World News Roundup: Kremlin says summit will not stop U.S. trying to contain Russia; French far right irked by election results, southern region in play and more

Pedro Castillo, a socialist and son of peasant farmers, is on the cusp of winning Peru's presidential election after rising from obscurity to all but beat a conservative rival, the daughter of a former president. Kremlin says summit will not stop U.S. trying to contain Russia The Kremlin said on Monday it did not expect the United States to stop trying to "contain" Russia after a summit of their leaders, and that it was important for the two powers to be pragmatic amid talk of new U.S. sanctions.


Reuters | Updated: 21-06-2021 18:38 IST | Created: 21-06-2021 18:28 IST
World News Roundup: Kremlin says summit will not stop U.S. trying to contain Russia;  French far right irked by election results, southern region in play and more
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Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Another pink tide? Latin America's left galvanized by rising star in Peru

Latin America has got a new leftist star. Pedro Castillo, a socialist and son of peasant farmers, is on the cusp of winning Peru's presidential election after rising from obscurity to all but beat a conservative rival, the daughter of a former president.

Kremlin says summit will not stop U.S. trying to contain Russia

The Kremlin said on Monday it did not expect the United States to stop trying to "contain" Russia after a summit of their leaders, and that it was important for the two powers to be pragmatic amid talk of new U.S. sanctions. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN on Sunday that the United States was preparing more sanctions in relation to the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

French far right irked by election results, southern region in play

France's far right performed worse than predicted in Sunday's regional elections, exit polls showed, leaving victory in the southern battleground of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur and a platform for the 2022 presidential election in the balance. Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National expressed frustration at a record low turnout, as the centre right made its first comeback at the ballot box since a disastrous showing in the 2017 presidential election and President Emmanuel Macron's party finished fifth.

Exclusive-HK's Apple Daily to shut within days, says Jimmy Lai adviser

Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to shut "in a matter of days" after authorities froze the company's assets under a national security law, an adviser to jailed owner Jimmy Lai told Reuters on Monday. The closure of Apple Daily would undermine the former British colony's reputation as an open and free society and send a warning to other companies that could be accused of colluding with a foreign country, media advocacy groups said.

Ethiopians vote in what government bills as first free election

Ethiopia held elections on Monday billed by the prime minister as proof of his commitment to democracy after decades of repressive rule, although voting was delayed due to violence in some areas and opposition parties boycotted the poll in others. Election board chief Birtukan Midekssa said voting was mostly peaceful so far, but that several opposition parties had complained their agents were beaten and their badges confiscated in Amhara region and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region. She did not say who was responsible.

President-elect Raisi: Iran's priority is improving ties with Gulf Arab neighbours

President-elect Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday Iran's foreign policy priority would be improving ties with Gulf Arab neighbours, while calling on regional rival Saudi Arabia to halt its intervention in Yemen immediately. Raisi, 60, a hardliner and strident critic of the West, will take over from pragmatist Hassan Rouhani in August as Iran seeks to salvage the tattered nuclear deal and be rid of punishing U.S. sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.

Spain to pardon jailed Catalan separatist leaders on Tuesday

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his government would pardon the nine jailed leaders of Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid on Tuesday as a first step towards ending the political conflict over the wealthy region. As he spoke in Barcelona's opera house, several hundred separatists protested outside, demanding still more concessions, and one member of the audience interrupted him for a few seconds shouting "Independence".

'Girl from Rio' Anitta joins Nubank to target low-income clients

Brazilian pop star Anitta has joined Latin American financial start-up Nubank as the seventh member of its board of directors, in an unusual signing for a bank. Born in a Rio de Janeiro slum, Anitta has become one of the most prominent Brazilian artists, nominated four times for Latin Grammy awards and gaining 54 million followers on Instagram.

Exclusive-Dubai's Latifa seems to have degree of freedom, says lawyer for campaign group

Sheikha Latifa, one of the daughters of the ruler of Dubai, appears to be enjoying an increasing degree of freedom and is travelling, a lawyer for the group which campaigned for her freedom told Reuters on Monday. A new image of Latifa, a daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, was posted on Instagram appearing to show her abroad following earlier pictures of public outings in the emirate where Latifa had said she was being held captive.

Syrian drought puts Assad's 'year of wheat' in peril

The "year of wheat" campaign pushed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in jeopardy after low rainfall risked leaving an import gap of at least 1.5 million tonnes, according to preliminary estimates by officials and experts. The agricultural blow and lack of funds to finance the imports will add to pressure on a Syrian economy already reeling from ten years of conflict and buckling under the pressure of U.S. sanctions, neighbouring Lebanon's financial collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

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