Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Russia votes in local elections targeted by stricken Navalny

Russians vote in an array of local elections on Sunday that will test the ruling United Russia party’s grip on power less than a month after the suspected poisoning of outspoken Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The elections had been targeted by Navalny, who was urging his followers to vote tactically against the party that backs President Vladimir Putin before he fell gravely ill in what Germany and his allies say was an attempt to kill him. North Korea’s Kim inspects reconstruction in flood-hit area – state media KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected reconstruction work in a flood-hit area, state media KCNA reported on Saturday, following a series of typhoons and the wettest monsoon that battered several parts of the country. Kim said the North Korean economy “has faced trouble and distress at the great damage caused by the recent series of heavy rain and typhoons,” according to KCNA. Kim expressed satisfaction on the progress of the reconstruction in Taechong-ri, a village in North Hwanghae province, the report said. EU determined to impose Belarus sanctions, bloc’s top diplomat says

The European Union deplores the escalation of violence in Belarus and will impose sanctions on individuals responsible for election fraud and crackdowns on peaceful protests, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said on Friday. Eager to support pro-democracy protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s 26-year iron rule, EU ministers are considering sanctions on senior Belarus officials following the Aug. 9 elections that the West say was rigged. Venezuela’s Maduro says ‘U.S. spy’ captured in Falcon

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday that a “U.S. spy” was captured near an oil refining complex in the northwest of the country, which is going through a severe fuel shortage crisis. “Yesterday we captured a U.S. spy in Falcon state, spying on the Amuay and Cardon refineries,” Maduro said live on state television. Peruvian lawmakers debate Vizcarra impeachment over leaked tapes

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra on Friday faced a fresh challenge to his leadership after leaked audio recordings of him discussing meetings with a singer involved in a fraud case prompted lawmakers to call for him to be impeached. Members of Congress heard recordings of two private conversations between Vizcarra and government officials about his meetings with Richard Cisneros, a little-known singer. EU boosts ‘no-deal’ planning as UK refuses to give way in Brexit stalemate

The European Union stepped up planning for a “no-deal” Brexit on Friday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government refused to revoke a plan to break the divorce treaty that Brussels says will sink four years of talks. Britain said explicitly this week that it plans to break international law by breaching parts of the Withdrawal Agreement treaty that it signed in January, when it formally left the bloc. Abe plan for land-attack counterpunch could mark major military shift for Japan

Months before he announced his resignation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set in motion a policy change that could for the first time allow Japan’s military to plan for strikes on land targets in China and other parts of Asia. Japan’s Self Defence Forces are geared toward stopping attackers in the air and the sea. The policy change would direct the military to create a doctrine for targeting enemy sites on land – a mission that would require the purchase of long-range weapons such as cruise missiles. Bahrain follows Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel

Bahrain joined the United Arab Emirates in agreeing to normalize relations with Israel on Friday, a move forged partly through shared fears of Iran but one that could leave the Palestinians further isolated. U.S. President Donald Trump posted the announcement on Twitter after he spoke by phone, according to the White House, to Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Afghan peace talks to open in Doha, 19 years after 9/11 triggered war

Talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents start in Qatar’s capital Doha on Saturday with the goal of bringing an end to nearly two decades of a conflict that has laid waste to the country and killed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians. It is also the United States’ longest overseas military action, vexing three successive U.S. presidents. Germany says it will investigate Navalny poisoning case, if he agrees

Berlin prosecutors said on Friday they would investigate the case of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who is being treated in Berlin for suspected poisoning, and hand information to Moscow – if he agreed. The German government had earlier said it would not investigate the case because the poisoning took place in Russia.