Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

Al Jazeera

Politics

Sri Lanka president flees country amid political, economic crisis

Gotabaya Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa Sri Lanka Maldives

Sri Lanka's president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country early on Wednesday [File: Eranga Jayawardena/AP Photo}

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country, hours before his promised resignation amid widespread protests over his handling of the country’s worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.

Rajapaksa, his wife and two bodyguards flew on a Sri Lankan Air Force plane to Male, the capital of the Maldives, the Sri Lankan Air Force confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel kill five people on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel kill five people on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Security forces use helicopters to rescue dozens of people as the two storms damage infrastructure and cause flash flooding

The Guardian - AU

Piner High School Reprimands Football Captain Over 'Free the Cornell 7' Post After 200-Student Walkout

Piner High School Reprimands Football Captain Over 'Free the Cornell 7' Post After 200-Student Walkout

Piner High School reprimands football captain over 'Free the Cornell 7' Instagram post after more than 200 students stage a walkout in Santa Rosa.

International Business Times UK

Five dead as 100mph hurricane threatens Mexico with catastrophic flooding

Five dead as 100mph hurricane threatens Mexico with catastrophic flooding

Hurricane Simon pounded western Mexico with more wind and rain Monday after tropical weather systems caused five deaths

The Independent UK

Bird Flu Hits Indiana Duck Facility and Minnesota Turkey Farm as Another Texas Dairy Herd Tests Positive

Bird Flu Hits Indiana Duck Facility and Minnesota Turkey Farm as Another Texas Dairy Herd Tests Positive

H5N1 hit a Minnesota turkey farm, an Indiana duck facility, and a Texas dairy herd. Why public risk stays low while farm workers face more exposure.

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

4,000 Brigham and Women's Nurses Postpone Wednesday Strike to Vote on Hospital's Best and Final Contract Offer

4,000 Brigham and Women's Nurses Postpone Wednesday Strike to Vote on Hospital's Best and Final Contract Offer

Brigham and Women's nurses postponed the Oct. 14 strike to vote on a final offer. See the pay, insurance, and staffing terms, and what patients face.

After surging troops to the border, US Army showcases a quieter Rio Grande

After surging troops to the border, US Army showcases a quieter Rio Grande

The U.S. Army is deploying hundreds of soldiers to Texas' Rio Grande Valley in response to what it says are signs of elevated activity from Mexican drug cartels

The Independent UK

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel kill five people on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel kill five people on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Security forces use helicopters to rescue dozens of people as the two storms damage infrastructure and cause flash flooding

The Guardian - AU

Piner High School Reprimands Football Captain Over 'Free the Cornell 7' Post After 200-Student Walkout

Piner High School Reprimands Football Captain Over 'Free the Cornell 7' Post After 200-Student Walkout

Piner High School reprimands football captain over 'Free the Cornell 7' Instagram post after more than 200 students stage a walkout in Santa Rosa.

International Business Times UK

Five dead as 100mph hurricane threatens Mexico with catastrophic flooding

Five dead as 100mph hurricane threatens Mexico with catastrophic flooding

Hurricane Simon pounded western Mexico with more wind and rain Monday after tropical weather systems caused five deaths

The Independent UK

Bird Flu Hits Indiana Duck Facility and Minnesota Turkey Farm as Another Texas Dairy Herd Tests Positive

Bird Flu Hits Indiana Duck Facility and Minnesota Turkey Farm as Another Texas Dairy Herd Tests Positive

H5N1 hit a Minnesota turkey farm, an Indiana duck facility, and a Texas dairy herd. Why public risk stays low while farm workers face more exposure.

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

4,000 Brigham and Women's Nurses Postpone Wednesday Strike to Vote on Hospital's Best and Final Contract Offer

4,000 Brigham and Women's Nurses Postpone Wednesday Strike to Vote on Hospital's Best and Final Contract Offer

Brigham and Women's nurses postponed the Oct. 14 strike to vote on a final offer. See the pay, insurance, and staffing terms, and what patients face.

After surging troops to the border, US Army showcases a quieter Rio Grande

After surging troops to the border, US Army showcases a quieter Rio Grande

The U.S. Army is deploying hundreds of soldiers to Texas' Rio Grande Valley in response to what it says are signs of elevated activity from Mexican drug cartels

The Independent UK

Our Picks

WWE Raw: The Bloodline's Family Reunion Takes a Dangerous Turn as Solo Sikoa Joins The Usos Against 946

Carmelo Hayes made a surprise appearance on WWE Raw, joining The 946 to attack Solo Sikoa and The Usos and end their six-man tag team match without a winner.

International Business Times UK

Tyson review – deeply icky … and that’s before Trump shows up

This peculiar – some would say truly irresponsible – hagiography of boxing superstar Mike Tyson veers from psychedelics and sobbing to the inadvisable face tattoo via a cameo from the US president

The Guardian - UK

William Shatner 'auctioned off kidney stone' for affordable housing charity

William Shatner has recalled a time he sold his kidney stone to a gambling company to help raise money for charity.

Oregon woman claims Acme is tinting salmon packaging to trick customers. She peels the plastic off the fish and shows exactly what is underneath

What you see isn't what you get.

We Got This Covered

Hayley Williams Urges Fans to Vote in November After Calling MAGA Supporters 'Pieces of Sh*t' on Stage

Hayley Williams urged fans to vote in November during a New Orleans concert before directing profane criticism at MAGA and referencing the Ku Klux Klan.

International Business Times UK

Reading alone, together is all the rage at book doofs and reading parties. What makes it social?

It’s called a doof, but it’s actually all about quiet reading. There are beanbags, some chairs and a few shared tables, where readers sit (or lie) down and read their separate books. Maybe some music playing in the background. Book Doof’s founder calls it a social experience. But can people…

The Conversation

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play