Reuters World News Summary

Japan's Asahi Shimbun daily reported earlier this week that the country plans to start releasing the water into the ocean as early as late August, citing unidentified government sources. Iran says unblocked S.Korea funds to be used for 'non-sanctioned goods' Iran's central bank chief said on Saturday that all of Iran's frozen funds in South Korea had been unblocked and would be used for "non-sanctioned goods".

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

South Korean activists protest against Fukushima water discharge

Hundreds of South Korean activists gathered in central Seoul on Saturday to protest against Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. Japan's Asahi Shimbun daily reported earlier this week that the country plans to start releasing the water into the ocean as early as late August, citing unidentified government sources.

Iran says unblocked S.Korea funds to be used for 'non-sanctioned goods'

Iran's central bank chief said on Saturday that all of Iran's frozen funds in South Korea had been unblocked and would be used for "non-sanctioned goods". Mohammad Reza Farzin's post on social media appeared to confirm comments a day earlier by Washington, which said there would be restrictions on what Iran could do with any funds unfrozen under an emerging deal that has led to the release of five Americans from prison to house arrest in Tehran.

Argentine farmers back conservatives in election, hoping for freer markets

In Argentina's grains fields and cattle ranches, farmers are hoping upcoming elections will bring political change and an end to years of economic uncertainty, ushering in freer markets with fewer currency controls and export limits. The South American country will vote in open primary elections on Sunday that will give an indication of how general elections in October will go. The ruling Peronist coalition is facing a strong challenge by the conservative opposition.

In Ecuador, party of slain presidential candidate picks replacement

The political party of Ecuador's assassinated presidential hopeful, Fernando Villavicencio, picked his would-be vice presidential candidate to replace him as the party standard-bearer on Saturday, just a week before the election. Villavicencio's Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced on social media it had tapped Andrea Gonzalez to replace the slain 59-year-old as its presidential candidate in the Aug. 20 vote.

Pakistan senator Kakar picked as caretaker PM to oversee elections

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz agreed on Saturday to name Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as caretaker premier to oversee elections, the Prime Minister's office said. Kakar, 52, a little-known politician from the southwestern province of Balochistan, will name a cabinet and head a government to steer the nation through economic and political crises until a new government is elected.

West Africa in another bid to engage with Niger coup leaders

West Africa's ECOWAS bloc aims to send a parliamentary committee to Niger to meet coup leaders who seized power last month, a spokesperson said on Saturday, part of a last ditch regional effort to restore civilian rule that includes religious leaders. Niger's military last month imprisoned President Mohamed Bazoum and dissolved the elected government, drawing condemnation from regional powers which have activated a standby military force they say will be deployed as a last resort if talks fail.

Six die as Britain-bound migrant boat capsizes in Channel

Six people died after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France to Britain capsized early on Saturday, and another two people were possibly missing, French authorities said. French and UK rescue boats saved nearly 60 migrants and brought them to French or British shores, and search and rescue operations were ongoing, the maritime prefecture said.

Ukraine's Odesa opens a few beaches for the first time since Russian invasion

Several beaches in Ukraine's Black Sea city of Odesa have officially opened for swimming for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion, although bathing is banned during air raid alerts, local officials said on Saturday. Odesa, Ukraine's largest port and naval base, was repeatedly attacked with missiles and drones and the sea was littered with hundreds of sea mines following the invasion in February last year.

Taiwan vice president leaves on sensitive trip to United States

Taiwan Vice President William Lai left on Saturday for a sensitive trip to the United States, which China has condemned and Taiwanese officials fear could prompt more Chinese military activity around the democratically governed island. Lai, the front-runner to become Taiwan's president in elections in January, is officially making only transit stops in the United States on his way to and from Paraguay for the swearing in of its president.

Maui wildfire death toll hits 80 as questions raised over warnings

The death toll from the Maui wildfires rose to 80 on Friday as search teams combed through the smoldering ruins of Lahaina, and Hawaiian officials sought to determine how the inferno spread so rapidly through the historic resort town with little warning. The fires became the deadliest natural disaster in the state's history, surpassing that of a tsunami that killed 61 people on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1960, a year after Hawaii joined the United States.

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