International news brief: Ranil elected new Sri Lanka President; Ukraine needs to win war before winter

Colombo, July 20: Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Wednesday elected as Sri Lanka’s new President by Parliament, following a high-voltage political drama which saw his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country and resigning after a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the economy.

Ranil Wickremesinghe elected new Sri Lanka President

Sri Lanka's president-elect on Wednesday vowed to take tough action against anyone resorting to what
he called the undemocratic means that led to his predecessor's ouster."If you try to topple the
government, occupy the president's office and the prime minister's office, that is not democracy and we
will deal with them firmly," Ranil Wickremesinghe said hours after he was elected.

Ukraine needs to win war before winter

Ukraine must win its war with Russia before winter to prevent its neighbour from bedding in long term, presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Tuesday.

"It is very important for us not to enter into the winter. After winter, when the Russians will have more time to get a footing, it will certainly be more difficult. It is very important for us not to give them this possibility," Yermak told Ukrainian weekly Novoye Vremya.

Ukrainian forces strike key bridge in Russia-occupied south

Ukrainian forces have struck and seriously damaged a bridge that is key for supplying Russian troops in southern Ukraine, a regional official said Wednesday. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Moscow-backed temporary administration for the Russia-controlled southern Kherson region, said the Ukrainian military struck the bridge across the Dnipro River with missiles Wednesday, scoring 11 hits. He said in remarks carried by the Interfax news agency that the bridge sustained serious damage but it wasn't closed for traffic.

UK weather turmoil disrupts train travel for 3rd day

Britain's record-breaking heat wave disrupted travel for a third day and firefighters remained on alert Wednesday even as cloudy skies and showers brought relief from the scorching temperatures of recent days. Forecasters predict London will reach a high of 26 Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, down from the record 40.3C (104.4F) set Tuesday at Coningsby in eastern England.

Indian national injured in crisis-hit Lanka works for private company

Vivek Varma, the Indian national injured in Sri Lanka on Monday works for a private company handling visa services for India and is not a government official. PTI had erroneously mentioned Varma as a senior Indian government official in the story issued on Tuesday. Varma works for IVS Lanka Pvt Ltd, a visa application centre. The Indian government has cautioned its nationals in Sri Lanka to be remain aware of the latest developments in the country and plan their movements and activities accordingly.