World News Roundup: Iran warns against any Israeli involvement in Gulf maritime coalition; Economic downturn to hit Hong Kong like a 'tsunami', city's leader warns

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Floods kill at least 22 in southern India, displace thousands

At least 22 people have died in the southern Indian state of Kerala after torrential monsoon rains caused landslides and flooding that cut off some areas, authorities said on Friday. Seasonal monsoon rains from June to September cause deaths and mass displacement across South Asia every year but they also deliver more than 70% of India's rainfall and are crucial for farm output and economic growth.

Japan's Empress Emeritus Michiko faces surgery for breast cancer

Japan's Empress Emeritus Michiko is to have surgery, perhaps as soon as September, after being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, the Imperial Household Agency said on Friday. An ultrasound examination during a check-up last month revealed a mass in the royal's left breast, an agency spokesman said, and further examinations led to the diagnosis this month.

Brexit hazard warning lights: UK economy contracts for first time since 2012

The British economy shrank unexpectedly for the first time since 2012 in the second quarter, dragged down by a slump in manufacturing just as Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to leave the European Union with or without a divorce deal. In the most startling economic warning sign since the 2016 Brexit referendum, the gross domestic product fell at a quarterly rate of 0.2% in the three months to June, below all forecasts in a Reuters poll that had pointed to a flat reading.

India plans to ease Kashmir curbs for Friday prayers: media

Authorities plan to relax curbs in India's Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir to allow people to offer Friday prayers, media said, as a five-day lockdown damped protests over the withdrawal of the Himalayan region's special status. Seeking to tighten its grip on the contested region, the Indian government this week withdrew the state's right to frame its own laws and allowed non-residents to buy property there.

Iran warns against any Israeli involvement in Gulf maritime coalition

Any Israeli involvement in any maritime coalition in the Gulf is a "clear threat" to Iran's national security and the Islamic Republic has a right to confront the threat, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Friday, according to a statement on the Foreign Ministry website. Israeli media had quoted Foreign Minister Israel Katz as telling a closed-door meeting on Tuesday that Israel was part of discussions and intelligence-sharing with a possible U.S. maritime security coalition. Israeli officials declined to confirm or deny the reports.

Italy's League seeks to trigger elections, files censure motion

Italy's ruling League party filed a no-confidence motion against the prime minister on Friday, a move that the party's populist chief, Matteo Salvini, hopes will trigger snap elections and install him as the nation's new leader. It is unclear when the motion will be debated, given parliament is in summer recess, but Salvini wants lawmakers to be summoned back to Rome for a vote next week, saying the ruling coalition is unworkable after months of open bickering.

Russians rush to buy iodine after blast causes radiation spike: reports

Residents of two northern Russian cities are stocking up on iodine that is used to reduce the effects of radiation exposure after a mysterious accident on a nearby military testing site, regional media reported. The Ministry of Defence has given few details of the accident, saying only that two people were killed and six injured by the explosion of a liquid-propelled rocket engine at a test site in Russia's north.

Argentines, hurting in the shadow of recession, weigh Macri's plea for patience

Argentina's opposition has their sights set on voters like Alfredo Espinoza, 55, a recently laid-off metals worker from the edge of Buenos Aires, looking to tap into rising hardship to rally supporters and win over swing voters disenchanted by President Mauricio Macri. Espinoza lost his job in April and now scrapes a living selling barbecued steak and local "choripan" sausage sandwiches beside the road in the suburban area of Jose Leon Suarez, part of a densely populated ring around the capital.

Canadian man held in Syria is freed in Beirut

A Canadian citizen held by the Syrian government since last year was released in Lebanon on Friday and broke down in tears at a news conference, saying he thought he would be held forever. "I didn't know if anyone knew if I was alive," said Kristian Lee Baxter, struggling to speak as he choked back tears while sitting alongside Canada's ambassador to Lebanon and the Lebanese security chief in Beirut.

Economic downturn to hit Hong Kong like a 'tsunami', city's leader warns

Hong Kong's protests could hit the economy like a tsunami, the city's leader said on Friday, pledging daring economic reforms in response, even as activists geared up for marches through the sweltering weekend. Flanked by business leaders, embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam, told reporters that businesses in the Asian financial hub were "very worried" about the economic fallout, after meeting 33 business representatives and senior officials.

Also Read: Japan's Empress Emeritus Michiko faces surgery for breast cancer

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