World News Roundup: Rushdie's stabbing highlights divisions in Iranian society; Ukraine war diverts attention from hunger, pope says in Somalia appeal and more

Rubizhne is part of the Luhansk region of Ukraine where Russian forces established full control in early July, more than four months after President Vladimir Putin launched what he called his "special military operation" in Ukraine. Tempers fray at election centre as Kenya vote count continues Additional riot police were deployed inside Kenya's national election tallying centre overnight, after a crowd of men scuffled in the early hours of Sunday and a party official shouted accusations into the microphone.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Rushdie's stabbing highlights divisions in Iranian society

Many Iranians have turned to social media to show their anger and praise over the attack on novelist Salman Rushdie at a lecture in New York state, with some conspiracy theories linking it to Tehran's nuclear talks in Vienna. Rushdie remained hospitalised after he was repeatedly stabbed on Friday. His agent has said he is likely to lose an eye, among other injuries.

Ukraine war diverts attention from hunger, pope says in Somalia appeal

Pope Francis said on Sunday that the war in Ukraine had distracted attention from the problem of world hunger and called for urgent food aid to stave off looming famine in Somalia. "The people of this region, who already live in very precarious conditions, are now in mortal danger because of drought," he said at his weekly address in St. Peter's Square, referring to the Horn of Africa.

Ship carrying first Ukraine grain cargo nears Syria, shipping sources say

The first ship to depart Ukraine under a U.N.-brokered deal to resume grain exports from the country two weeks ago was approaching the Syrian port of Tartous on Sunday, two shipping sources said. The Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni set sail from Ukraine's Odesa port on Aug. 1 under the deal between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.

Shanghai to reopen all schools Sept. 1 as lockdown fears persist

China's financial hub Shanghai said on Sunday it would reopen all schools including kindergartens, and primary and middle schools on Sept. 1 after months of COVID-19 closures. The city will require all teachers and students to take nucleic acid tests for the coronavirus every day before leaving campus, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission said.

Scotland's police investigate threat made to JK Rowling after Rushdie tweet

Scotland's police said on Sunday they are investigating a report of an "online threat" made to the author JK Rowling after she tweeted her condemnation of the stabbing of Salman Rushdie. The Harry Potter creator said she felt "very sick" after hearing the news and hoped the novelist would "be OK".

U.S. lawmakers arrive in Taiwan amid China tensions

A U.S. lawmaker delegation arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a two-day visit during which they will meet President Tsai Ing-wen, the second high-level group to come amid continued military tensions with the island's giant neighbour China. Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has been holding military drills around the island to express its anger at this month's visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Ukraine targets Russian soldiers accused of threatening nuclear plant

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Russian soldiers who shoot at Europe's largest nuclear power station or use it as a base to shoot from that they will become a "special target" for Ukrainian forces. Meanwhile, an Africa-bound food aid cargo was getting ready to depart from Ukraine in the coming days, the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and sources said the first grains ship to leave Ukraine under a U.N. deal was nearing Syria.

People in Ukraine town dig up hastily buried bodies for proper funeral

People in the eastern Ukrainian town of Rubizhne have started exhuming bodies that were hastily buried in courtyards at the height of fighting, anxious to be able to lay them to rest with dignity. Rubizhne is part of the Luhansk region of Ukraine where Russian forces established full control in early July, more than four months after President Vladimir Putin launched what he called his "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Tempers fray at election centre as Kenya vote count continues

Additional riot police were deployed inside Kenya's national election tallying centre overnight after a crowd of men scuffled in the early hours of Sunday and a party official shouted accusations into the microphone. The fracas underscored fraying tempers and high tensions within the national counting hall as the country waits for official results from last Tuesday's election. There were wry digs online over the melee from citizens pointing out that the rest of the nation is waiting patiently.

At least 41 killed in Egyptian church fire, security sources say

At least 41 people were killed and 45 injured in a fire inside a church in the Egyptian city of Giza on Sunday, two security sources told Reuters. An electrical fire broke out just before 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) during Mass as 5,000 people gathered at the Coptic Abu Sifin church in the Imbaba neighbourhood, the sources said.

(With inputs from agencies.)