Sri Lanka swears in Ranil Wickremesinghe as acting leader after mass protests

Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as acting president as the country reels from an economic crisis and unrest.

He replaces Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled to Singapore after unprecedented mass protests which saw demonstrators overrun the presidential palace.

Protesters defied a curfew to celebrate his resignation during the night.

Sri Lanka is experiencing economic chaos as it faces an acute shortage of food, fuel and other basic supplies.

The process of parliament electing a new president will begin on Saturday, with MPs likely to take a vote in a week's time. read more