Following is a summary of current world news briefs. U.S. attempts to win more support with streamlined bid to extend Iran arms embargo
The United States streamlined its bid on Tuesday to get the U.N. Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran, a move that could win Washington more support in the 15-member body but is unlikely to overcome opposition by veto-powers Russia and China. The new text, seen by Reuters, is just four paragraphs and would extend a weapons ban on Iran “until the Security Council decides otherwise,” stating that is “essential to the maintenance of international peace and security.” Britain tightens online campaigning rules to protect elections
Britain plans to tighten rules around online campaigning to make political parties and campaigners state more clearly who they are, the government said on Wednesday, seeking to allay fears about interference in its democracy. The security of Britain’s electoral system has been questioned by lawmakers who say outdated rules, last updated nearly 20 years ago, have left loopholes which allow disinformation to flourish and could let other countries influence results. New Zealand PM Ardern says dissolution of parliament deferred
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday that the dissolution of parliament to make way for a general election has been deferred until Monday, following the latest COVID-19 outbreak in the country. New Zealand’s parliament was due to be dissolved on Wednesday morning, which is the first step towards holding the general election scheduled for Sept. 19. Hospitals, expats blast Trump plan to block U.S. citizens over coronavirus
A Southern California-area hospital system, immigrant advocacy groups and Americans living in Mexico criticized on Tuesday a U.S. government draft proposal that could block U.S. citizens and permanent residents from entering the country if they are suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus. The pushback comes a day after Reuters and other news outlets reported the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was considering a regulation that would give the government authorization to keep out Americans believed to have contracted COVID-19 or other diseases. Lebanese call for downfall of president, other officials over Beirut blast
Angry and grieving protesters on Tuesday read aloud the names of at least 171 people killed in last week’s explosion at Beirut port and called for the removal of Lebanon’s president and other officials they blame for the tragedy. Gathered near “ground zero”, some carried pictures of the victims as a large screen replayed footage of the mushroom cloud that rose over the city on Aug. 4 after highly-explosive material stored for years detonated, injuring some 6,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Defectors say South Korea investigations threaten North Korean ‘Underground Railroad’
A combination of coronavirus border closures and an unprecedented pressure campaign by a South Korean government keen to engage with North Korea may destroy networks defectors have long used to start new lives, activist groups say. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said last month it will “inspect” 25 defector-run NGOs, citing their failure to file necessary documents, and check if 64 others are following conditions to stay registered. Sea life around Mauritius dying as Japanese ship oil spill spreads
Mauritian volunteers fished dead eels from oily waters on Tuesday as they tried to clean up damage to the Indian Ocean island’s most pristine beaches after a Japanese bulk carrier leaked an estimated 1,000 tonnes of oil. The ship, MV Wakashio, owned by Nagashiki Shipping and operated by Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd , struck a coral reef on Mauritius’ southeast coast on July 25 and began leaking oil last week, raising fears of a major ecological crisis. New clashes as opposition leader flees Belarus citing children’s safety
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Tuesday she had fled abroad for the sake of her children after strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko’s claim of victory in Sunday’s presidential election prompted bloody street protests. Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher who took her husband’s place on the ballot after he was jailed, fled to neighbouring Lithuania. She urged her compatriots not to oppose the police and to avoid putting their lives in danger. Brazil’s Bolsonaro calls surging Amazon fires a ‘lie’
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday angrily denied the existence of fires in the Amazon rainforest, calling it a “lie,” despite data produced by his own government showing that thousands of fires are surging across the region. Bolsonaro last year similarly denied a spike in fires that provoked a global outcry, with the right-wing populist trading barbs with French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders. Putin hails new Sputnik moment as Russia is first to approve a COVID-19 vaccine
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move Moscow likened to its success in the Cold War-era space race. The vaccine, which will be called “Sputnik V” in homage to the world’s first satellite launched by the Soviet Union, has however not yet completed its final trials.
