Fleeing Sri Lankan president lands in Maldives

Sri Lanka’s embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in the neighbouring Maldives Wednesday, local officials said, ahead of his expected resignation after months of protests.

The 73-year-old leader, his wife and a bodyguard were driven under police escort to an undisclosed location after they arrived in a military Antonov-32 aircraft from Sri Lanka, an airport official in Male told AFP.