Sri lanka declares state of emergency

Sri Lanka’s president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has declared a state of emergency.
President Rajapaksa invoked the tough laws allowing the military to arrest and imprison suspects for long periods without trial.
According to him, the emergency was declared for protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.
The nation is facing severe shortages of essentials, sharp price rises and crippling power cuts in its most painful downturn.