World News Roundup: EU leaders back LGBTI rights, raise stakes in standoff with Hungary; U.N. humanitarian agency says 230,000 displaced in Myanmar this year and more

Hungary's parliament last week approved a bill that bans the distribution of material in schools deemed to promote homosexuality or gender change, despite protests and criticism from human rights groups and opposition parties. U.N. humanitarian agency says 230,000 displaced in Myanmar this year The United Nations humanitarian agency said on Thursday an estimated 230,000 people have been displaced by fighting and violence in Myanmar this year and are in need of assistance.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

EU leaders back LGBTI rights, raise stakes in standoff with Hungary

A majority of European Union leaders vowed to continue combating discrimination of the LGBTI community in a joint letter on Thursday, raising the stakes in the bloc's standoff with Hungary ahead of a summit later in the day. Hungary's parliament last week approved a bill that bans the distribution of material in schools deemed to promote homosexuality or gender change, despite protests and criticism from human rights groups and opposition parties.

U.N. humanitarian agency says 230,000 displaced in Myanmar this year

The United Nations humanitarian agency said on Thursday an estimated 230,000 people have been displaced by fighting and violence in Myanmar this year and are in need of assistance. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in an update on the situation in Myanmar, said operations were ongoing but were being hindered by the insecurity in the country.

HK's Apple Daily owner Lai punished for exercising fundamental rights-UN's Bachelet

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet took aim on Thursday at the "negative consequences" she said Apple Daily owner Jimmy Lai faced for exercising his rights, criticising the tycoon's detention as his pro-democracy tabloid printed its last edition. Apple Daily closed down on Thursday, forced to end a 26-year run amid a national security crackdown that froze the company's funds. Its closure prompted snaking queues of hundreds of loyal readers at news stands across the city.

Child soldiers carried out Burkina Faso massacre, say U.N. and government

A massacre in northeast Burkina Faso in which more than 130 people were killed this month was carried out mostly by children between the ages of 12 and 14, the United Nations and the government said. Armed assailants raided the village of Solhan on the evening of June 4, opened fire on residents and burned homes. It was the worst attack in years in an area plagued by jihadists linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Russia warns Britain: Do not provoke us again in Black Sea

Russia accused Britain on Thursday of spreading lies over a warship confrontation in the Black Sea and warned London that it would respond resolutely to any further provocative actions by the British navy off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea. Russia summoned the British ambassador in Moscow for a formal diplomatic scolding after the warship breached what the Kremlin says are its territorial waters but which Britain and most of the world say belong to Ukraine.

Climate 'law of laws' gets European Parliament's green light

The European Parliament on Thursday approved a landmark law to make the European Union's greenhouse gas emissions targets legally binding, paving the way for a policy overhaul to cut planet-warming pollution faster. Negotiators from Parliament and the EU's 27 member countries reached a deal in April on the climate law, which puts tougher emissions-cutting targets at the heart of EU policymaking.

In southern France, an ex-conservative leads far right quest for regional power

With a long career in mainstream politics behind him, Thierry Mariani, who wants to secure the first ever regional election win for the far right in France, is in his element as he canvasses for support in Aix-en-Provence. His shirt sleeves rolled up, his manner laid back, Mariani pitched himself as the man who would put more security agents on trains and in high schools, spend more money on the pandemic recovery and involve the public more in decision making.

Franco-German call for Russia summit meets EU resistance

France and Germany called on Thursday for a European Union summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin but met firm resistance from Poland and Baltic countries who distrust the Kremlin. French President Emmanuel Macron said the first EU summit with Putin since January 2014 would be a chance for dialogue and won support from Austria's chancellor as EU leaders arrived for their regular summer meeting in Brussels to discuss a new strategy to improve ties with Moscow.

EU imposes first broad economic sanctions on Belarus over Ryanair incident

The European Union imposed wide-ranging economic sanctions on Belarus for the first time on Thursday, targeting its main export industries and access to finance a month after it forced a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk. The measures include banning EU businesses from importing goods or doing business with Belarusian companies in sectors including banking, petroleum products and potash, a salt used in fertiliser that is the country's main export.

Lawyer saw no sign that software mogul McAfee would kill himself

Anti-virus software pioneer John McAfee's lawyer said on Thursday he had seen no sign before the entrepreneur's death in a Spanish prison that he would take his own life. Spanish coroners were conducting an autopsy after the British-born U.S. technology entrepreneur was found dead in his cell outside Barcelona on Wednesday following a court decision to allow his extradition to the United States.

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