Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russian commander admits situation is ‘tense’ for his forces in Ukraine

The new commander of Russian forces in Ukraine made a rare acknowledgment of the pressures they are under from Ukrainian offensives to retake southern and eastern areas that Moscow claims to have annexed just weeks ago. And in another sign of Russian concern about the situation on the ground eight months into its invasion, the Kremlin-installed chief of the strategic southern region of Kherson on Tuesday announced an “organised, gradual displacement” of civilians from four towns on the Dnipro River.

Lafarge pleads guilty to U.S. charge of supporting Islamic State, to pay $778 million

French cement maker Lafarge pleaded guilty in U.S. court on Tuesday to a charge that it made payments to groups designated as terrorists by the United States, including Islamic State, so the company could keep operating in Syria. The admission in Brooklyn federal court marked the first time a company has pleaded guilty in the United States to charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization. Lafarge, which became part of Swiss-listed Holcim in 2015, agreed to pay $778 million in forfeiture and fines as part of the plea agreement.

N.Korea fires artillery shells to send ‘grave warning’ to S.Korea

North Korea fired artillery shells off its east and west coasts late on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, after Seoul kicked off annual defence drills aimed at boosting its ability to respond to the North’s nuclear and missile threats. The North fired some 100 shells into the sea off its west coast around 10 p.m. (1300 GMT) and shot a further 150 rounds off its east coast, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Wednesday.

Explainer-What’s driving Haiti’s humanitarian crisis?

Haiti is facing a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of food, fuel and water causing catastrophic hunger, and the government pleading for military assistance from abroad. WHAT IS CAUSING THE CRISIS?

Explainer-Why Venezuela’s refugee exodus to the U.S. has been accelerating

U.S. and Mexican authorities recently announced a new policy that would expel Venezuelans entering the U.S. land border back to Mexico, but allow up to 24,000 people from the country to apply for humanitarian entry into the United States by air. As a result of the new policy, thousands of Venezuelans believed to be en route to the United States are now stranded between the two countries during a year when Venezuelans are arriving at the U.S. border in record numbers.

Oath Keeper wanted U.S. Congress to ‘be afraid’ of certifying Biden win

A Florida member of the far-right Oath Keepers testified on Tuesday that he had been ready to use violence to stop the U.S. Congress from certifying Republican Donald Trump’s election defeat, saying he wanted lawmakers to “be afraid.” Jason Dolan, a 46-year-old retired Marine, who last year pleaded guilty to taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, testified at the criminal trial of the group’s founder, Stewart Rhodes, and four associates, who face charges of seditious conspiracy for their role in the violence.

Analysis-Japan rushes to rearm with eye on 2027 – and China’s Taiwan ambitions

Between China’s 20th Communist Party Congress, that began Sunday, and the next one in 2027, Japan will undertake its biggest arms buildup since World War Two in a race to deter Beijing from war in East Asia, according to Japanese government officials and security analysts. Japan identified China as its chief adversary in its 2019 defence white paper, worried that Beijing’s flouting of international norms, pressure on Taiwan and rapid military modernisation posed a serious security threat. That anxiety has intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine, weakening Japanese public opposition to rearming, security experts say.

Scattered clashes in Chile mark third anniversary of riots

Scattered clashes around Chile between protesters and police on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of widespread protests against inequality in 2019 that left more than 30 people dead. In the capital of Santiago, hooded protesters lit fires and threw rocks at police, including in the area surrounding Plaza Baquedano, the epicenter of the 2019 riots, while police responded with gas and water cannons.

Analysis-Brazil’s Bolsonaro caught off guard by campaign’s ugly closing chapter

Brazil’s unexpectedly close presidential race has taken an ugly turn in the final weeks ahead of an Oct. 30 runoff vote, even by the bruising standards of the past year, with insinuations of cannibalism, pedophilia and devil worship. The tone shifted so quickly that the campaign of President Jair Bolsonaro, who won office four years ago with an aggressive digital assault on rivals, was put on the defensive, losing precious time for his strategy to come from behind and win reelection.

Small island off Hong Kong offers haven from stress of living

Something clicked instantly for Zero Chan when she first set foot on the island of Peng Chau, a short ferry ride from Hong Kong’s central business district, at a time when she was feeling burnt out and recovering from illness. “When I take the ferry back, it’s like a cleansing ritual,” the former film producer told Reuters. “I can fall asleep, read or do my own thing on the ferry. I already feel recharged.”

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