World News Roundup: Malaysian police find body of Irish girl missing from jungle resort; Italy Senate slows government crisis

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Kremlin says it is winning arms race against U.S. despite rocket accident

The Kremlin boasted on Tuesday it was winning the race to develop new cutting edge nuclear weapons despite a mysterious rocket accident last week in northern Russia that caused a temporary spike in radiation levels. Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear agency, has said that the Aug. 8 accident occurred during a rocket test on a sea platform in the White Sea, killing at least five and injuring three more.

Italy Senate slows government crisis, frustrating Salvini's election push

The Italian Senate on Tuesday postponed till next week further debate on an ongoing government crisis, frustrating a push by Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, for new elections. Salvini pulled the plug on his ruling coalition with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement last week, seeking to capitalize on his surging popularity by triggering an election that could see him crowned as prime minister.

Saudi woman activist rejects release deal tied to denying torture: family

Prominent Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has rejected a proposal to secure her release from prison in exchange for a video statement denying reports she was tortured in custody, her family said on Tuesday. Hathloul, along with at least a dozen other women's rights activists, were arrested over a year ago as Saudi Arabia ended a ban on women driving cars, which many of the detainees had long campaigned for. Local media tarred them as traitors.

Malaysian police find body of Irish girl missing from jungle resort

Police on Tuesday found the unclothed body of an Irish teenager who went missing from a jungle resort in Malaysia 10 days ago, though it was not yet clear what caused her death. Fifteen-year-old Nora Anne Quoirin, who had suffered learning difficulties, was reported missing on Aug. 4 after her family arrived at the Dusun rainforest resort in Seremban, about 70 km (44 miles) south of the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Iran's Khamenei backs Yemen's Houthi movement, calls for dialogue

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged on Tuesday Tehran's continued support for Yemen's Houthi movement and called for dialogue among Yemenis to safeguard the war-shattered nation's territorial integrity. A Saudi-led coalition has been battling to restore Yemen's ousted government in a devastating four-year war with the Iranian-aligned Houthis that has killed tens of thousands and pushed the impoverished country to the brink of famine.

Iran says Britain might release oil tanker soon, Gibraltar says not yet

The British territory of Gibraltar will not yet release an Iranian oil tanker seized by Royal Marines in the Mediterranean despite an Iranian report that it could do so on Tuesday, an official Gibraltar source said. The commandeering of the Grace 1 on July 4 exacerbated frictions between Tehran and the West and led to retaliatory moves in Gulf waterways used to ship oil.

Pakistan asks U.N. Security Council to meet over India moves in Kashmir

Pakistan on Tuesday asked the United Nations Security Council to meet over India's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Himalayan region that has long been a flashpoint in ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors. The move by India blocks the right of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to frame its own laws and allows non-residents to buy property there. Telephone lines, internet and television networks have been blocked since the Aug. 5 decision and there are restrictions on movement and assembly.

Australian Prime Minister set to woo Pacific leaders at annual forum

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will on Wednesday arrive in Tuvalu, a tiny Pacific Island, to start wooing a region that Canberra fears is edging closer to China. Morrison will spend two days in Tuvalu for the Pacific Islands Forum, an annual gathering of regional leaders.

Police, protesters clash at Hong Kong airport after flights halted for second day

Police and protesters clashed at Hong Kong's international airport on Tuesday after flights were disrupted for a second day as the political crisis in the former British colony deepened. In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Chinese government was moving troops to the border with Hong Kong and he urged calm.

Moscow court allows opposition candidate to run after protest: TASS

The Moscow city court cancelled a decision by an election commission to bar a Russian opposition candidate, Sergei Mitrokhin, from running in a municipal election in September, TASS news agency reported. The court ruled in favour of Mitrokhin three days after tens of thousands of protesters turned out at a rally in Moscow, in which Mitrokhin also took part.

Also Read: Kremlin says it is winning arms race against U.S. despite rocket accident

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