Reuters World News Summary

At a ceremony in St. Peter's Square known as a consistory, Francis "created" 21 new cardinals, the red-hatted "princes of the Church" who are his closest advisers at the Vatican and around the world. Trudeau says 'denialism' rising as nation marks holiday for indigenous reconcilation Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday warned about the rise of "denialism" and said uncovering the truth was more important than ever as the nation gathered to honor the lost children and survivors of indigenous schools.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Death toll from Pakistan blast rises to 59 as minister blames India

The death toll from a large blast at a mosque in Pakistan rose to 59 on Saturday as the government vowed to find the perpetrators and accused India's intelligence agency of being involved. Friday's blast tore through a mosque in Mastung in the southern province of Balochistan after a bomber detonated his explosives near a police vehicle where people were gathering for a procession to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad.

Panama Canal trims vessel passage quota again to deal with severe drought

Daily ship crossings on the Panama Canal, one of the world's main maritime trade routes, will be reduced to 31 from 32 to soften the impact from a severe drought that is expected to last until next year, the authorities managing the canal said. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in recent months has imposed various passage restrictions to conserve water, including cutting vessel draft and daily passage authorizations, which are normally 36 per day.

Special Report-WhatsApp to war: How Cubans were recruited to fight for Russia

Cuban seamstress Yamidely Cervantes has bought a new sewing machine for the first time in years, plus a refrigerator and a cellphone - all on Russia's dime. She said her 49-year-old husband Enrique Gonzalez, a struggling bricklayer, left their home in the small town of La Federal on July 19 to fight for the Russian army in Ukraine. Days later, he wired her part of his signing-on bonus of about 200,000 roubles ($2,040) which she received in Cuban pesos, Cervantes told Reuters.

Tent-dwelling migrants join protest over Portugal's housing prices

Marcia Leandro moved to Portugal from Brazil six months ago with a goal: to train as a chef. But Portugal's housing crisis curbed her dreams and forced her to live in a tent. Leandro, 43, and Andreia Costa, her neighbour in an improvised tent camp on an empty plot on the outskirts of Lisbon, marched alongside thousands of Portuguese on Saturday in a protest against soaring rents and house prices stoked by growing gentrification and record tourism.

US House passes bipartisan bill to avoid government shutdown

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a stopgap funding bill on Saturday with overwhelming Democratic support after Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy backed down from an earlier demand by party hardliners for a partisan bill. Time remained short to avoid the federal government's fourth partial shutdown in a decade, which will begin at 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT) on Sunday unless the Democratic-majority Senate passes it and President Joe Biden signs it into law in time.

More than 100,000 refugees arrive in Armenia as exodus swells

More than 100,000 refugees have arrived in Armenia since Azerbaijan's military operation to retake control of Nagorno-Karabakh, the United nations said, while thousands more endured long hours of delay in a huge traffic jam at the border.

"Many are hungry, exhausted and need immediate assistance," Filippo Grandi, head of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, said on social media late on Friday. "International help is very urgently required."

Kosovo demands Serbia withdraw troops from border

Kosovo on Saturday demanded that Serbia withdraw its troops from their common border, saying it was ready to protect its territorial integrity. Tensions between the two countries have been high since last Sunday when Kosovo police fought around 30 heavily armed Serbs who stormed the Kosovo village of Banjska and barricaded themselves in a Serbian Orthodox monastery. Three attackers and one police officer were killed.

Pope Francis cements legacy, stamps Church future with new cardinals

Pope Francis on Saturday further cemented his legacy, elevating 21 prelates to the high rank of cardinal and significantly raising the percentage of electors chosen by him who will have the right to vote for his successor. At a ceremony in St. Peter's Square known as a consistory, Francis "created" 21 new cardinals, the red-hatted "princes of the Church" who are his closest advisers at the Vatican and around the world.

Trudeau says 'denialism' rising as nation marks holiday for indigenous reconcilation

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday warned about the rise of "denialism" and said uncovering the truth was more important than ever as the nation gathered to honor the lost children and survivors of indigenous schools. Trudeau's statement was made on National Truth and Reconciliation Day, which recognizes the legacy of the residential schools, which operated between 1831 and 1996 and removed about 150,000 indigenous children from their families. Some were subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition at schools in what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 called "cultural genocide."

Brazil's Lula stable after hip surgery, starts walking in physio sessions

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is clinically stable one day after hip surgery and has begun to walk in physiotherapy sessions, the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Brazil's capital said on Saturday. Lula underwent surgery on Friday for arthrosis of the right hip caused by the extremely painful wear and tear of the cartilage on the head of the femur.

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