Reuters World News Summary

The statement, issued after the two met on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit, referred, without naming North Korea, to efforts that have made little or no progress toward getting Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arsenal. Syrian hospital hit in artillery attacks on Afrin, at least 13 killed At least 13 people were killed and several wounded in two separate artillery attacks on the northern Syrian town of Afrin on Saturday, local medical sources and Turkey's government said.


Reuters | Updated: 13-06-2021 05:22 IST | Created: 13-06-2021 05:22 IST
Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Swiss voters to decide on pesticides ban, terrorism law and COVID-19 aid

Switzerland heads to the polls on Sunday in a batch of referendums which could see the country become only the second in the world to ban artificial pesticides. Laws to combat terrorism, cut CO2 emissions and provide emergency COVID-19 funding also face binding votes under the Swiss system of direct democracy.

G7 leaders commit to increasing climate finance contributions

G7 leaders will commit on Sunday to increase their climate finance contributions to meet an overdue spending pledge of $100 billion a year to help poorer countries cut carbon emissions and cope with global warming. As part of plans billed as helping speed the finance of infrastructure projects in developing countries and a shift to renewable and sustainable technology, the world's seven most advanced economies will again pledge to meet the target.

At biker rally, Brazil's Bolsonaro says cops will support him 'whatever happens'

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, speaking to a rally of bikers on Saturday, said he could count on police officers "whatever happens," as he once again sought to court cops amid stark political politicization ahead of next year's election. Appearing alongside thousands of motorcycle-riding supporters in Sao Paulo, the far-right former army captain said the country's state military police forces serve as a support to what he dubbed "my army."

G7 rivals China with grand infrastructure plan

The Group of Seven richest democracies sought on Saturday to counter China's growing influence by offering developing nations an infrastructure plan that could rival President Xi Jinping's multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative. The G7, whose leaders are meeting in southwestern England, has been searching for a coherent response to the growing assertiveness of Xi after China's surging economic and military rise over the past 40 years.

U.S., South Korea reaffirm cooperation toward denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong reaffirmed a commitment between their countries and Japan to work closely toward the "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the State Department said. The statement, issued after the two met on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit, referred, without naming North Korea, to efforts that have made little or no progress toward getting Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arsenal.

Syrian hospital hit in artillery attacks on Afrin, at least 13 killed

At least 13 people were killed and several wounded in two separate artillery attacks on the northern Syrian town of Afrin on Saturday, local medical sources and Turkey's government said. The first attack struck a residential area, while the second hit a hospital shortly afterwards, civil defence sources said. Video footage on social media showed casualties amid the ruins of the Al Shifa hospital.

'Whatever it takes', UK's Johnson warns EU over post-Brexit trade

Britain will do "whatever it takes" to protect its territorial integrity in a trade dispute with the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday, threatening emergency measures if no solution was found. The threat by Johnson seemed to break a temporary truce in a war of words over part of the Brexit deal that covers border issues with Northern Ireland, the focus for tensions since Britain completed its exit from the EU late last year.

Hundreds take part in funeral of Canadian Muslim family killed in truck attack

Several hundred mourners joined a public funeral service on Saturday of a Canadian Muslim family run over and killed by a man in a pick-up truck last Sunday in an attack the police said was driven by hate. The four victims, spanning three generations, were killed when Nathaniel Veltman, 20, ran into them while they were out for an evening walk near their home in London, Ontario. A fifth family member, a 9-year-old boy, is recovering from his injuries in the hospital.

Peru's Fujimori pushes again to annul votes as Castillo nears runoff win

Peruvian right-wing presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, who is expected to lose a runoff election against a socialist rival, on Saturday said she would lead a protest to pressure for the annulment of votes that did not favor her. Front-runner Pedro Castillo, a member of the left-wing Free Peru party, is close to being named the Andean country's next president as the count from the second round of voting earlier this month nears an end.

G7 source praises Biden after 'complete chaos' of Trump

U.S. President Joe Biden brought a sharply different tone to the Group of Seven summit from his predecessor Donald Trump by allowing frank and collaborative discussion of global issues without sowing disruptive chaos, a source with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. "It used to be complete chaos," said the source. "Before, we were on edge the entire, the whole time just trying to keep the G7 intact - and you don't have to worry about that now."

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

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