World News Roundup: Palestinian painter channels her fears of Israeli annexation; Fearing second COVID-19 wave, Europe aims to train 'army' of medics and more

South Korea says Bolton's memoir on Trump-Kim summit is distorted Accounts by former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton of discussions between leaders of the United States and the two Koreas in his upcoming book are inaccurate and distorted, South Korea said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Palestinian painter channels her fears of Israeli annexation

Amid the barren hills of the Jordan Valley, Palestinian artist Khadeeja Bisharat paints scenes of bulldozers and demolitions, a reflection of fears of what may happen to her isolated Bedouin community if Israel annexes land in the occupied West Bank. Some 15,000 Palestinians live in tiny pastoral encampments scattered across the Jordan Valley. Israel has pledged to extend its sovereignty over the territory - some 30% of the West Bank - with cabinet-level discussion on the move set to begin July 1.

Fearing second COVID-19 wave, Europe aims to train 'army' of medics

Europeans are enjoying the gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown measures, but in hospitals, they are already preparing for the next wave of infections. Some intensive care specialists are trying to hire more permanent staff. Others want to create a reservist "army" of medical professionals ready to be deployed wherever needed to work inwards with seriously ill patients.

Lack of global leadership is 'greatest threat' in fighting pandemic, says WHO

The lack of global leadership and unity to fight the coronavirus is a bigger threat than the outbreak itself, the head of the World Health Organization said on Monday, adding that politicization of the pandemic had made it worse. He did not elaborate but the WHO has been criticized by some member states, especially the United States which says it was too weak, too slow, and too "China-centric" in tackling the disease. The U.S., Russian envoys tight-lipped as arms control talks start in Vienna

Nuclear weapons talks between the United States and Russia started in Vienna on Monday, with the two countries' envoys making only guarded comments shortly before they met. Little has been said officially about the arms control negotiations but the U.S. envoy has made clear they will be about nuclear weapons, suggesting they will include replacing the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires in February. Britain reels from latest terrorism-linked stabbing, American among dead

The English town of Reading held a minute's silence on Monday for the victims of a stabbing that killed three people including an American in the latest terrorism-linked attack. Three people were also hospitalised after a man wielding a five-inch knife went on the rampage in a park on Saturday, randomly stabbing people enjoying a sunny, summer evening. Putin visits huge army church ahead of vote on extending his rule

President Vladimir Putin visited a huge new Orthodox Christian cathedral dedicated to the military on Monday as Russia prepares to vote on reforms that could let him stay in power until 2036. Putin, 67, addressed hundreds of soldiers to commemorate Russia's remembrance day following a prayer ceremony led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Orthodox Church, at the Patriot cathedral, which opened earlier this month. Kurdish-led authorities in Syria in talks over U.S. sanctions exemption

Kurdish-led authorities in northeastern Syria are in talks with their military allies in a U.S.-led coalition on a promised exemption from U.S. sanctions targeting the Syrian government, a senior Kurdish official said. Washington says the sanctions, which took effect last week, mark the start of a sustained campaign of economic and political pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to stop the war in Syria and agree to a political solution. Beijing coronavirus cases to see 'cliff-like' drop this week: Chinese expert

Beijing will see a "cliff-like" drop in new cases in the current coronavirus outbreak by the end of this week with efforts to control the spread of infections in the Chinese capital underway, said an expert at the national health authority. The city of over 20 million people reported its first case linked to a wholesale food centre in the southwest of Beijing in the latest wave on June 11. So far, 236 people have been infected in the worst outbreak in Beijing since COVID-19 was identified at a seafood market in the central city of Wuhan late last year. South Korea says Bolton's memoir on Trump-Kim summit is distorted

Accounts by former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton of discussions between leaders of the United States and the two Koreas in his upcoming book are inaccurate and distorted, South Korea said on Monday. Bolton gives details in the book of conversations before and after three meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, including how their second summit in Vietnam fell apart. Threat of Brazil military coup unfounded, retired generals say

Calls for Brazil's military to close Congress and the Supreme Court have screamed from banners at marches attended by President Jair Bolsonaro in recent weeks, but retired generals and close observers of the armed forces call it empty talk. A defender of Brazil's 1964 military coup and the two decades of dictatorship that followed, Bolsonaro has allowed his sons and supporters to fan threats against democratic institutions in part because he has been backed into a corner, analysts say.

(With inputs from agencies.)