from the heart of sri lanka s capital, colombo. i m outside the presidential office, and today, its pristine exterior is well guarded. but six months ago, angry antigovernment protesters stormed this building, as well as the presidential palace, forcing the president to flee the country. they were angry at just how desperate their economic situation had become, and they blamed government corruption and mismanagement for it. sri lanka is saddled with heavy debt, soaring inflation and impossibly high food and fuel costs. and it s become something of a bellwether for other lower income countries. world leaders are looking to see whether sri lanka can overcome its worst economic crisis for more than 70 years, and whether its experience marks a growing trend of civil unrest. applause welcome to the magnificent national museum here in colombo, which charts the history of this beautiful island, as it marks 75 years of independence from britain, and we ve got a top panel here from sr
from the heart of sri lanka s capital, colombo. i m outside the presidential office, and today, its pristine exterior is well guarded. but six months ago, angry antigovernment protesters stormed this building, as well as the presidential palace, forcing the president to flee the country. they were angry at just how desperate their economic situation had become, and they blamed government corruption and mismanagement for it. sri lanka is saddled with heavy debt, soaring inflation and impossibly high food and fuel costs. and it s become something of a bellwether for other lower income countries. world leaders are looking to see whether sri lanka can overcome its worst economic crisis for more than 70 years, and whether its experience marks a growing trend of civil unrest. applause. welcome to the magnificent national museum here in colombo, which charts the history of this beautiful island, as it marks 75 years of independence from britain, and we ve got a top panel here from s
and the countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine. gridlock at the english channel as the port of dover is overwhelmed with traffic, and warnings of worse to come. and the more you look at the stars, the more you see! we ll explain how a powerful new space telescope is widening our view of the universe. welcome if you just joined welcome if you justjoined us. i m shaun ley. we start with some breaking news from washington, where steve bannon, who worked closely with former president trump as a strategist, has been found guilty of contempt of congress. the charges were brought after he defied a summons to testify at the congressional hearings into the january the 6th riots at the us capitol building. he ll be sentenced in october he could face up to two years in prison. but, speaking outside the courtroom in the last hour, he remained unrepentant. i want to thank start by thankin
there on his first middle east tour. and as china s heatwave makes roads buckle and roofs melt, we ll hearfrom our correspondent in beijing. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it s newsday. it s eight in the morning in singapore and 5:30 in the morning in sri lanka, where president gotabaya has not honoured his promise to resign. he flew out of the country, to the maldives, about 2a hours ago. but in a public letter, he said he was appointing the prime minister to be the acting head of state in his absence. that s led to anger among protesters, who wanted both men to quit. meanwhile, a curfew is in force and the prime minister, and now acting president ranil wickremesinghe, has told the military to do whatever is necessary to restore order. from colombo, our south asia correspondent rajini vaidya nathan reports. their target heavily guarded. their mood determined. as news spread that prime minister ranil wickremesinghe had just been made acting president, cr
will take until september to come up with a winner. now on bbc news africa fashion: on its own terms. brenda emmanus explores the global impact of african fashion. african creatives are shifting the landscape of fashion by simply being themselves. there has evolved a single mindedness when coupled with creativity has produced a generation of innovators who have caught the world s attention and on a trip to ghana i got to understand why. i think it has a very kind of fresh energy, a very vibrant energy. we are just in a period now that african brands are just owning that, owning what we have and projecting it in however they see fit. africa has been shaped by diverse histories, cultural positions and influences. these have also served to create an exciting contemporary fashion scene which is as dynamic and eclectic as the continent itself. this ever evolving creative scene and booming fashion industry has inspired a landmark exhibition at the victoria and albert museum in lo