Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

French aid group ACTED: seven colleagues killed in Niger attack

French humanitarian aid group ACTED said seven of its colleagues, along with one of its guides, had been killed in the gun attack in Niger on Sunday. "It is with profound grief that we confirm the death of seven of our colleagues as well as their guide in Niger who were senselessly and cowardly murdered by armed individuals in the Kouré area, southeast of Niamey, on August 9th 2020," ACTED said in a statement released on Monday.

Lebanon's cabinet under pressure as ministers quit and anger grows over Beirut blast

Lebanon's cabinet faced rising pressure on Monday to step down after a devastating blast that has stirred angry anti-government protests and resignations of several ministers, with the justice minister the latest to go and the finance minister set to quit. The Aug. 4 port warehouse detonation of more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate killed at least 158 people, injured over 6,000 and wrecked swathes of the Mediterranean city, compounding months of political and economic meltdown.

Anxious Mauritians use hair to stem Japanese ship's oil spill

Mauritians are making floating booms of human hair and leaves in a round-the-clock scramble to mop up oil leaking from a grounded Japanese ship onto their pristine Indian Ocean beaches. The MV Wakashio, owned by the Nagashiki Shipping Company and operated by Mitsui OSK Line, began oozing fuel into turquoise sea waters last week after hitting a reef off the island.

China sends fighter jets as U.S. health chief visits Taiwan

Chinese air force jets briefly crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait on Monday and were tracked by Taiwanese missiles, Taiwan's government said, as U.S. health chief Alex Azar visited the island to offer President Donald Trump's support. Azar arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, the highest-level U.S. official to visit in four decades.

Some tourists confused by new COVID-19 mask rules in Paris

The wearing of masks in some crowded areas around Paris became compulsory on Monday as part of a drive to stem a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections, but some tourists appeared perplexed about where the new rule is meant to apply. A detailed list of more than 100 mandatory mask-wearing zones includes the popular Montmartre district, with its narrow streets, and the banks of the River Seine but excludes other famous tourist destinations such as the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees and the huge shopping area of Les Halles.

Afghan president to sign release of Taliban prisoners, peace talks expected in days

Long-awaited peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban were expected to start in Qatar within a week once the final batch of Taliban prisoners were released, the U.S. special envoy and Afghan government sources said on Monday. The government accepted the advice of a loya jirga, a grand assembly of elders, on Sunday to release 400 "hard-core" Taliban prisoners, paving the way for talks aimed at ending a war that has ground on since U.S.-backed Afghan forces ousted a Taliban government in late 2001.

Iran says European insurers should pay compensation for downed Ukrainian plane

Iran will not compensate Ukraine International Airlines for its plane Tehran accidentally downed in January because the passenger jet was insured by European firms, the head of Iran's Central Insurance Organisation said on Monday. "The Ukrainian plane is insured by European companies in Ukraine and not by Iranian (insurance) companies," said Gholamreza Soleimani, according to the Young Journalists Club news website affiliated with state TV. "Therefore, compensation should be paid by those European companies."

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under security law, bearing out 'worst fears'

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai became the highest-profile person arrested under a new national security law on Monday, detained over suspected collusion with foreign forces as around 200 police searched the offices of his Apple Daily newspaper. Mainland-born Lai, who was smuggled into Hong Kong on a fishing boat when he was a penniless 12-year-old, has been one of the most prominent democracy activists in the Chinese-ruled city and an ardent critic of Beijing.

Johnson fears loss of UK's power and magic if Scotland breaks away

Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Monday that Britain would be weaker if the union that binds its four nations were broken - his latest rejection of a growing push for Scottish independence. Disagreements between Britain's constituent nations - Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England - over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic have damaged relations already badly strained by Brexit.

China imposes sanctions on U.S. lawmakers over Hong Kong

China imposed sanctions on 11 U.S. citizens including legislators on Monday in response to the U.S. imposition of sanctions on 11 Hong Kong and Chinese officials accused of curtailing political freedoms in the former British colony. Among those targeted were Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley and Pat Toomey and Representative Chris Smith, as well as individuals at non-profit and rights groups.