Sri Lankan president calls second state of emergency in five weeks

Police disperse students with teargas and water cannon as national strike over economic crisis takes place

Sri Lanka's president has declared a state of emergency for the second time in five weeks, giving security forces sweeping powers as a nationwide strike demanding his resignation brought the country to standstill.

A spokesperson for Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he invoked the tough laws to ensure public order" after shops closed and public transport was halted on Friday by unions blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis, which has ignited weeks of unrest.