Sri Lanka's embattled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is reportedly staying at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafush in the Maldives, after he fled Sri Lanka late last night in a military aircraft. 

Rajapaksa who is expected to officially resign today finally fled to the Maldives after several failed attempts to leave the island following mass protests demanding his resignation.  

As violence breaks out across Colombo, acting President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has defended the imposition of a state of emergency, accusing the protesters of resorting to fascism.

Addressing the country, he maintained that this fascism must be eliminated and ordinary people's homes protected. This follows the burning of his private residence over the weekend, which some have blamed on pro-Rajapaksa elements.

Reports have emerged that Gotabaya Rajapaksa who landed in the Maldives yesterday, will now board a flight to Singapore this evening after claiming asylum. 

Maldivian-based news outlet gaafu, reported that the accused war criminal will depart through a Singapore Airlines flight SQ437 which is set to leave in over 8 hours.

The UK supports a timely, peaceful, and democratic process, according to the constitution, to address ongoing developments. This will be essential to address hardships faced by the people of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, the national television network of the island have resumed their reporting after being forced to suspend their operations due to a takeover by protesters. 

Protesters stormed the corporation's offices earlier today despite a state of emergency being imposed by recently appointed President Ranil Wickremesinghe.  

Updated 0722 GMT

A state of emergency is to be declared across Sri Lanka and a curfew has been imposed in the western province, as protestors marched to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office this morning.

There are reports that the Sri Lankan security forces have fired tear gas at the protestors, as military helicopters have been circling over the prime minister’s office.

Although President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is yet to officially resign, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office reportedly said the prime minister will step in as “acting president" where he will declare a state of emergency.

Sri Lankan protestors overran the offices of the prime minister in Colombo on Wedneday, and demanded the resignation of acting President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has taken office after Sri Lanka's President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled the country.

Director-General of Sri Lanka’s Archaeology Department, Professor Anura Manatungm, has pledged to take steps to protect the residence of the embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and threatened legal action against potential looters.

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, stressed the need for urgent political and economic reform in Sri Lanka.

Referring to the protests on 9 July, Joly tweeted that “Canada supports a peaceful, constitutional path forward that supports urgent action on economic and political reform.”

Writing in Foreign Policy, Neil Devotta, professor of international affairs at Wake Forest University, explains that “the roots of the current crisis lie with ethnocracy” which has led a country from meritocracy to kakistocracy – governance by a country’s worst citizens.

Quoting a Sri Lankan newspaper, Devotta writes, “drug dealers, fraudsters, murderers, rapists, bootleggers and cattle rustlers’ control politics, and they have bankrupted a country with so much potential”.