World News Roundup: Serbs in Kosovo block roads, clash with police as ethnic tensions worsen; British PM Sunak faces new demands from his fractious party and more

China dropped most of its strict COVID curbs on Wednesday after unprecedented protests against them last month, but cities that were already battling with their most severe outbreaks, like Beijing, saw a sharp decrease in economic activity after rules such as regular testing were scrapped. British PM Sunak faces new demands from his fractious party British Conservative politicians on Sunday launched two campaigns to address concerns about the direction of the party and the government, the latest challenge to new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's attempts to unite a fractured party.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Serbs in Kosovo block roads, clash with police as ethnic tensions worsen

Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads for a second day on Sunday following a nightime exchange of fire with police after the arrest of a former Serb policeman, amid a surge in tensions between the Serb minority and the authorities.

In recent weeks Serbs in northern Kosovo, a hotbed of Serb nationalism, have met attempts by Pristina which they see as anti-Serb with violent resistance.

British PM Sunak faces new demands from his fractious party

British Conservative politicians on Sunday launched two campaigns to address concerns about the direction of the party and the government, the latest challenge to new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's attempts to unite a fractured party. The Conservative Party has already ousted two prime ministers in 2022 - Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - and trails the opposition Labour party in the polls by double digits, with another national election expected in 2024.

Man accused of making bomb used in Lockerbie bombing is in U.S. custody, BBC reports

A man accused of making the bomb that blew up Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland in 1988 is in custody in the United States, the BBC said on Sunday, citing Scottish authorities. Abu Agila Masud has been taken into custody after the United States announced charges against him two years ago, the BBC said.

Late Chinese leader Jiang Zemin's ashes are scattered at mouth of Yangtze River

The ashes of late Chinese leader Jiang Zemin were scattered into the sea at the mouth of the Yangtze River on Sunday, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. A special plane carrying the ashes circled and flew slowly over the capital Beijing on Sunday morning, bidding farewell to the place where he had devoted himself to the cause of the Communist Party and the country, it said.

More Jersey blast survivors unlikely as response shifts to recovery operation

Jersey emergency services said on Sunday its search and rescue operation after an explosion at an apartment building on the island was now a recovery mission, a possible indication that there were unlikely to be more survivors from the blast. Three people have been confirmed killed and police say around a dozen others remain missing after an explosion early on Saturday morning at a block of flats on the island of Jersey, off the coast of northern France.

Beijing swings from anger over zero-COVID to coping with infections

Beijing's COVID-19 gloom deepened on Sunday with many shops and other businesses closed, and an expert warned of many thousands of new coronavirus cases as anger over China's previous COVID policies gave way to worry about coping with infection. China dropped most of its strict COVID curbs on Wednesday after unprecedented protests against them last month, but cities that were already battling with their most severe outbreaks, like Beijing, saw a sharp decrease in economic activity after rules such as regular testing were scrapped.

Gunman kills three women at Rome residents' meeting

Three women were killed on Sunday when a man pulled out a gun and opened fire at a meeting of residents of an apartment block in Rome, Italian media reported on Sunday. The reports said a 57-year-old man had been detained after the shooting, which happened at a bar in the Fidene district where the meeting was being held.

Japan lawmaker in Taiwan says China threat needs more military spending

Japan needs to increase its military spending in the face of the "grim reality" of the threat from China and North Korea, a senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party said on Sunday during a visit to Taiwan. Although Chinese-claimed and democratically-governed Taiwan and Japan do not have formal diplomatic ties, they have close unofficial relations and both share concerns about China, especially its increased military activities near the two.

Germany to tighten gun laws after suspected coup plot -minister

Germany plans to tighten its gun laws in the wake of a suspected plot by a far-right group to violently overthrow the government and install a minor royal as national leader, its interior minister said in an interview published on Sunday. German police last week arrested 25 people suspected of involvement in the plot, which has shocked many in one of Europe's most stable democracies. Many of the suspects were members of the far-right "Reichsbuerger" (Citizens of the Reich) movement that denies the existence of the modern German state, according to prosecutors.

Russia drones smash power network in Ukraine's Odesa, leaving 1.5 million without power

All non-critical infrastructure in the Ukrainian port of Odesa was without power after Russia used Iranian-made drones to hit two energy facilities, leaving 1.5 million people without power, officials said on Saturday. "The situation in the Odesa region is very difficult," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.