Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Rajapaksa flees to Maldives, Sri Lanka declares state of emergency

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 13 Jul 2022 11:28
2 Min Read

Protests grow after the Sri Lankan president fled the country in a military aircraft.

  • x
  • Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the fled Sri Lankan president.
    Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the fled Sri Lankan president.

Just hours after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives in a military aircraft, Colombo announced an indefinite nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday, according to the Prime Minister's office. 

This comes a day after Rajapaksa's first attempt to leave the country before airport staff foiled his plan and forced him to retreat.

"Since the President is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country," Dinouk Colombage, spokesman for the Prime Minister and current acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, told AFP.

In addition, police revealed that they were imposing an indefinite curfew across the Western Province to contain growing protests, as requested by Wickremesinghe.

Thousands of protesters stormed the prime minister's office, at which police threw tear gas to disperse them, as reported by AFP. The protesters demanded that Wickremesinghe resign along with Rajapaksa.

Related News

Amnesty for looted artifacts: Sri Lanka wants its treasures back

Ousted Sri Lankan president interrogated over cash stash

"There are ongoing protests outside the Prime Minister's office in Colombo and we need the curfew to contain the situation," a senior police officer told AFP. The police contended that they were following orders to suppress the demonstrators due to their role in the dysfunction of the state. 

According to the Adaderana news portal, the Prime Minister also ordered arresting protesters who behave "inappropriately" as well as their vehicles.

On Saturday, thousands of men and women stormed Rajapaksa's residence, which drove him out to escape to a military base, later fleeing the country on Wednesday, the day he previously promised to resign on. 

In April, all 24 ministers of Sri Lanka's cabinet resigned from their posts amid protests and clashes in the capital, Colombo.

Sri Lanka has been facing a severe shortage of fuel, medicine, food, as well as record inflation rates.

Read more: Emerging economies challenged with historic default on foreign debt

  • Gotabaya Rajapaksa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Ranil Wickremesinghe

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS