Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Tunisian president's new electoral law reduces parties' sway

Tunisia's president issued an electoral law on Thursday reducing, but not ending, the role of political parties in a reformed parliament that will have fewer powers under a constitution passed in July. Under the new law, voters will choose candidates in the Dec. 17 election individually rather than by selecting a single party list - a switch that will weaken the influence of parties.

Queen Elizabeth's funeral 'will unite' world as mourners queue for miles

Prince William has told how walking behind his grandmother's coffin brought back challenging memories, alluding to the death of his mother, as mourners from all walks of life queued for hours on Thursday to file past the late monarch's coffin. The new heir to the throne told well-wishers that the military procession had "brought back a few memories", a nod to the day 25 years ago when, as a boy of 15, he had followed the casket of his mother Princess Diana to her funeral.

Climate change likely made Pakistan's extreme rainfall more intense -study

The torrential monsoon that has submerged more than a third of Pakistan was a one in a hundred-year event likely made more intense by climate change, scientists said on Thursday. In the hardest-hit areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces, where August rainfall was seven to eight times heavier than usual, climate warming made average five-day maximum rainfall about 75% more intense, according to a report https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/analysis/rainfall/ by World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international research collaboration that teases out the role of climate change in extreme events.

United States, U.N. hope Armenia, Azerbaijan truce holds

The United States and the U.N. welcomed on Thursday a ceasefire announced between Armenia and Azerbaijan after two days of violence linked to a decades-old dispute between the former Soviet states over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The fighting, which each side blamed on the other, left more than 170 soldiers dead and threatened to drag Turkey, Azerbaijan's key backer, and Armenia ally Russia into a wider conflict at a time of already high geopolitical tensions.

Ukraine says mass grave found in Izium where Russians ousted days ago

Ukrainian authorities found a mass grave of more than 440 bodies in the northeastern town of Izium that was recaptured from Russian forces days ago, a regional police official said, adding some of the people had been killed by shelling and air strikes. Thousands of Russian troops fled Izium last weekend after occupying the city and using it as a logistics hub in the Kharkiv region. They left behind large amounts of ammunition and equipment.

Vatican sought Xi-Pope meeting in Kazakhstan, China declined - source

The Vatican told China that Pope Francis was willing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping while both leaders where in the Kazakh capital but China said there was not enough time, a Vatican source said on Thursday. The source gave no details on how or when the Vatican approached China, with which it is involved in a delicate dialogue over the status of the Roman Catholic Church in the country.

Mexico has released nearly 2,700 prisoners early as overall jail population grows

Mexico has released thousands of prisoners during Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's presidency as part of an effort to free those who have not committed serious crimes or were being held unjustly, authorities said on Thursday. The releases follow a decree by Lopez Obrador in August 2021 ordering the release from federal jails of people who had been tortured, as well as certain elderly and ill prisoners who have not committed serious crimes and others held without sentencing for over the legal maximum of two years.

Putin says Xi has questions and concerns over Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said he understood that Xi Jinping had questions and concerns about the situation in Ukraine but praised China's leader for what he said was a "balanced" position on the conflict. Russia's war has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the global economy into uncharted waters with soaring food and energy prices amid the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.

Pope says supplying weapons to Ukraine is morally acceptable for self defence

Pope Francis on Thursday said it was morally legitimate for nations to supply weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russian aggression. Speaking to reporters aboard a plane returning from a three-day trip to Kazakhstan, Francis also urged Kyiv to be open to eventual dialogue, even though it may "smell" because it would be difficult for the Ukrainian side.

Pope asks Nicaraguan government to let expelled nuns return

Pope Francis asked the Nicaraguan government on Thursday to allow expelled nuns of the order founded by Mother Teresa to return to Nicaragua, saying they were harmless "revolutionaries of the gospel." The 18 nuns of the Missionaries of Charity order were taken to the border with Costa Rica in July as part of a crackdown on the Catholic Church by the government of Daniel Ortega.

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