Author: Chris Kodo

Sri Lankan MPs have elected prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country’s new president, despite his unpopularity with the public.

Mr Wickremesinghe faces the task of leading the country out of its economic collapse and restoring order after months of mass protests.

He roundly defeated his main rival for the job, Dullus Alahapperuma, with 134 votes to 82 in a parliamentary vote.

Sri Lanka’s ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country last week.

He bolted to the Maldives and then Singapore after thousands of protesters stormed his presidential residences and other government buildings, calling for his resignation.

They had also called for the resignation of Mr Wickremesinghe, a close ally of the Rajapaksa political family who was appointed prime minister in May.

Protesters last week burnt down his private home and also stormed his prime ministerial office in Colombo in demonstrations against his leadership.

On Wednesday, many expressed despair and disappointment over his win.

“I am absolutely disgusted at the result… I cannot believe that 134 people – MPs that are supposed to represent the people- have completely disregarded the wants of the people,” one activist Jeana De Zoysa told the BBC.

Mr Wickremesinghe is viewed by many as a shrewd political operator who’s managed to cling on in parliament despite his party losing all but one of their seats in the 2020 election.

A former six-time prime minister, he failed in his previous two runs for the presidency. His victory on Wednesday means he will serve out the rest of the presidential term until November 2024.

But on Wednesday, after sweeping the vote with the backing of the Rajapaksa’s ruling party, he called for unity and bipartisanship moving forward.

He told parliament the nation was “in a very difficult situation” and there were “big challenges ahead”. Sri Lanka has been wracked with protests for months because the country is effectively bankrupt and facing acute shortages of food, fuel and other basic supplies.

Mr Wickremesinghe is aiming to restore political stability so the country can resume negotiations with the International Monetary fund for a bailout package.

He was involved in these talks last month, and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramnua (SLPP) party said most of their members had backed him because of his economic credentials.

“We feel that Ranil Wickremesinghe is the only person with the experience, the know-how and the capacity to provide solutions to the economic crisis,” General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam told the Reuters news agency.

However, it remains unclear whether he will be accepted by protesters – many of whom say he’s part of the political elite behind the country’s economic mismanagement.

On Wednesday, ahead of the results, barricades were set up around the parliament and soldiers lined the perimeter anticipating crowds.

But protesters remained fairly subdued. After the result, some gathered at the Galle Face Green protest site chanted “Ranil Go Home”.

There are fears among some that Mr Wickremesinghe will now crack down on the movement, which has brought hundreds of thousands of ordinary people onto the streets demanding change.

When he assumed the job of acting president last week, he ordered the military to do whatever was necessary to restore public order, following protesters storming and occupying government buildings.

He also extended a national state of emergency order this week to stamp out any flare-ups.

However, his immediate challenges include sourcing fuel supplies and managing the public discontent – which will mean working on removing the bitterness, anger and disappointment within society.

His main challenger in Wednesday’s vote was Mr Alahapperuma, a dissident MP in the ruling party who gained the backing of the main opposition. He had pledged to bring a cross-party government to Sri Lanka that would “put an end to the deceitful political culture” but failed to muster enough support.

A woman who had £10,000 of camera equipment stolen in a cafe has accused the police of failing to investigate her case, despite providing officers with CCTV footage of the theft.

The footage shows a man taking a rucksack by Laura Luo, 29, at Acai Berry on Wardour Street, Soho, at 18:26 BST on Saturday.

Ms Luo said police became more involved after she shared the CCTV on Twitter.

A Met Police spokeswoman said officers were investigating the case.

Ms Luo, who works part time as a photographer, said the rucksack also contained her passport, visa and phone.

Ms Lou, who is originally from Hong Kong, said she reported the theft to Charing Cross police station at 09:00 the next day.

“They did nothing. The police didn’t even bother to look at the CCTV footage I was trying to show them,” Ms Luo said.

“I spent three to four hours in the police station, and only felt hopeless and helpless,” she told the BBC.

While “waiting with tears” for police to look at the CCTV given to her by Acai Berry, she posted the footage on Twitter and “tried to find the thief by myself”.

Not long after her tweet the “Met Police replied to me, sharing a link to let me upload the footage”, she said.

“I hope they will really do something, not like last time at all.”

Sgt Phil Rowe said: “Any instance of personal theft and robbery is taken extremely seriously and inquiries are under way to identify those responsible for this incident.”

Source: BBC

Russia has hit Google with a 21.1bn rouble ($373m; £301m) fine for failing to restrict access to “prohibited” material about the war in Ukraine and other content.

Roskomnadzor, the country’s communications regulator, said the information included “fake” reports that discredited Russia’s military and posts urging people to protest.

It called the US tech giant a “systematic” violator of its laws.

Google did not comment immediately.

The company’s local subsidiary declared bankruptcy last month. The move came after Russian authorities seized its local bank account, allowing them to recover 7.2bn roubles that the firm had been ordered to pay for similar reasons last year.

In recent years, Russia has been ramping up pressure on tech firms, accusing them of not moderating their content properly, and interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

The efforts to control social media and other news sites have escalated following the invasion of Ukraine in February. The government also passed a law threatening people who spread “fake” information about the war with 15 years in prison.

In March, Google, owned by Alphabet, stopped offering its commercial services in Russia, such as advertising. It has also stepped up its restrictions for news accounts backed by Russia and relocated staff.

However, unlike some other social media sites, such as Facebook, it has not been completely banned in Russia, where many smart phones rely on the company’s technology.

In March, Alphabet said the decision to continue offering search, maps and YouTube provided Russians with access to “global information and perspectives”.

The fine announced on Monday, which was calculated as a share of the firm’s local revenue, marks the biggest penalty ever imposed on a tech company in Russia, according to state media.

Source: BBC

A man who used a rope to pull a woman to the floor has been jailed for nearly four years.

Tyler Cortis, 23, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, also followed another woman and hit her with an unknown object, leaving her covered in blood.

He was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on 12 July after pleading guilty to two counts of actual bodily harm.

Wiltshire Police said one of the victims told officers she still looks over her shoulder in fear.

Cortis assaulted the two women in separate attacks in Trowbridge during September 2021.

She was found by a passer-by and taken to hospital with a 3cm (1.2 inch) laceration to her head which required stitches.

The following day, he launched a separate attack on a woman in her 20s who was known to him, as she walked alone in the Longfield Estate.

He approached her from behind and pulled her to the floor with a rope around her neck.

Cortis was arrested later that day for the second assault and inquiries by officers led to him also being arrested for the assault the previous day.

“One of the victims tells me she always feels anxious when out and about and is always looking over her shoulder thinking the same thing will happen again,” said Det Con Gatherum

“It is completely unacceptable that one person’s actions should make others feel frightened, upset, anxious and scared.

“The actions of Cortis will simply not be tolerated and we will do all that we can to ensure offenders like this are put before the courts so that justice can be served.”

He was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment for the first offence and 22 months for the second assault, to be served consecutively meaning he will serve 46 months in prison.

A seven-year restraining order was also put in place.

Source: BBC

In Western France, thousands have fled their homes as firefighters tackle spreading blazes. In Spain, at least 20 fires are burning out of control. Meanwhile, thousands of hectares of land have also been burned in Greece and Portugal in recent days.

Our correspondents across the region have been describing the situation on the ground:

We joined a convoy of journalists escorted into woodland in the direction of the coast where campsites were abandoned by holidaymakers days ago.

At first you could see clouds of smoke hanging in the woods but it all seemed relatively under control.

But, the further in we went, the worse it got.

Suddenly there were endless pockets of fire on the side of the road. Trees were burning. Firefighters along the route were endlessly trying to tackle the most serious hot spots.

They are trying to prevent the blaze spreading across the road. It is hot work in smoky conditions.

As we got closer to the shore, suddenly there was a roar above our heads. It was a Canadair aircraft – a “water bomber”.

Six of them have been deployed to the area to help put out the flames. It seemed like four or five passed over our heads, one releasing a huge burst of water on the ground below.

The body of a shepherd was found in the Sierra de la Culebra, in the north-western province of Zamora, where a fire has been blazing since the weekend. The fire service said that the man had not heeded instructions to local people to remain in their homes. He is the second fatal casualty of the Zamora fire after a 62-year-old firefighter was killed on Sunday.

Manuel García, a local livestock farmer, knew the fireman who died and he has watched as the fire has spread. His son, Unai, told Spanish media that, despite the danger and likelihood they would have to evacuate, he wanted to stay because of the sheep, goats and cows they have. “In a wildfire the worst professions to have are those of firefighter and farmer,” he said.

On Monday morning, the high speed rail link between Madrid and the north-western region of Galicia was suspended due to the fire’s spread onto the route near Zamora.

Eight villages in the area had been evacuated by this morning, with more evacuations expected throughout the day. Evacuees are being taken to public buildings and care homes in the city of Zamora.

“It’s painful to see the countryside burn, it’s painful to see homes burn, but right now the priority is to save the lives of the local people affected,” said Clara San Damián, of the local government.

A fire has been spreading in the north-eastern region of Catalonia, where it came right up to the house of Mercedes Pino, near Pont de Vilomara.

“I was in bed and through the window I saw a very red light,” she said. “I ran as fast as I could to the door and I saw a flame burning a caravan we have in front of the door.” She and her husband spent two hours trying to extinguish the flames before being evacuated.

In Pont de Vilomara, the local police are planning to accompany evacuees who own pets back to their homes, if safe, in order to feed the animals.

Source: Ghanaweb

Australia’s environment is in a shocking state and faces further decline from amplifying threats, according to an anticipated report.

The survey of Australia’s ecological systems – conducted every five years – found widespread abrupt changes.

These can be blamed on climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and mining, it said.

The threats are not being adequately managed – meaning they are on track to cause more problems.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the document paints a “shocking” and “sometimes depressing” story, vowing to implement new policies and laws.

The 2,000-page State of the Environment report, commissioned by the government, found or reiterated:

“If we continue on the trajectory that we are on, the precious places, landscapes, animals and plants that we think of when we think of home may not be here for our kids and grandkids,” Ms Plibersek said.

The koala and gang-gang cockatoo are among more than 200 animal and plant species with upgraded threats since 2016. Many of those species are unique to Australia.

In recent years, Australia has suffered severe drought, historic bushfires, successive years of record-breaking floods, and six mass bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef.

“In previous reports, we’ve been largely talking about the impacts of climate in the future tense,” Professor Emma Johnston, another report chief author, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“In this report there’s a stark contrast, because we are now documenting widespread impacts of climate change.”

The report found Australia lacks an adequate framework to manage its environment, instead relying on confusing systems that straddle different tiers of government.

Federal government spending on sustaining biodiversity has dropped at the same time risks have been increasing, it said.

The report was handed to the previous government last year, but its release was delayed until after the election in May.

“It tells a story of crisis and decline in Australia’s environment, and of a decade of government inaction and wilful ignorance,” Ms Plibersek said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the Liberal opposition said it had a “strong” environment record while in government.

Australia has vowed to cut carbon emissions by 43% on 2005 levels by 2030. Under its previous government, the target was 26-28%.

Source: BBC

Influential Swedish-born sculptor Claes Oldenburg – whose giant works of everyday objects delight millions – has died in his New York City home aged 93.

The Pace Gallery that represented him said he had recently suffered a fall.

It described him as “one of the most radical artists of the 20th century… in the development of pop art”.

Oldenburg, who moved to the US in the 1950s, is known for his trademark works depicting clothes pegs, baseball bats, hamburgers and electric plugs.

Many of his sculptures adorn public spaces in the US and around the world.

Source: BBC