World News Roundup: Concerts and catwalks return to Venezuela, but only for those with cash; Macron fights to save his parliamentary majority and reform agenda and more

These are some of the questions testing the international alliance that swiftly rallied around Ukraine in the days after the Russian invasion but that, three months into the war, is straining, officials and diplomats told Reuters. Beijing tests millions to stem 'developing' COVID cluster at 24-hour bar Authorities in China's capital Beijing raced on Monday to contain a COVID-19 outbreak traced to a 24-hour bar known for cheap liquor and big crowds, with millions facing mandatory testing and thousands under targeted lockdowns.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Concerts and catwalks return to Venezuela, but only for those with cash

Venezuelan pop and reggaeton fans able to pay the equivalent of the country's monthly minimum wage for a concert ticket are filling venues for the first time in over seven years to see their favorite national and international artists. A partial easing of economic woes in the country, which remains marked by extreme inequalities, has encouraged the return of music events in Caracas and other cities.

Macron fights to save his parliamentary majority and reform agenda

President Emmanuel Macron could lose his outright majority in France's parliament and the ability to push through his economic reform agenda with a free hand after a strong showing by a new left-wing alliance in the first round of voting. Macron's centrist alliance and the NUPES coalition led by the hard-left veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon each won 26% of the vote amid record abstentions on Sunday, though it is the June 19 second-round alone that will determine the division of seats.

British journalist, indigenous expert found dead in Brazil -report

The bodies of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, who had been missing for more than a week in Brazil's Amazon jungle, were found on Monday, news outlet G1 reported on Monday, quoting Phillips' wife. On Sunday, clothing belonging to Pereira had been found, including a health identification card in his name, and a backpack with clothes belonging to Phillips, along with the boots of both men.

Russian artillery pounds Sievierodonetsk, and hundreds of civilians shelter in a chemical plant

Russian forces swarmed into the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk and pounded a zone where hundreds of civilians were sheltering, a Ukrainian official said on Monday - a scene that mirrored Moscow's brutal assault on Mariupol last month. Pro-Moscow separatists claimed the last bridge out of Sievierodonetsk had been destroyed and Ukrainian defenders there must now surrender or die. Ukraine said there was still another way out although it was severely damaged.

South Korean truckers say strike is a fight for livelihood

Kang Myung-gil parked his truck last week and stopped hauling products from a unit of Samsung Electronics and other major South Korean companies to the port of Incheon, joining a strike that has hit industrial hubs and ports. At stake is his family's livelihood, Kang said, as soaring fuel prices and other costs make it impossible for him to go on while big business can pass on the burden of charging higher prices to customers like himself.

What next? Ukraine's allies divided over Russia endgame

Is it better to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine or to isolate him? Should Kyiv make concessions to end the war, or would that embolden the Kremlin? Are ramped-up sanctions on Russia worth the collateral damage? These are some of the questions testing the international alliance that swiftly rallied around Ukraine in the days after the Russian invasion but that, three months into the war, is straining, officials and diplomats told Reuters.

Beijing tests millions to stem 'developing' COVID cluster at the 24-hour bar

Authorities in China's capital Beijing raced on Monday to contain a COVID-19 outbreak traced to a 24-hour bar known for cheap liquor and big crowds, with millions facing mandatory testing and thousands under targeted lockdowns. The outbreak of 228 cases linked to the Heaven Supermarket Bar, which had just reopened as restrictions in Beijing eased last week, highlights how hard it will be for China to make a success of its "zero COVID" policy as much of the rest of the world opts to learn how to live with the virus.

Britain to defy EU with 'relatively trivial' N.Ireland law

Britain will set out plans on Monday to override some of the post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, scrapping checks and challenging the role played by Brussels in a fresh clash with the European Union. As Ireland warned of a "new low" from London and Brussels talked of damage to trust, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to plough ahead, saying the "relatively trivial" steps were needed to improve trade and simplify bureaucracy.

'We beg God for water': Chilean lake turns to desert, sounding climate change alarm

The Penuelas reservoir in central Chile was until twenty years ago the main source of water for the city of Valparaiso, holding enough water for 38,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. Water for only two pools now remains. A huge expanse of dried and cracked earth that was once the lake bed is littered with fish skeletons and desperate animals searching for water.

Moroccan sentenced to death in Donetsk has Ukrainian nationality, not a mercenary - father

The father of a Moroccan man sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on mercenary charges said his son should be treated as a prisoner of war as he is a Ukrainian national who handed himself in voluntarily. Morocco-born Brahim Saadoun and Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were found guilty of "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order" of the DPR, Russian media said last week.

(With inputs from agencies.)