Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya leaves for Singapore

Sri Lanka's embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday left the Maldives for Singapore after fleeing his country amid an economic crisis, sources said.

Rajapaksa departed from the Maldives on Saudi Airlines flight SV 788 to Singapore, they said.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests.