New Sri Lankan PM warns of hard times

Sri Lanka’s new prime minister addressed the nation yesterday after the power minister told citizens not to join lengthy fuel queues that have galvanised weeks of anti-government protests. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office on Thursday, prepared a “full explanation” of the crisis that has hit the island nation. “At the moment, we only have petrol stocks for a single day. The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives,” he said. “We must prepare to make sacrifices and face the challenges of this period.” The crisis led to protests against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family, culminating in the resignation of his elder brother, Mahinda, as prime minister on May 9.