World News Roundup: At least 82 die in Baghdad COVID hospital fire; Somali president's backers in gun clash with opponents and more

Zeman's statement came just over a week after the government sparked a row with Moscow by saying it suspected that two Russian spies accused of a nerve agent poisoning in Britain in 2018 were also behind the Czech 2014 explosion that killed two people. Putin and Biden may meet in June - RIA cites Kremlin aide Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden may meet in June, RIA news agency reported on Sunday, citing a Kremlin aide, amid simmering tensions between Moscow and the West.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

At least 82 die in Baghdad COVID hospital fire - Interior Ministry

A fire sparked by an oxygen tank explosion killed at least 82 people and injured 110 at a hospital in Baghdad that had been equipped to house COVID-19 patients, an Interior Ministry spokesman said on Sunday. "We urgently need to review safety measures at all hospitals to prevent such a painful incident from happening in future," spokesman Khalid al-Muhanna told state television, announcing the toll.

Somali president's backers in gun clash with opponents, residents say

Supporters of Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and those opposed to the extension of his four-year term clashed on Sunday on the streets of the capital, residents said.

The president signed a law in mid-April extending his mandate for two years, stoking opposition inside Somalia and putting him on a collision course with Western and other donors opposed to the move. [nL1N2M70EX

Albanians vote for new government with graft on their mind

Albania held a parliamentary election on Sunday likely to be a neck-and-neck contest between the ruling Socialists and the opposition as corruption weighs heavily on voters in one of Europe's poorest nations. The Socialist Party (PS) of Prime Minister Edi Rama is seeking a third term, while Lulzim Basha's Democratic Party (PD) wants a return to power eight years after losing an election.

PM Modi says India shaken by coronavirus 'storm', U.S. readies help

India set a new global record of the most number of COVID-19 infections in a day, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged all citizens to be vaccinated and exercise caution, saying the "storm" of infections had shaken the country. The United States said it was deeply concerned by the massive surge in coronavirus cases in India and was racing to send aid to India.

Armenian PM triggers early election a day after Biden's genocide announcement

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who was swept to power in pro-democracy protests in 2018, triggered an early election on Sunday to try overcome criticism over his handling of last year's conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. His resignation, which was expected, came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said that massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 constituted genocide, a move welcomed by Armenians worldwide and condemned by Turkey.

Death toll from mid-April ethnic clashes in Ethiopia may be 200, official says

The death toll in clashes this month between Ethiopia's two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amhara, in the northern Amhara region may be as high as 200, a senior official said on Sunday, up from previous reports of at least 50. Residents and officials in Oromiya Special Zone, an area in Amhara with a majority Oromo population, and the town of Ataye said there were deadly clashes in the area on April 16.

Sunken missing Indonesian submarine found cracked open by rescuers

A missing Indonesian submarine has been found, broken into at least three parts, deep in the Bali Sea, army and navy officials said on Sunday, as the president sent condolences to relatives of the 53 crew. Rescuers found new objects, including a life vest, that they believe belong to those aboard the 44-year old KRI Nanggala-402, which lost contact on Wednesday as it prepared to conduct a torpedo drill.

Czech leader: Russia not necessarily behind 2014 ammunition blast

Czech President Milos Zeman said on Sunday the idea that Russian spies caused a 2014 ammunition dump explosion in the central European country was just one of two theories and the possibility it was an accident should not be ruled out. Zeman's statement came just over a week after the government sparked a row with Moscow by saying it suspected that two Russian spies accused of a nerve agent poisoning in Britain in 2018 were also behind the Czech 2014 explosion that killed two people.

Putin and Biden may meet in June - RIA cites Kremlin aide

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden may meet in June, RIA news agency reported on Sunday, citing a Kremlin aide, amid simmering tensions between Moscow and the West. The foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said a firm decision on the meeting has not been taken yet.

Latest Mediterranean migrants tragedy a time for shame, pope says

Pope Francis said on Sunday that "now is the time for shame" after 130 migrants were feared dead in the Mediterranean and a U.N. organisation accused states of not responding to distress calls. Merchant vessels and a charity ship searching the Mediterranean for boats with migrants found 10 bodies floating near a capsized rubber boat in international waters near Libya believed to have had 130 people on board, French humanitarian organisation SOS Mediterranee said on Friday.