated that they're not in the country to, to face any sort of accountability for the actions? well, yes and no. i tell you why. yes and why? no. yes, because i'm frustrated because i mean, we didn't want any kind of a mob justice. right? we are, we are not a mob. i'd be a peaceful protest as peaceful yet. and yet angry, focused us. so we have, we are young enough reasons to be angry and frustrated about the conflict. we are frustrated. ready and the fact that we couldn't bring them to bring them in for it

or the justice and then we actually did about the justice. yes, we are frustrated. but then again, symbolically speaking, we had the we had the most powerful president in the history of sri lanka, with the maximum possible pause in the history of sri lankan constitutional history on the run, fearing for his life broad, the literally begging for his life and using his resignation letter as a, as a bargaining chip. so i believe that is that a some sort of a victory, but i'm not sure that is a richer that we can be happy about because we want this to be constitutional. we are not more, we are not terrorists. we know the constitution, and we wanted him to obey the constituent of all struggles with the point peaceful for his own, making sure that the bo lome with the people's mandate. and the fact that they managed to suit little thing, this is of course frustrating, but the fact that they had between nevertheless is yes. i believe that is, that is an exhilarating thought. a really good to get your thoughts as shamira do. why gay pride a protester?

and speaking to us that from a safe house in ca, it's a glass doors please. i said go ahead. yes, let me, let me, let me have one more one more talk here. if i'm, if i'm talking to, i'm actually can mean this message to the local community as well as you like. and as for please make sure, please make sure that you understand that we're peaceful progress, but we don't have any intention of debating straight, straight straight property. we don't have any intention of, we never had any vision of damaging in the pilot properties. but then again, when the masses, or level in the people's frustration is with the water, that frustration is venting out at the circumstance under the circumstances. the results can be quite unpredictable. and that is exactly what we're seeing here. so i urge the president, mr. understand, would i be right above, should you have proven that once again that you are covered? and if you're in mall use or are all model or him, or where to look at all that have chosen to chosen to treat you right. i urge you

to please at least put the letter out because people are willing for diet people. i believe this exercise their lives. ok, if you say the constitution's difficulty. ok. tamira a protest speaking to a staff from columbia. thank about point, i think it's worth her recapping some of the developments into lanka this morning has been growing anger. we had some of that from one protest after the prime minister was appointed acting president. this morning, thousands of people gathered at the offices of the prime minister brownell victim a singer in colombo to demand his resignation. many of those thousands of people still there. they tried to scale the walls, break through the gates, and then protest is also into the state t v and radio offices along the anger of the protest is came off to the speaker of parliament confirm that renelle, vic, i'm

a single will now be the acting president as well as the prime minister. so he has taken over from the president, got to by roger pox who fled the country this morning. he's currently in the mold eaves ahead of a promised resignation letter that is due to come in today. at some point let's move on to some other world news now. joe biden is on his way to the middle east on his 1st visit to the region as us president. as far stop will be israel, where security has been increased ahead of his arrival on also meet with palestinian leaders in the occupied west bank for president barton has been a steadfast support of israel for many decades. he's expected to face questions about the killing of the palestinian american jemma sharina walkley. my kind of reports since his days in the senate, joe biden has been an ardent supporter of israel. were there not an israel, the united states of america would have to invent and israel to protect her

interest in the region as vice president the bomb administration. he took point on what was still considered viable negotiations in palestine. israel conflict these began to all 12010 when new israeli settlements were announced on the eve of the white and visit to the region, something b, u. s. viewed as a slap in the face by then israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. we've got a big agenda today, but as president joe biden was eager to host the new prime minister deli bennett in the white house and reiterate his unwavering support, us will always be there for his room. is an unshakable partnership between our 2 nations. on arrival, president biden will be greeted by a le paid yet another prime minister, though he's in an acting capacity. and so get another round of israeli elections

later this year. the political uncertainty in israel is another hurdle to long term diplomatic discussion. precedent, but i didn't. we'll also meet with the opposition benjamin netanyahu. a close ally, a former president, donald trump, who may well return to paula. later this year this would require another reset in us israel relations. human rights issues will also loom over president biden's visit to israel and the occupied west bank, where he's likely to face shop questions about the u. s. report on the killing of i'll just the or a journalist, sharina black clair which bound she was likely kill by unintentional gunfire from israeli positions, but could not reach a definitive conclusion about the origin of the bullet that struck her. the inconclusive report was met with anger by palestinian officials and family members . i suspect the president will try to use the report in a positive way. the indicate that the u. s. was willing to take

a look at this issue. this is something that the truck administration almost certainly would not have done the killing of sherry and blah, claire was not an isolated incident. open the years, dozens of media individuals and organizations have been the target of israeli army forces in may last year, a building housing, international miti offices, including those of out 0 and the associated press were destroyed in an air raid. there were no cause was really accountability then either. and despite the pledges of the bite and administration human rights issues and likely to impede it's desire to keep israel as it's closest and most valued ally in the region by kind of i'll just sierra washington. while stephanie deca explained some of the challenges he'll be facing the last time president joe biden was here in the region was in 2010 in his capacity as vice president trying to revive talks,

which of these ratings and the palestinians. but just hours after landing here, these really government announced the construction of a $1600.00 new settler units here. that i much shlomo, according to reports, had left joe biden furious and publicly stated this was very much against what was needed to rebuild trust between the 2 sides. well now he returns as president, no much loma has turned into a massive illegal settlement. no settlements have continued to expand both here in the occupied west bank and an occupied east. jerusalem is cited as one of the main obstacles to peace by the palestinians. under the previous tromp administration, this was never criticized, but under biden, washington is taking a stronger stop. president biden, however, comes here at a time. there's really political turmoil. he'll be meeting with the intern prime minister, yellow pete who could no longer be prime minister following november's elections. and it'll also be meeting with opposition leader benjamin netanyahu. a man, he's known for a very long time, but you clearly look to go by den will also be meeting with the palestinian present

mahmoud abbas here in bethlehem. or it's impossible to miss the wall, really the symbol of israel's longstanding occupation and effort to restrict the freedom of movement of the palestinian people. but the ministration has made it clear that this trip is more about integrating israel into the region rather than reviving long stalled peace talks. a group of democratic sentences in the u. s. is calling for accountability for the murder of al jazeera journalist, rena walkley. they've sent a letter to secretary of state antony blinkin demanding answers about a u. s. lead review into her killing son as a say that investigation doesn't live up to blink in school for an independent, incredible inquiry. the signatories to the less at all chris van holland, chris murphy, patrick lee, he and dick durbin, serene, was a us citizen. she was shot in the him by his writing forces while reporting on raids at the occupied westbank in hong kong. the veteran activists known as

grandma wong has pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful assembly. 66 year old has been detained several times. she's known for waving a british flag while taking part in the 2019 pro democracy movement trial. the husband joined adrian brown has moved from uncle off the she was detained, she was denied custody and has been basically in jail. now for the past 6 months. now, grandma wong is well known, she stands out because it's the property she used to use during the protest in 2019 she would waive a large union jack flag. and of course, in the eyes of the authorities, that was a very sort of flagrant tone, very provocative, because it seemed to suggest that there was still a sort of nostalgia for british colonial rule here in hong kong. she is no stranger of course to the court. she has been arrested and jailed multiple times during the

past few years. back in 2019, she vanished after returning to china. she did fits across the board in chains and when she eventually emerged 40 months later, she thought that she'd been interrogated almost every day. now alexandra wrong, which is her real name, is facing the prospect of up to 5 years in jail if she's convicted at this call is now on tuesday. another veteran protest was jailed for 9 months. he is 75 years old on this concern. he might well die in jail because he now has fought stage colon cancer where you can find a lot more on all our stories on our website, including the latest developments in sri lanka on our website. the address that i.