South Asia

Parliament elected the new head of state this morning with 134 votes. The veteran politician has a few friends among ordinary Sri Lankans who reproach him for his ties to the Rajapaksa family. The main opposition candidate, Dullas Alahapperume, won only 82 votes.

Dalits protest in the village of Ayyampatty on the eve of the feast day of St Mary Magdalene, the local patron saint. Dalit Catholics are excluded from the celebrations and forced to have a separate cemetery. A Dalit man threatens to go before the Madras High Court if things are not rectified.

Various Islamist organisations are strengthening their positions in southern Afghanistan. The Taliban and Islamic State Khorasan are vying for the revival of the Islamic caliphate. The danger would also affect Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Three candidates are vying for the post of president, but only two, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and opposition-backed five-time MP Dullas Alahapperuma, have any chance. Sri Lanka’s bishops demand that Sri Lankans be allowed to exercise their right to vote. Indian students are arrested for protesting in solidarity with the Sri Lankan people.

The government has decided to impose power cuts for at least one hour a day to reduce fuel costs. The possibility of closing petrol stations is also under consideration. But experts warn measures could result in an increase in demand.

The historic public port a hub of global maritime trade has been awarded to a consortium 70% controlled by the Indian group. A second private one managed by the Chinese Shanghai International Port Group had already been opened last year. Israel's objective is to make it a major Mediterranean hub. And there is already talk of a "tender" for the rail link to the Gulf.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has approved a new type of bank account to attract capital from overseas. The funds can be used only to set up businesses, not import raw materials. The authorities hope to get credit from China.

Patrash Soren, from the Diocese of Dinajpur, still goes from village to village to preach the Gospel and prepare others for their baptism. Among the tribal people, “There is a great opportunity to touch the hearts of non-Christians”, many of whom “love our way of life, our culture, and Christ’s teachings," Soren explains.

In response to a petition by an unmarried woman, the court noted that allowing an abortion "would be equivalent to killing the fetus”. As an alternative, it said the woman should be allowed to give birth anonymously and give the child up for adoption. Meanwhile, the first National March for Life planned for New Delhi on 10 August will mark the anniversary of the law legalising abortion in 1971.

Today, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe was sworn in as acting president. The majority in parliament could support him but his election would be unpopular among protesters, who have submitted their demands to all parties.

Neeraj Chopra, Murali Sreeshankar and Jeswin Aldrin are India’s newest track and field stars. Although some will bet at the World Athletics Championships, which opened today in Eugene (US), India remains a desert when it comes to Olympic medals. Cultural attitudes and poorly made investments seem to be the main causes; however, things appear to be changing.

Between April and June, unprecedented fires torched 0.45 per cent of the state’s surface. The forest department blames an increasingly dry climate and human negligence. Locals pin the fires on wrong development projects that are altering the environmental balance.