CIA chief says no intelligence that Putin is in bad health
There has been increasing unconfirmed media speculation that Russian president Vladimir Putin, who turns 70 this year, may be suffering from ill health, possibly cancer.
Six-time Prime Minister elected Sri Lanka President
Six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as Sri Lanka’s new President in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, with the backing of the disgraced former leader’s party.
Sri Lanka’s PM elected as President amid protests
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been elected as president to replace the former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was forced out of office amid anger over a spiralling economic crisis.
Wickremesinghe, who has been prime minister six times but never president, won an overwhelming victory in parliament this Wednesday, where MPs voted for the new president in an unprecedented secret ballot.
Heatwave: Fires blaze after UK passes 40C for first time
The UK has recorded temperatures of over 40C (104F) for the first time.
Myanmar Rebel Group Capture Junta Troops
A Myanmar ethnic rebel group says it has captured 14 junta troops and killed an unspecified number, in the only region to have seen no post-coup crackdown.
Ivory Coast’s activists Condemn polygamy bill
Women’s rights activists in Ivory Coast have expressed anger over a proposed bill that will legalize polygamy for men, calling it a step backwards in the fight for equality.
Sri Lanka says IMF talks near end after declaring state of emergency
Sri lanka’s acting President Ranil Wickre-Mesinghe gazetted orders late on Sunday for a state of emergency in the crisis-ridden island nation, in an effort to head off unrest ahead of a vote in parliament later this week to elect a new president.
Sri lanka’s leaders have imposed a state of emergency several times since April, when public protests took hold against the government’s handling of a deepening economic crisis and a persistent shortage of essentials.
Wickremesinghe had announced a state of emergency last week, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country to escape a popular uprising against his government, but it had not been officially notified or gazetted.
Late on Sunday, Wickremesinghe – who was sworn in on July 15 as acting president – declared a fresh state of emergency, the specific legal provisions of which are yet to be announced by the government.
India’s parliament begins voting for new president
India’s parliament began voting on Monday for a new president, with a female politician from the country’s marginalized tribal community, the favorite for the post.
HEATWAVE: MORE EVACUATIONS AS MEDITERRANEAN WILDFIRES SPREAD
France has evacuated more than 16,000 people threatened by wildfires in the south-west, as fires also spread in Spain, Croatia and Greece.
Biden arrives in West Bank for talks with Abbas
President Joe Biden has arrived the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in the occupied west bank, for talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.