Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence. As protests intensified, ministers resigned en masse, leaving President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in a spot of bother. And today, the ruling party lost its majority in Parliament. Here are the top developments.

1. As parliament reconvened for the first time after state of emergency was declared, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s coalition government lost the majority when 41 lawmakers walked out of the alliance. On Monday, Sri Lanka’s opposition had rejected President Rajapaksa’s invitation to join a unity government after all cabinet ministers resigned following widespread protests.

2. Sri Lanka’s newly appointed finance minister, Ali Sabry, resigned today, a day after being sworn in. Sabry was among four new ministers sworn in before the president, hours before the entire cabinet resigned in the face of mounting public anger against the government’s economic mismanagement.

3. A group of ruling party lawmakers called for the appointment of an interim government, warning that a failure to do so would lead to violence and anarchy, as demonstrators continued to demand the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The lawmakers urged the speaker to lead discussions with all parties to select an interim prime minister with the support of a majority of legislators. The largest opposition party, however, said it will not support any interim government and insisted that the president resign immediately.

4. Parliament Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya stepped down after the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) quit the government amid growing unrest over food and fuel shortages.

5. Later in the day, Sri Lanka announced that it is temporarily shutting down two foreign embassies in Norway and Iraq and its Consulate General in Australia with effect from April 30. According to the government, the decision was taken following ‘careful deliberation’. The government said the move is part of a ‘general restructuring of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic representation overseas’ in the context of current economic crisis.

6. The government authorities also declared an emergency health situation because of the severe drug shortage in the country.

Sri Lanka’s foreign currency reserves fell to $2.31 billion in February. This stalled its imports, leading to an acute shortage of several essential items. Many veteran cricketers, including Kumara Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya, have joined the protests against the Sri Lanka government. The police have warned protesters not to take law into their hands and said strict action will be taken against those involved in violent agitation.