Sri Lanka suspends fuel sales for two weeks as economic crisis worsens

Ban on sales to everything except essential services comes as nation tries to conserve fuel supplies that are barely enough to last a single day

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka has announced a two-week halt to all fuel sales except for essential services and called for a partial shutdown as its unprecedented economic crisis deepened.

The south Asian nation is facing its worst economic meltdown since gaining independence from Britain in 1948, and has been unable to finance even the imports of essentials since late last year.