World News Roundup: Sudan says Ethiopia denies filling the Renaissance dam reservoir; EU lawmakers want action over 'continuing deterioration of democracy' in Poland and more

UK says Russia tried to meddle in election by leaking U.S. trade documents Britain said on Thursday that Russia sought to interfere in the 2019 general election by illicitly acquiring sensitive documents relating to a planned free trade agreement with the United States and leaking them on social media.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Sudan says Ethiopia denies filling the Renaissance dam reservoir

Ethiopia told Sudan that the news saying that it has started filling the Renaissance Dam reservoir was incorrect, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Ethiopia's charge d'affairs also told a senior Sudanese Foreign Ministry official that his country had not closed the dam gates, the statement added.

EU lawmakers want action over 'continuing deterioration of democracy' in Poland

The European Union must act against Poland's nationalist government for undermining democracy, a European Parliament committee said on Thursday after the re-election of a conservative president in the ex-communist country. A report by the EU parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs criticized the "continuing deterioration of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights in Poland" under the eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Socially distant geisha struggle to survive in coronavirus shadow

Ikuko, the "big sister" of Tokyo's Akasaka geisha district, came to the capital to seek her fortune in 1964, the year Tokyo first hosted the Olympics. But the novel coronavirus pandemic has made her fear for her centuries-old profession as never before. Though the number of geisha - famed for their witty conversation, beauty, and skill at traditional arts - has been falling for years, Ikuko and her colleagues were without work for months due to Japan's state of emergency and now operate under awkward social distancing rules.

Flash floods kill at least 30 in Indonesia

Flash floods and landslides killed at least 30 people on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and left hundreds displaced, authorities said on Thursday. Fifteen people remain missing, Indonesia search rescue agency spokesman Yusuf Latif said in a statement.

UK says Russia tried to meddle in election by leaking U.S. trade documents

Britain said on Thursday that Russia sought to interfere in the 2019 general election by illicitly acquiring sensitive documents relating to a planned free trade agreement with the United States and leaking them on social media. "It is almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 General Election through the online amplification of illicitly acquired and leaked Government documents," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.

China slams U.S. response to Hong Kong security law as 'gangster logic'

China accused the United States of "gangster logic" after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an end to Hong Kong's special status under U.S. law in response to Beijing's imposition of new security legislation on the former British colony. Beijing's Liaison Office in the Asian financial hub said the move would only damage U.S. interests while having little impact on Hong Kong.

Greta Thunberg demands 'crisis' response to climate change

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg urged European leaders on Thursday to take emergency action on climate change, saying people in power had practically "given up" on the possibility of handing over a decent future to coming generations. In an interview with Reuters television, the 17-year-old said governments would only be able to mount a meaningful response once they accepted they needed to transform the whole economic system.

China foreign ministry says Pompeo welcome to visit Xinjiang

China reiterated on Thursday that it does not seek to challenge or replace the United States and called on Washington to view China objectively and return to reason in its policies towards Beijing. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters during a briefing that if the United States thinks that everything China does is a threat, such attitude would become self-fulfilling.

India coronavirus cases near one million, driven by surge in rural areas

The number of coronavirus cases in India neared one million on Thursday as infection numbers rose in the countryside, pushing authorities to reinstate lockdowns across several states. India reported a record 32,696 new cases of the COVID-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 968,876 with 24,915 deaths, according to data from the federal health ministry.

White House says Trump has not ruled out sanctions on Chinese officials

President Donald Trump has not ruled out further sanctions on top Chinese officials that could come in addition to actions taken this week to punish China for its handling of Hong Kong, a White House National Security Council spokesman said on Wednesday. The Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which Trump signed on Tuesday, allows him to impose sanctions and visa restrictions on Chinese officials and financial institutions involved in the imposition of China's new national security law in Hong Kong.