World News Roundup: Swedish court convicts Iranian ex-official over 1988 prison executions; Outgoing Sri Lankan president lands in Singapore after fleeing the uprising and more

The announcement by Evgeny Balitsky, head of the occupation administration in Zaporizhzhia, marked a further step towards the russification of areas of Ukraine that Moscow has seized by force, and where it is encouraging residents to apply for Russian passports. Outgoing Sri Lankan president lands in Singapore after fleeing uprising Outgoing Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on Thursday, flight tracking data showed, after fleeing mass protests over his country's economic meltdown, and troops patrolled the capital Colombo to enforce a curfew.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Swedish court convicts Iranian ex-official over 1988 prison executions

A Swedish court on Thursday sentenced a former Iranian official to life in prison for participating in the execution of political prisoners in Iran in the 1980s. Hamid Noury, who was arrested at a Stockholm airport in 2019, was charged with war crimes for the mass execution and torture of political prisoners at the Gohardasht prison in Karaj, Iran, in 1988.

Outgoing Sri Lankan president lands in Singapore after fleeing the uprising

Outgoing Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on Thursday, flight tracking data showed, after fleeing mass protests over his country's economic meltdown, and troops patrolled the capital Colombo to enforce a curfew. Rajapaksa, who fled to the Maldives on Wednesday to escape a popular uprising over his family's role in a crippling economic crisis, headed on to Singapore on a Saudi Arabian airline flight, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Moscow-installed official says south Ukraine region will vote on joining Russia

The top Russian-installed official in a region of south Ukraine partly under Moscow's control said on Thursday it would hold a referendum in early autumn on whether to become part of Russia. The announcement by Evgeny Balitsky, head of the occupation administration in Zaporizhzhia, marked a further step towards the russification of areas of Ukraine that Moscow has seized by force, and where it is encouraging residents to apply for Russian passports.

Thousands protest as North Macedonia readies to vote on EU deal with Bulgaria

Thousands of people protested in North Macedonia on Thursday as parliament prepared to vote on a French compromise deal for settling the country's disputes with Bulgaria, which would enable its long-due European Union membership talks to start. Police sealed off the parliament in the capital Skopje to prevent protesters, led by opposition parties, from storming into the building to stop the vote. Demonstrators yelled, whistled and threw ice cubes and eggs at the police.

U.S., Israel sign joint pledge to deny Iran nuclear weaponry

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledge on Thursday to deny Iran nuclear arms, a show of unity by allies long divided over diplomacy with Tehran. The undertaking, part of a "Jerusalem Declaration" crowning Biden's first visit to Israel as president, came a day after he told a local TV station that he was open to "last resort" use of force against Iran - an apparent move toward accommodating Israel's calls for a "credible military threat" by world powers.

Russia in deadly strike on Ukrainian city a day after grain talks breakthrough

Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia far behind the frontlines on Thursday in an attack that Ukrainian officials said had left at least 12 people dead, including a small child. The strike, which Ukraine said had also wounded dozens, came a day after a breakthrough in talks between Moscow and Kyiv to unblock Ukrainian grain exports and underscored how far the two countries remain from any kind of peace settlement despite progress in those negotiations.

Pacific islands leaders commit to regional unity in face of superpower rivalry

Pacific island leaders have agreed to take a united approach as the United States and China vie for influence in the region, and to push developed nations for bolder action on climate change, which they say is the biggest threat they face. A communique to be released on the final day of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Suva will show the leaders agree to consult each other before entering into security arrangements, forum secretary general Henry Puna told reporters.

Draghi's Italian government totters as 5-Star rebels

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi's coalition government risked collapse on Thursday after the 5-Star Movement, one of its members, said it would not take part in a parliamentary confidence vote. Other coalition parties have warned that they will quit the government if 5-Star boycotts the vote in the Senate later in the day, while Draghi himself said this week that he would not head an administration without the 5-Star on board.

Singapore allows Sri Lanka president entry on private visit, says no asylum request

Singapore's foreign ministry said on Thursday Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had been allowed to enter the city-state on a private visit. It said he has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted asylum.

As Europe bakes in a heatwave, wildfires rage from Portugal to Croatia

Wildfires raged across the tinder-dry country in Portugal, Spain, France and Croatia on Thursday, burning homes and threatening livelihoods, as much of Europe baked in a heatwave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40Cs in some countries. In Portugal's central Leiria district, tired firefighters battled to control blazes that have been fanned by strong winds. Footage from the area on Wednesday showed smoke darkening the sky and billowing across a highway, while flames licked around the roofs of houses in one small village.