International news brief: Putin set for first overseas visit; Sri Lanka hikes fuel price

Moscow, Jun 27: Vladimir Putin will visit two small former Soviet states in central Asia this week, the first since the invasion of Ukraine, while crisis-hit Sri Lanka hiked fuel prices on Sunday.

Vladimir Putin to make first overseas visit since war
Vladimir Putin is set to visit two small former Soviet states in central Asia this week, in what would be the Russian leader's first known trip abroad since ordering the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's Feb. 24 invasion has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more and led to severe financial sanctions from the West, which Putin says are a reason to build stronger trade ties with other powers such as China, India and Iran.

Zelenskyy urges Belarus not to get dragged into war

Ahead of addressing the G7 summit via video link, Zelenskyy has urged Belarus not to get dragged into the conflict.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the people of neighboring Belarus not to be drawn into Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.
"The Kremlin has already decided everything for you. But you are not slaves and cannon fodder. You don't have to die," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Saturday that Moscow intends to supply nuclear-capable Iskander-M missile systems to Belarus in the coming months.

4 killed when stands collapse during Colombian bullfight
Part of the wooden stands collapsed during a bullfight in central Colombia Sunday, sending spectators plunging to the ground and killing at least four people and seriously injuring about 30, authorities said. The disaster took place in a stadium in the city of El Espinal in Tolima state during a traditional event called "corraleja" in which members of the public enter the ring to engage the bulls.

Sri Lanka's big fuel price hike
Sri Lanka hiked fuel prices on Sunday, creating further pain for ordinary people as officials from the United States arrived for talks aimed at alleviating the island's dire economic crisis.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said it raised the price of diesel, used widely in public transport, by 15 percent to 460 rupees ($1.27) a litre while upping petrol 22 percent to 550 rupees ($1.52).