Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Taiwan opposition defends ‘brave’ China outreach after controversial visit

The head of Taiwan’s main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) defended its “brave” outreach to Beijing on Sunday after a senior official visited China on a trip condemned by Taipei’s government and which upset even some party members. China’s military drills near the democratically governed island this month in response to a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were widely condemned in Taiwan, including by the KMT.

Popes who resign are humble, Francis says in central Italy visit

Pope Francis, who has often said he may step down in the future if bad health impedes him from leading the Catholic Church, on Sunday praised the humility of one of the few popes in history to resign willingly instead of ruling for life. L’Aquila, a central Italian city which Francis visited briefly, is the burial place of Celestine V, who resigned as pope in 1294 after only five months to return to his life as a hermit, establishing a papal prerogative.

U.S. warships transit Taiwan Strait, first since Pelosi visit

Two U.S. Navy warships sailed through international waters in the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, the first such operation since a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged China which regards the island as its territory. The U.S. Navy, confirming a Reuters report, said cruisers Chancellorsville and Antietam were carrying out the ongoing operation. Such operations usually take eight to 12 hours to complete and are closely monitored by China’s military.

Power cuts melt Gaza’s ice cream stocks as heatwave boosts demand

Lengthy power cuts in the Gaza Strip have melted stocks of ice cream, forcing shops to stop selling it just when a heatwave has boosted demand. With summer temperatures hitting 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit), ice cream is a popular and relatively inexpensive treat in Gaza, home to 2.3 million people squeezed into a narrow coastal strip between Israel and Egypt.

Libya’s Tripoli quiet after worst fighting in two years

Libya’s capital was quiet early on Sunday, a day after the worst fighting there for two years killed 32 people and injured 159 as forces aligned with a parliament-backed administration failed to dislodge the Tripoli-based government.

Roads in the city were busy with motorists, shops were open and people were clearing away smashed glass and other debris from Saturday’s violence, with burned-out vehicles lining some streets in central Tripoli.

U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces move to halt ‘brutal torture’ at IS camp

U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish security forces have launched a new operation targeting Islamic State sleeper cells in a large northeastern detention camp where violence has reached record levels. At least 44 people including 14 women have been killed this year in the al-Hol camp, which holds internal refugees and families of suspected IS fighters.

Taliban accuses Pakistan of allowing U.S. drones to use its airspace

The Taliban’s acting defence minister on Sunday said Pakistan had allowed American drones to use its airspace to access Afghanistan, a charge Pakistan has recently denied following a U.S. air strike in Kabul. Acting Minister of Defence Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob told reporters at a news conference in Kabul that American drones have been entering Afghanistan via Pakistan.

Angola holds funeral of ex-leader Dos Santos amid a dispute over vote

Amid post-election tensions, Angola held a funeral on Sunday for long-serving ex-leader Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who died in Spain in July but whose burial was delayed by a family request for an autopsy. Dos Santos died in a clinic in Barcelona on July 8 at the age of 79. His funeral was taking place days after an election that appeared to have returned his MPLA party to power but whose results have been disputed by the opposition.

Plumes of dust as India demolishes illegal skyscrapers

Indian authorities demolished two illegally constructed skyscrapers in a wide plume of dust debris on Sunday near the capital New Delhi, razing the tallest structures ever pulled down in the country in less than 10 seconds. Crowds watching the collapse from rooftops on nearby high-rise buildings cheered and clapped as the 103-meter (338-feet) tall towers collapsed from a controlled demolition and the dust enveloped the residential area.

Ukraine on edge as Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, nearby towns shelled

Russian artillery fired at Ukrainian towns across the river from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant overnight, local officals said on Sunday, adding to residents’ anguish as reports of shelling around the plant fuelled fears of a radiation disaster. Russia’s defense ministry said on Sunday there was more Ukrainian shelling of the plant over the past 24 hours, just a day after Moscow and Kyiv traded accusations of targeting Europe’s biggest nuclear plant, which has prompted grave international concern.

(With inputs from agencies.)