President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled Sri Lanka in a military jet, amid mass protests over the island’s economic crisis.
The country’s air force confirmed the 73-year-old flew to the Maldives with his wife and two security officials.
The president has appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as acting president.
Mr Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency and told the military to restore order, as protesters stormed his office and demanded that he also resign.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis for decades with rampant inflation and food shortages.
Huw Edwards presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Rajini Vaidyanathan in Colombo and diplomatic correspondent James Landale.
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