World News Roundup: Arab ministers discuss how to normalise ties with Syria; King Charles settles into life as monarch, after long wait and more

Pena, who has pledged to maintain Paraguay's long-standing Taiwan relations, had 42.7% of the vote with 99.9% of ballots counted, a more than 15-point lead over center-left rival Efrain Alegre, who has argued for switching allegiance to China. Homes smashed, 34 wounded in latest Russian strikes on Ukraine Russia unleashed a fresh volley of missiles on Ukraine overnight, causing huge blazes in a city in the east, damaging dozens of homes and wounding at least 34 people.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Arab ministers discuss how to normalise ties with Syria

A group of Arab foreign ministers held a landmark meeting with their Syrian counterpart in Jordan on Monday to discuss how to normalise ties with Syria as part of a political settlement of the country's more than decade-old conflict, officials said. The talks are the first between Syria's government and a group of Arab countries since a decision to suspend Syria's membership of the Arab League in 2011 after a crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad.

King Charles settles into life as monarch, after long wait

After waiting longer than any British heir to become monarch, King Charles has quietly settled into his new role with little of the drama some commentators had expected, but with family divisions and some fundamental issues still looming. The 74-year-old Charles, who will be formally crowned on Saturday, was the oldest sovereign to take the throne in a lineage that dates back 1,000 years when he succeeded his hugely popular mother Queen Elizabeth after her death last September. She had reigned for 70 years.

Biden to reassure Philippines' Marcos as China tensions flare

President Joe Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will agree on Monday to new guidelines aimed at strengthening military cooperation, said U.S. officials, underscoring a dramatic turnaround in U.S.-Philippine relations over the past year. The new guidelines focus on military coordination across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace, while the administration will also transfer three C-130 aircraft and look to send additional patrol vessels.

U.N. warns of Sudan breaking point as air strikes hit capital

As foreign states wind down their evacuations from Sudan, the United Nations warned of a humanitarian breaking point with no let up in fighting between rival military factions despite a supposed ceasefire extension. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded over 16 days of battles since disputes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into conflict on April 15.

Paris police fire tear gas as French march against pension reform

Workers marched across France in anger at President Emmanuel Macron's increase in the retirement age on Monday, with police firing tear gas in Paris and the western city of Nantes, as protesters joined Labour Day rallies across Europe. Macron's popularity has plunged to near record lows hit during the "Yellow Vest" crisis after he stared down trade unions and multi-sector strikes and lifted the retirement age by two years to 64.

Autopsies begin on bodies of Kenyan cult members who starved themselves to death

Pathologists started autopsies on Monday on more than 100 bodies linked to a Kenyan religious cult whose leader allegedly instructed them to starve themselves to death in order to be the first to go to heaven, officials said. One hundred and nine followers of the Good News International Church, based in the Shakahola Forest in east Kenya, are known to have died.

Explosion derails freight train in Russian border region - governor

An explosion in a Russian region bordering Ukraine derailed a freight train on Monday, the local governor said in a social media post, adding there were no casualties. Pictures shared on social media showed several tank carriages laying on their side and dark grey smoke billowing into the air at the site of the derailment in the Bryansk region.

Philippines, China to discuss fishing rights in South China Sea-Marcos

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said China has agreed to discuss fishing rights in the South China Sea, as he pushed for a "direct communication line" with Beijing on maritime differences. China has agreed to "sit down" and talk about Filipinos' fishing rights in the South China Sea, Marcos said, adding he has asked the Philippine Coast Guard and the Department of Foreign Affairs "to put together...a map of these fishing grounds" that will be presented to Beijing.

Paraguay's conservatives score big election win, defusing Taiwan fears

Paraguayan conservative economist Santiago Pena, 44, won the country's presidential election on Sunday, tightening the ruling Colorado Party's political grip in the country and defusing fears about the end of diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Pena, who has pledged to maintain Paraguay's long-standing Taiwan relations, had 42.7% of the vote with 99.9% of ballots counted, a more than 15-point lead over center-left rival Efrain Alegre, who has argued for switching allegiance to China.

Homes smashed, 34 wounded in latest Russian strikes on Ukraine

Russia unleashed a fresh volley of missiles on Ukraine overnight, causing huge blazes in a city in the east, damaging dozens of homes and wounding at least 34 people. The attack on Pavlohrad, a city and railway hub, came during the second wave of nationwide missile strikes in three days, with Moscow apparently reviving its winter tactic of long-range strikes ahead of a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive.