Briefly

SRI LANKA

President Rajapaksa arrives in Singapore

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit, a spokesperson of Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday evening. Local media reported that Rajapaksa flew into Singapore from the Maldives via a Saudia flight, which touched down at Changi Airport at 7:17 pm local time on Thursday. Earlier, the Straits Times reported that it is not clear how long Rajapaksa will stay in Singapore or if he has another destination in mind. Rajapaksa left Sri Lanka for the Maldives on Wednesday. Sri Lankan Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said on Wednesday that a new president will be elected on July 20 through a vote in parliament.

BRITAIN

COVID-19 death toll surpasses 200,000

More than 200,000 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded across Britain, showed the data released on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics. The grim milestone was reached in late June, but was not revealed until Wednesday due to a delay in registration. By early January 2021, over 100,000 COVID-19 deaths had been registered nationwide. It has taken over 1.5 years for the death toll to double, with vaccination uptake, a better understanding of virus treatments and social distancing measures all contributing to fewer deaths, reported The Guardian.

Agencies - Xinhua