Sri Lanka again put under state of emergency as economic crisis continues

Sri Lanka's government has been facing a wave of protests around the country with an increasingly furious public demanding its resignation.

 Embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency with effect from Friday midnight, the presidential media division said, the second time in just over a month amidst growing countrywide anti-government protests over the unprecedented economic crisis.

The state of emergency gives the police and the security forces sweeping power to arbitrarily arrest and detain people.

Rajapaksa's decision was to ensure public security and maintain essential services so as to ensure a smooth functioning of the country, the presidential media division said.

The decision came amidst weeks of protests demanding the resignation of the President and the government, blaming the powerful