Sri Lanka declares curfew in capital following clashes

COLOMBO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Department of Government Information on Thursday said that a curfew has been declared in the Colombo district from noon on Thursday till 5 a.m. on Friday following clashes between protesters and security forces a day earlier.

Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday declared a nationwide state of emergency after thousands of protesters took over the Prime Minister's Office in Colombo calling for his resignation.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who left the country early Wednesday amid severe economic turmoil in the South Asian country is set to announce his resignation later in the day, the Parliament Speaker's office said.