Reuters World News Summary

The proposal will now go to the bloc's 27 member countries, which will need to overcome their differences to implement the new sanctions on top of seven sets of punitive measures imposed on Russia since its forces swept into Ukraine on Feb. 24. Armenia says three soldiers killed by Azeri shelling -Tass Armenia said three soldiers were killed by shelling from Azerbaijan on Wednesday, Tass agency reported, as the two neighbours accused each other of violating a ceasefire that ended two days of warfare.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Iran's Raisi says Mahsa Amini's death has 'saddened' everyone

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Wednesday that the death of a young woman in custody had "saddened" everyone in the Islamic Republic, but warned that "chaos" would not be accepted amid spreading violent protests over Mahsa Amini's death. He also defended security forces that have clashed with demonstrators in the past two weeks across Iran.

European Greens push for trade sanctions if Brazil's Bolsonaro 'subverts' democracy

Fifty center-left members of the European Parliament urged the European Union on Wednesday to closely monitor Sunday's election in Brazil for any attempt by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to subvert democracy, and said trade sanctions should be imposed if he did. In an open letter to the European Commission's president, Ursula von der Leyen, and its vice-president, Josep Borrell, the Greens–European Free Alliance and some Social Democrat MEPs said Bolsonaro has systematically attacked Brazil's electoral system.

EU vows to protect energy network after 'sabotage' of Russian gas pipeline

The European Union on Wednesday promised a "robust" response to any intentional disruption of its energy infrastructure after saying it suspected sabotage was behind gas leaks discovered this week on subsea Russian pipelines to Europe. As gas spewed out under the Baltic Sea for a third day after first being detected, it remained far from clear who might be responsible for any sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia and European partners spent billions of dollars building.

U.S. VP Harris visiting Seoul, Korean DMZ hours after Kim's missile test

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris was headed to Seoul and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the Koreas on Thursday, just hours after North Korea test-fired missiles and underscored ongoing regional tensions. Aides said the visit is intended to show unwavering U.S. commitment to South Korea's security but took on new urgency after the two short-range ballistic missiles were shot off North Korea's east coast on Wednesday.

Russian annexation of Ukraine territory expected within days

Moscow was poised on Wednesday to annex a swath of Ukraine, releasing what it called vote tallies showing support in four partially occupied provinces to join Russia, after what Kyiv and the West denounced as illegal sham referendums held at gunpoint. On Moscow's Red Square, a tribune with giant video screens has been set up, with billboards proclaiming "Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson - Russia!"

Hurricane Ian crashes ashore in Florida with Category 4 fury

Hurricane Ian plowed into Florida's Gulf Coast with catastrophic force on Wednesday, unleashing howling winds, torrential rains and a treacherous surge of ocean surf that made it one of the most powerful U.S. storms in recent years. Ian made landfall at 3:05 p.m. EDT (1905 GMT) near Cayo Costa, a barrier island just west of Fort Myers, as a Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of up to 150 miles per hour (241 km per hour), the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported.

EU executive proposes eighth batch of sanctions against Russia

The European Union executive proposed on Wednesday an eighth round of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including tighter trade restrictions, more individual blacklistings and an oil price cap for third countries. The proposal will now go to the bloc's 27 member countries, which will need to overcome their differences to implement the new sanctions on top of seven sets of punitive measures imposed on Russia since its forces swept into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Armenia says three soldiers killed by Azeri shelling -Tass

Armenia said three soldiers were killed by shelling from Azerbaijan on Wednesday, Tass agency reported, as the two neighbours accused each other of violating a ceasefire that ended two days of warfare. Tass cited an Armenian defence ministry statement but did not give details. Last Friday, both sides accused each other of breaching the truce by firing across the border.

Cuban migrant boat sinks off Florida due to Hurricane Ian; 20 missing

U.S. Border Patrol said on Wednesday that 20 people were missing off the coast of Florida after a Cuban migrant boat sank due to Hurricane Ian. The Border Patrol agents responded to a migrant landing in Stock Island, Florida, officials said on Twitter. The U.S. Coast Guard had initiated a search operation for 23 missing people, with the agency later saying it had rescued three of them. They were taken to a local hospital for symptoms of exhaustion and dehydration.

N.Korea fires two ballistic missiles ahead of Harris visit to South

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, a day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to arrive in Seoul. The launch came two days after South Korea and U.S. forces conducted a military drill in waters off the South's east coast involving an aircraft carrier. On Sunday, North Korea fired another ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast.

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