Crisis in Sri Lanka: Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced he would step down on Wednesday after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence and blamed him for the unprecedented economic crisis.

Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is expected to resign today, arrived in the Maldives early this morning amid massive protests against him. He was received by representatives of the Maldivian government at Velana Airport in Male.

Here are the top 10 updates on this big story

1.    President Rajapaksa, his wife and two bodyguards boarded a military plane bound for the men from Colombo International Airport last night. Reports suggest that his younger brother and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa has also left the country.

2.    Island defence officials told news channel that Mr Rajapaksa had asked them for the plane last night and that they were "obliged" to deliver it to him. Mr. Rajapaksa remains Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces as President. Prime Minister Rani Wickremesinghe's office also confirmed that the president had left the country.

3.    On arrival in the Maldives, President Rajapaksa, his wife and bodyguards were driven to an undisclosed location under police escort, an airport official in Male said.

4.    The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka has now dismissed reports that India helped President Rajapaksa and his brother Basil flee to the Maldives. . "High Commission categorically denies baseless and speculative media reports that India facilitated the recent reported travel of @gotabayar @Realbrajapaksa  out of Sri Lanka. It is reiterated that India will continue to support the people of Sri Lanka," he tweeted.

5.    As president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest and is believed to want to go abroad before leaving office to avoid the possibility of imprisonment.

6.    On Wednesday, he promised to resign and pave the way for a "peaceful transfer of power". Sri Lankan political parties are stepping up efforts to form an all-party government and next elect a new president on July 20.

7.    Earlier, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Basil were flown back to Colombo airport early on Tuesday as they tried to leave the country amid growing anger at the Rajapaksa family over their mismanagement of the island's worst economic crisis.

8.    Sri Lanka has been in a severe economic crisis in recent months and the protests came to a head this weekend when protesters entered the official residences of the President and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.

9.    Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has also announced that he will step down if the party's government is ready to take over.

10. Sri Lanka is running out of foreign exchange to finance even the most important imports, causing serious problems for its 22 million people. The country reduced its external debt by $51 billion in April and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund about a possible bailout.