Reuters World News Summary

The attacks come a day after Kyiv said it seriously damaged a Russian submarine and landing ship undergoing repairs in a missile strike on a shipyard in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. 'Alien bodies' presented in Mexican Congress panned as 'stunt' A UFO hearing in Mexico's congress that featured the presentation of alleged remains of non-human beings faced swift international backlash on Thursday, with critics labeling it a "stunt," and questions from officials in Peru, where the apparent specimens first emerged.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Hundreds leave Dominican Republic ahead of Haiti border shutdown

Hundreds of Haitians returned from the Dominican Republic on Thursday after the Dominican president announced an imminent total border shutdown amid a conflict over the construction of a water channel from a shared river. The border is set to close from Friday at 6 a.m. (1000 GMT) and will last "as long as necessary," Dominican authorities said, with backing from their military and police forces, though talks with the Haitian government are set to continue.

Libya hunts for those to blame for thousands of flood deaths

Libyan authorities demanded an investigation on Thursday into whether human failings were to blame for thousands of deaths in the worst natural disaster in the country's modern history, as survivors searched for loved ones washed away by floods. A torrent unleashed by a powerful storm burst dams on Sunday night and hurtled down a seasonal riverbed that bisects the eastern city of Derna, washing multi-storey buildings into the sea with sleeping families inside.

Ukrainian forces press on in east, inflict casualties in south-officials

Ukraine on Thursday pressed on with a gruelling campaign to regain ground near the shattered Russian-held city of Bakhmut and inflicted heavy casualties on Russian forces on the southern front, senior military officials said. The Ukrainian accounts outlined fierce fighting in many parts of the eastern front, but no new breakthroughs in the three-month old counter offensive.

Biden's son Hunter hit with gun charge, first for a US president's child

U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden was criminally charged on Thursday with deceiving a gun dealer into selling him a firearm, in the latest sign of how the younger Biden's legal woes may weigh on his father's re-election bid next year. The first-ever indictment of a sitting president's child, filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware, charged Hunter Biden with three criminal counts related to lying about the fact he was using illegal drugs at that time, which would have banned him under the law from owning a firearm.

Ukraine attacks Russian warships in Black Sea, destroys air defences in Crimea -Kyiv

Ukraine said on Thursday it attacked two Russian patrol ships and destroyed a sophisticated air defence system in the west of occupied Crimea, ramping up its strikes to challenge Moscow's dominance in the Black Sea region. The attacks come a day after Kyiv said it seriously damaged a Russian submarine and landing ship undergoing repairs in a missile strike on a shipyard in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

'Alien bodies' presented in Mexican Congress panned as 'stunt'

A UFO hearing in Mexico's congress that featured the presentation of alleged remains of non-human beings faced swift international backlash on Thursday, with critics labeling it a "stunt," and questions from officials in Peru, where the apparent specimens first emerged. Mexican journalist and long-time UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan showed politicians at the hearing on Tuesday two tiny "bodies" displayed in cases, with three fingers on each hand and elongated heads. He claimed they were found in Peru in 2017 and were not related to any life on Earth.

Spain's ex-soccer boss Rubiales due in court in sex assault investigation

Former Spanish soccer chief Luis Rubiales will appear before a High Court judge on Friday over a complaint of sexual assault stemming from his allegedly unsolicited kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso - an incident that has triggered a furore over sexism in Spanish sport and society. The events of Aug. 20 eclipsed the national women team's World Cup victory in Sydney and led to protests similar to the Me Too movement, prompting other women to come forward with reports of sexist treatment and assaults.

Putin 'gratefully' accepts Kim invite to visit North Korea -Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted Kim Jong Un's invitation to visit North Korea, stoking U.S. concerns that a revived Moscow-Pyongyang axis could bolster Russia's military in Ukraine and provide Kim sensitive missile technology. The invite was made during a summit in eastern Russia at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and helping North Korea's satellite programme.

High-level US-Cuba talks yield no progress on top disputes -Cuban official

U.S. and Cuban officials made progress on a range of issues during high-level talks in Washington this week but were unable to narrow differences over the biggest disputes between the countries, Cuba’s vice foreign minister said on Thursday. Cuba’s main concerns are that it remains on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism and the Biden administration’s continuation of Washington’s Cold War-era economic embargo against the Communist-ruled island.

Isolated Morocco earthquake survivors feel forgotten by state as they await help

Villagers in some of the most isolated areas hit by Morocco's earthquake were still living in makeshift tents and relying on donkeys to bring vital supplies on Thursday as they waited for state aid to reach them nearly a week after the disaster. The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the High Atlas Mountains late on Sept. 8 killed 2,946 people and injured 5,674, according to the latest official figures, making it Morocco's deadliest since 1960 and most powerful since at least 1900.