World News for Students of English

26-07-2022 07:00

For months, the Sri Lankan people have suffered from blackouts, intense food and fuel shortages, and rising inflation.

Last week, people protested in huge numbers, and the president Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the capital to the Maldives. He appointed the prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as temporary acting president.

Then protesters forcefully entered the president’s residence, jumped in the pool, used the facilities, and occupied the building; one protester said they would stay at the compound until the president resigned. Despite police and tear gas, others went to the prime minister’s residence to also occupy it.

The next day, protestors celebrated after the president resigned and the government made the prime minister the official acting president. Wickremesinghe was the first choice of the government. Some protestors were very happy but others said they were worried because the replacement president was equally problematic.

Difficult words: rising inflation (the situation when money loses its value), appoint (to give a job), occupy (to control a place).

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