Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Exclusive: EU suspends funding to WHO programmes in Congo after sex scandal

The European Commission has suspended funding to the World Health Organization’s programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to concerns over the U.N. agency’s handling of the sexual abuse scandal. An Oct. 7 letter from the Commission marked “SENSITIVE”, seen by Reuters, informed the WHO of the immediate suspension of financing for five WHO programmes, including its Ebola and COVID-19 operations.

UK decries France’s seizure of fishing boat as post-Brexit row deepens

Britain denounced France’s seizure of a British boat in French waters and warned Paris against further retaliation on Thursday, in a rapidly deteriorating row over post-Brexit fishing rights. The Cornelis Gert Jan, a scallop dredger, was escorted to the northern port of Le Havre overnight after its crew failed to prove it was allowed to fish in French territorial waters, French Seas Minister Annick Girardin said.

Violence against Brazil’s indigenous people rose last year, report finds

Violence against Brazil’s indigenous people increased last year as land disputes and invasions of their reservations rose and the government failed to provide protection, the Catholic Church’s Indigenous Missionary Council said on Thursday. Its annual report on violence against the descendents of Brazil’s original inhabitants said there were 182 murders of indigenous people in 2020, compared to 113 murders in 2019, a 61% surge.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah praises information minister, condemns ‘unjust’ Gulf backlash

Lebanon’s powerful Shi’ite group Hezbollah praised information minister George Kordahi, who delivered remarks critical of the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen prior to taking office, and described the backlash against him from Riyadh and other Gulf countries as “unjust”. In a statement issued on Thursday, the group condemned “the unjust campaign led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Cooperation Countries against (Kordahi) as an aggression on the sovereignty of Lebanon”.

Biden criticizes Sudan’s junta, deaths climb in anti-coup protests

The United States and United Nations dialled up the pressure on Sudan’s new military junta on Thursday as confrontations between soldiers and anti-coup protesters took the death toll to at least 11. After the 15-member U.N. Security Council called for the restoration of Sudan’s civilian-led government – toppled on Monday – U.S. President Joe Biden said his nation like others stood with the demonstrators.

Biden seeks supply chain, Iran agreements on overseas trip -aide

An agenda is shaping up for U.S. President Joe Biden’s meetings in Europe https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-meet-macron-erdogan-pope-francis-european-trip-2021-10-28, including talks with France and Turkey on the sidelines of the G20 and U.N. climate change meetings. Briefing reporters traveling with the president on Thursday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday would “cover the waterfront” of issues as the two mend fences after a rift over a U.S. security pact with Britain and Australia.

WHO, partners seek $23.4 billion for new COVID-19 war chest

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other aid groups on Thursday appealed to leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies to fund a $23.4 billion plan to bring COVID-19 vaccines, tests and drugs to poorer countries in the next 12 months. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Group of 20, whose leaders are meeting in Rome at the weekend, had the political and financial power needed to end the pandemic by funding the plan, which he said could save five million lives.

Mexico to give papers to children, pregnant women in migrant caravan

Mexico said on Thursday it would give humanitarian visas to children and pregnant women in a migrant caravan moving north from southern Mexico, adopting a softer approach to the task of containing migrant flows than at times taken recently. Lasting a year, the visas grant migrants access to public services like healthcare, as well as the ability to work.

EU election observers begin work ahead of Venezuela regional, local vote

European Union election observers began their mission in Venezuela on Thursday, as campaigning kicked off for regional elections next month which are set to include opposition candidates. It is the first time in 15 years the EU has sent observers to Venezuela.

Japan ruling party on defensive to maintain sole lower house majority – polls

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is on the defensive to maintain a sole majority in the lower house of parliament, but the ruling coalition is projected to hold onto its majority, an opinion poll by the Nikkei said on Friday. This could weaken the power of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, potentially even turning him into another short-term prime minister in the election to be held on Sunday.

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