Reuters World News Summary

The southern part of Seoul received more than 100mm (3.9 inches) of rain per hour on late Monday, with some part of the city having received 141.5mm of rain, the worst rainfall in 80 years, according to local media citing Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Sri Lanka asks China to defer military ship visit after India protests Sri Lanka said on Monday it had asked China to defer the planned visit of a Chinese ship to the island country after initially approving its arrival this week, yielding to diplomatic pressure from neighbour India to keep the military vessel out.


Reuters | Updated: 09-08-2022 05:25 IST | Created: 09-08-2022 05:25 IST
Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Devastating fire may force Cuba to resort to floating oil storage

An inferno at Cuba's largest oil storage facility has killed at least one firefighter, injured many more, and threatens to further swell the fuel import bill for the impoverished island nation that relies on foreign oil for everything from transportation to its power grid. Cuban officials may need to scramble to set up expensive floating storage capacity to handle imports aimed at easing an acute fuel scarcity, sources and experts said on Monday.

Israel re-opens Gaza crossings as truce with Palestinians holds

Israel reopened border crossings into Gaza on Monday following an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with the militant Islamic Jihad group that ended the bloodiest escalation of fighting around the volatile Palestinian enclave in more than a year. The opening of the border crossings allowed fuel trucks in to supply Gaza's only power plant and increase the availability of electricity, which was down to around eight hours a day.

Ukraine, Russia trade blame for nuclear plant shelling amid global alarm

Kyiv and Moscow traded blame on Monday for the weekend shelling of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex amid international alarm that their battle for control of the plant could trigger catastrophe. Calling any attack on a nuclear plant "suicidal", United Nations chief Antonio Guterres demanded U.N. nuclear inspectors be given access to Zaporizhzhia, the largest complex of its kind in Europe.

Biden 'concerned' as China extends military drills around Taiwan

China announced new military drills around Taiwan on Monday, eliciting concern from U.S. President Joe Biden, a day after the scheduled end of Beijing's largest exercises to protest last week's visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. China's Eastern Theatre Command said it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations - confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would keep pressure on Taiwan's defences.

Record rain leaves at least 7 dead in S.Korean capital

At least seven people died in the South Korean capital of Seoul and metropolitan area overnight, authorities said on Tuesday, after torrential rain knocked out power and left roads and subways submerged. The southern part of Seoul received more than 100mm (3.9 inches) of rain per hour on late Monday, with some part of the city having received 141.5mm of rain, the worst rainfall in 80 years, according to local media citing Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Sri Lanka asks China to defer military ship visit after India protests

Sri Lanka said on Monday it had asked China to defer the planned visit of a Chinese ship to the island country after initially approving its arrival this week, yielding to diplomatic pressure from neighbour India to keep the military vessel out. The Yuan Wang 5 was due to arrive on Thursday at the Chinese-built and leased Hambantota port in Sri Lanka's south for five days for replenishment. It is currently sailing in the east Indian Ocean, according to Refinitiv Eikon.

Analysis-More Chinese women delay or give up on having babies after zero-COVID ordeal

Seeing Chinese authorities exercise extraordinary powers during a stringent COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai earlier this year altered Claire Jiang's life plans: she no longer wants to have babies in China. During the April-May lockdown, the hashtag "we are the last generation" briefly went viral on Chinese social media before being censored.

Japan's Kishida likely to move trade minister, retain finance in reshuffle -media

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to appoint Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda to a position outside the cabinet, while retaining his current finance and foreign ministers in a reshuffle expected this week, media said. Koichi Hagiuda, the minister of economy, trade and industry, is likely to be appointed chairman of the ruling party's policy research committee, the Yomiuri newspaper said on Tuesday, without saying where it got the information.

Pop music and 'Grease' star Olivia Newton-John dead at age 73

Singer Olivia Newton-John, who soared to the top of the world's pop music charts in the 1970s and 1980s with such tunes as "I Honestly Love You" and "Physical" and starred in the hit movie musical "Grease," died on Monday at age 73 at her home in Southern California. The death of the British-born, Australian-raised performer was announced on her Instagram account, saying she "passed away peacefully" at her ranch home "surrounded by family and friends."

Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough dies at 89

David McCullough, best-selling author and renowned historian who won Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of presidents John Adams and Harry Truman, has died at the age of 89, his publisher said on Monday. McCullough died on Sunday at his home in Hingham, Massachusetts, surrounded by his five children, according to a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DavidMcCulloughBooks maintained by his publisher, Simon and Schuster.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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