Sri Lanka: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees the country on military jet

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled Sri Lanka on a military jet, amid mass protests over its economic crisis.

The country's air force confirmed the 73-year-old flew to the Maldives with his wife and two security officials.

They arrived in the capital, Male, at around 03:00 local time (22:00 GMT), BBC Sinhala understands.

Mr Rajapaksa's departure ends a family dynasty that has ruled Sri Lanka for decades.

The president had been in hiding after crowds stormed his residence on Saturday, and had pledged to resign on Wednesday 13 July. read more