World News Roundup: Death toll from sunken Lebanon migrant boat rises to 86; Russia holds votes in occupied parts of Ukraine; Kyiv says residents coerced and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Why Japan is divided over Shinzo Abe's state funeral

A lavish, taxpayer-funded funeral for Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has triggered a public backlash against the ruling party he led for years. Some opposition lawmakers are boycotting Tuesday's state funeral and a man set himself alight in an apparent protest against the $12 million event, to be attended by foreign dignitaries including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Death toll from sunken Lebanon migrant boat rises to 86

The death toll from a migrant boat that sank off the Syrian coast after sailing from Lebanon earlier this week has risen to 86, Syrian state TV said on Saturday.

Russia holds votes in occupied parts of Ukraine; Kyiv says residents coerced

Russia launched referendums on Friday aimed at annexing four occupied regions of Ukraine, drawing condemnation from Kyiv and Western nations who dismissed the votes as a sham and pledged not to recognise their results. Ukrainian officials said people were banned from leaving some occupied areas until the four-day vote was over, armed groups were going into homes, and employees were threatened with the sack if they did not participate.

King Charles pictured with official red box in new photo

King Charles has been pictured with his official red box in which the British monarch receives government documents, in a photograph released by Buckingham Palace on Friday as the new king takes up his official duties. The locked red despatch box is an image strongly associated with the British monarchy and one that the late Queen Elizabeth was regularly pictured with. It contains papers from the British government and some Commonwealth countries which are sent to the monarch from the office of the private secretary.

Storm Fiona hammers east Canada coast, knocks out power to many

Powerful storm Fiona slammed into eastern Canada on Saturday with hurricane-force winds, blowing over trees and powerlines and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without electricity. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm, now called Post-Tropical Cyclone Fiona, was now in the Gulf of St. Lawrence after racing through Nova Scotia. Reports of downed trees and power lines were widespread in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Iran regrets Ukraine's downgrading of ties over drones

Iran regrets Ukraine's decision to downgrade ties over the reported supply of Iranian drones to Russia, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Saturday. Nasser Kanaani said Ukraine should "refrain from being influenced by third parties who seek to destroy relations between the two countries", a ministry statement said.

U.S. sending 'dangerous signals' on Taiwan, China tells Blinken

China has accused the United States of sending "very wrong, dangerous signals" on Taiwan after the U.S. secretary of state told his Chinese counterpart on Friday that the maintenance of peace and stability over Taiwan was vitally important. Taiwan was the focus of the 90-minute, "direct and honest" talks between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, a U.S official told reporters.

Iran must deal decisively with protests, president says

Iran must deal decisively with protests which have swept the country after the death in custody of a woman detained by the Islamic Republic's morality police, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday. Thirty-five people have been killed in the weeklong demonstrations, according to Iran's state television, with protest spreading to most of the country's 31 provinces.

Macau plans November return for mainland Chinese tour groups

Macau aims to open to mainland Chinese tour groups in November for the first time in almost three years, the city's chief executive, Ho Iat Seng, said on Saturday. The gambling hub has implemented stringent pandemic restrictions, with tight border controls in place since 2020 having a major impact on its casino industry.

N.Korea may be preparing to test submarine-launched ballistic missile, S.Korea military says -Yonhap

South Korea's military has detected signs that North Korea may be preparing to test a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday, days before a visit by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. The military detected preparations this week in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, Yonhap reported, citing an unnamed South Korean military source. This is in line with a U.S.-based think tank's report this week, which cited commercial satellite imagery.

(With inputs from agencies.)