Sri Lanka Crisis: Gotabaya fails in effort to flee country; President considering escape by Sea

Sri Lanka's embattled president was stuck in his own country on July 12th in a humiliating standoff with airport immigration staff blocking his exit to safety abroad. Rajapaksa, who is due to officially resign on July 13 after months of demonstrations calling for him to step down, was reportedly trying to escape to Dubai on July 12th night. The 73-year-old leader fled his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it on July 9. Gotabaya had promised to resign and clear the way for a "peaceful transition of power" following widespread protests against him over the country's unprecedented economic crisis.

Sri Lanka's beleaguered President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Photo| AP)