Long lines continue outside petrol stations in Colombo, with frequent arguments breaking out amongst those waiting up to several days in the serpentine queues.
The Acting President of Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency amid ongoing protests just days after the nation's former leader was forced to flee.Officials have promised a new president will be elected within a weekA government notice on Monday revealed former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had made the emergency declaration.
Mr Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the country's interim president until parliament elected a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.But Mr Wickremesinghe is also disliked by protesters, which had caused fear of further turmoil if he was officially elected president this week. The new president could appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by parliament.Pope Francis has also called for a "peaceful solution" to the situation, during an address in Canada this week.
"I pray that all the international players will really get involved in restarting negotiations and not in fuelling the senselessness of war."The country received the first shipment of fuel in almost a month, with the first of three fuel dispatches arriving on July 16.The second, a diesel consignment, was expected the same day, with more petrol expected on July 19.
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