World News Roundup: Berlin police disband protest against coronavirus curbs; No serious threat to Kremlin critic Navalny's life and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Berlin police disband protest against coronavirus curbs

Berlin police on Saturday disbanded a mass protest in the German capital against coronavirus curbs a few hours after it had begun after marchers failed to heed their orders to keep their distance and wear masks. The protest came as infections rise across Europe, with similar protests during the day in Paris and elsewhere.

France's Macron expressed concerns about human rights to China's Wang Yi

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed strong concerns about the situation in Hong Kong and human rights for China's Muslim Uighur minority during a meeting on Friday with the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, his office said. Following months of protests, a new security law was introduced in Hong Kong that has drawn wide criticism in the West for jeopardising basic rights and freedoms the special administrative region was promised when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

'Putin, have some tea': Russian city holds eighth anti-Kremlin protest

Thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday in Russia's far eastern city of Khabarovsk to protest against President Vladimir Putin's handling of a regional political crisis and the suspected poisoning of his most vocal critic. "Putin, have some tea," protesters chanted as they marched on the city's main thoroughfare, in a reference to the case of opposition politician Alexei Navalny who fell gravely ill this month after drinking a cup of tea at an airport cafe.

No serious threat to Kremlin critic Navalny's life, symptoms improving: spokeswoman

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who remains in a medically-induced coma after what his supporters suspect was a poisoning, is facing no serious threat to his life and his condition is improving, his spokeswoman said on Friday. Navalny, 44, was airlifted to Germany on Saturday after collapsing during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow.

He is in a medically-induced coma in a Berlin hospital. Afghanistan flash floods kill 160, search for bodies continues

Rescuers in Afghanistan continued to search amidst mud and rubble for missing people on Saturday after flash flooding this week killed around 160 people and washed away homes across the country, officials said. Thirteen provinces, mostly in the country's north, had been affected by floods, according to the Ministry for Disaster Management.

Japan, U.S. defence chiefs oppose bid to alter status of Asian waters

Japan's Defence Minister Taro Kono said on Saturday he had agreed with his U.S. counterpart Mark Esper that both countries opposed any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the key waterways of the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Kono shared his view with the U.S. defense secretary at a time when the United States and China are at loggerheads over issues ranging from technology and human rights to Chinese military activities in the disputed South China Sea.

Party election to pick PM Abe's successor around Sept. 15: Kyodo

Japan's ruling party will choose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's successor around Sept. 15, Kyodo news agency said on Saturday, after Abe abruptly announced his resignation for health reasons on Friday. The president of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party is virtually assured of being prime minister because of the LDP's majority in parliament's lower house.

Thousands protest in Mauritius over dead dolphins, demand resignations

Thousands of protesters demonstrated in the Mauritius capital Port Louis on Saturday to demand an investigation into an oil spill from a Japanese ship and the mysterious death of at least 40 dolphins that have been found near the site of the spill. Environmentalists have called for an investigation into whether the dolphins died as a result of the spill caused when the bulk carrier, the MV Wakashio, struck a coral reef last month.

Banksy's migrant rescue boat says overloaded, stranded at sea

A rescue boat funded by British street artist Banksy has issued urgent calls for help, saying it is stranded in the Mediterranean and overloaded with migrants who it has been unable to bring ashore. The Louise Michel, named after a French feminist anarchist, started operating last week. It is trying to find a safe port for the 219 migrants it has picked up off the coast of Libya since Thursday.

UAE scraps Israel boycott in new step towards normal ties

The president of the United Arab Emirates scrapped an economic boycott against Israel, allowing trade and financial agreements between the countries in another key step towards normal ties, the UAE's state news agency reported on Saturday. Israel and the UAE said on Aug. 13 they would normalise diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that reshapes the order of Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran.

(With inputs from agencies.)