Reuters World News Summary

In a letter to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid cited comments by the U.N.'s Human Rights Council commission of inquiry member Miloon Kothari in an interview. Kosovo government postpones its plan for volatile north after tensions heightened The Kosovo government postponed implementation of a decision that would oblige Serbs in the north of the country to apply for car license plates issued by Pristina institutions over tensions between police and local communities that set roadblocks.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Israel demands U.N. disband Gaza war panel over alleged anti-Semitism

Israel on Sunday demanded that a United Nations' panel investigating its 2021 war with Palestinian militants be disbanded, condemning remarks made by one of its members as anti-Semitic. In a letter to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid cited comments by the U.N.'s Human Rights Council commission of inquiry member Miloon Kothari in an interview.

Kosovo government postpones its plan for volatile north after tensions heightened

The Kosovo government postponed implementation of a decision that would oblige Serbs in the north of the country to apply for car license plates issued by Pristina institutions over tensions between police and local communities that set roadblocks. Late on Sunday the protesters parked trucks filled with gravel and other heavy machinery on roads leading to the two border crossings, Jarinje and Bernjak, in a territory where Serbs form a majority. Kosovo police said they had to close the border crossings.

Hundreds of firefighters battle blaze near Lisbon

Hundreds of firefighters battled a blaze raging in a Portuguese municipality near the capital Lisbon on Sunday as high temperatures and strong winds made it harder to put out the flames. Backed by water-bombers and 123 vehicles, more than 400 firefighters were brought in after a fire erupted in a mountainous area of the municipality of Mafra at around 3 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Sunday.

UK brings in ownership register for property held by foreign companies

Britain will now require foreign companies holding UK property to identify their true owners in an official register, the government said on Monday, as part of a crackdown on Russian oligarchs and corrupt elites laundering illicit wealth. The "Register of Overseas Entities", which becomes active from Monday, is part of a wider economic crime law enacted this year in an effort to stop the flow of illicit Russian cash into London following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

British PM candidate Sunak vows 20% income tax cut by 2029

Rishi Sunak, trailing in the race to become Britain's next prime minister, has vowed to slash the basic rate of income tax by 20% by 2029 in a potentially make-or-break throw of the dice by the former finance minister. Sunak, once seen as the favourite to replace Boris Johnson when he helped to steer the economy through the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, has struggled against his rival, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who has pledged immediate tax cuts.

New Zealand's borders fully open after long pandemic closure

New Zealand's borders fully re-opened to visitors from around the world on Monday, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic closed them in March 2020. New Zealand's borders started reopening in February first for New Zealanders and restrictions have progressively eased.

EU's Borrell welcome Kosovo's decision to delay measures

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday welcomed the Kosovo government's move to delay its plan to require Serbs to register for new license plates issued by Pristina to Sept 1. Kosovo postponed implementation of a decision that would oblige Serbs in the north of the country to apply for car license plates issued by Pristina institutions over tensions between police and local communities that set up roadblocks.

Even as China becomes more assertive, there are still shared interests, New Zealand's prime minister says

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that even "as China becomes more assertive in the pursuit of its interests", there are still shared interests that the two countries can and should co-operate on. New Zealand has toughened its tone recently on both security and Beijing's growing presence in the South Pacific, in part due to the signing of a security pact between China and Solomon Islands earlier in the year. But at the same time New Zealand remains dependent on trade with China.

Not the time for Rajapaksa to return, Sri Lanka President says - WSJ

Sri Lanka's new president Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday it was not the right time for former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to the country as it could inflame political tensions, the Wall Street Journal reported. "I don't believe it's the time for him to return," Wickremesinghe said in an interview with the Journal. "I have no indication of him returning soon."

Russian strikes kill Ukrainian grain tycoon; drone hits Russian naval base

Russian missiles pounded the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv early on Sunday, killing the owner of a major grain exporter, while a drone strike on Russia's Black Sea naval base in Sevastopol was launched from within the city in a "terrorist attack," a Russian lawmaker said. Oleksiy Vadatursky, founder and owner of agriculture company Nibulon, and his wife were killed in their home, Mykolaiv Governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegram.