World News Roundup: Trudeau condemns Chinese court's 11-year sentence in Canadian's espionage case; Iran's Raisi names anti-Western hardliner as new foreign minister and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Trudeau condemns Chinese court's 11-year sentence in Canadian's espionage case

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a Chinese court's sentencing of Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage on Wednesday was "absolutely unacceptable" and called for his immediate release. The United States embassy in Beijing also condemned the sentencing in a statement, saying that proceedings against Spavor and another Canadian charged with espionage were an attempt to "use human beings as bargaining leverage".

Iran's Raisi names anti-Western hardliner as new foreign minister

New President Ebrahim Raisi named an anti-Western diplomat as foreign minister on Wednesday as Iran and six world powers seek to restore their 2015 nuclear deal. Raisi, a hardliner under Western sanctions over allegations of human rights abuses when he was a judge, was sworn into office on Aug. 5 with the Islamic Republic's clerical rulers facing growing crises at home and abroad.

Taliban could take Afghan capital in 90 days- U.S. intelligence

Taliban fighters could isolate Afghanistan's capital in 30 days and possibly take it over in 90, a U.S. defence official told Reuters on Wednesday citing U.S. intelligence, as militants took control of an eighth provincial Afghan capital. The Taliban now control 65% of Afghanistan and have taken or threaten to take 11 provincial capitals, a senior EU official said on Tuesday.

S.Africa's Ramaphosa says he tried to resist corruption as ex-president Zuma's deputy

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, testifying at a graft inquiry on Wednesday, said he chose to "remain but resist" rather than resign as deputy president when allegations of widespread corruption surfaced under his predecessor Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa, Zuma's number two from May 2014 to February 2018, has made the fight against corruption a pillar of his presidency, though opposition parties have criticised him for not doing enough to stop the rot during his time as deputy.

Germany arrests British man suspected of spying for Russia

German police have arrested a British man who worked at the British embassy in Berlin on suspicion of passing documents to the Russian intelligence service in exchange for cash, prosecutors said on Wednesday. German prosecutors said the apartment and workplace of the man, identified only as David S., had been searched and he would be brought before an investigating judge later on Wednesday.

N.Korea warns of 'security crisis' if U.S., S.Korea escalate tensions

North Korea on Wednesday said South Korea and the United States missed a chance to improve relations and are risking a "serious security crisis" by choosing to escalate tensions as they conduct joint military drills. Kim Yong Chol, a general and politician who played a leading role during historic summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former U.S. President Donald Trump, criticised South Korea and the United States for responding to Pyongyang's goodwill with "hostile acts".

Belarus tells US to cut embassy staff by Sept. 1, RIA says

Belarus has told the United States to reduce its embassy staff in Minsk and revoked its consent to the appointment of Julie Fisher as the ambassador in response to the latest sanctions by Washington, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Wednesday. RIA quoted a Belarus foreign ministry spokesman as saying Minsk wants embassy staff reduced to five people by Sept. 1.

At least 65 killed in Algerian wildfires

Wildfires tearing through forested areas of northern Algeria have killed at least 65 people, state television reported on Wednesday, as some of the most destructive blazes in the country's history continued to rage. The government has deployed the army to help fight the fires, which have burnt most fiercely in the mountainous Kabylie region, and 28 of the dead are soldiers, with another 12 critically injured with burns.

Analysis-Brazil's Bolsonaro rolls out tanks to cover his weak position

The clouds of dark exhaust spewing from aging tanks and amphibious vehicles rolling past far-right President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday were a poor smokescreen for a leader whose political support is slipping and re-election is in trouble. Politicians and analysts said this week's unusual military display outside the presidential palace https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-military-parade-presidential-palace-rattles-politicians-2021-08-10 in Brasilia revealed not strength but rather the political weakness of a president on the ropes for failing to lead Brazil out of the coronavirus pandemic and an economic crisis.

Greece says EU 'not ready for new migration crisis

The European Union is not in a position to deal with another migration crisis like the one seen in 2015 and must act to try to keep people from fleeing the growing conflict in Afghanistan, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said on Wednesday. Mitararchi, who last week co-signed a letter with ministers from five other EU countries saying that deportations of failed asylum-seekers should continue despite the fighting, said ending such returns "would send the wrong message" and encourage more Afghans to try to reach Europe.

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