World News Roundup: Pope urges dialogue over Church-state crisis in Nicaragua after bishop's arrest; Japan PM Kishida COVID positive, cancels African development conference trip and more

China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory despite the Taipei government's strong objections, has been carrying out war games and drills near Taiwan since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a two-day visit to Taipei earlier this month. At least 21 killed in Somalia hotel siege, many hostages freed Somali forces have ended a deadly siege at a hotel in the capital Mogadishu which saw more than 20 people killed and dozens of hostages freed, authorities said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Pope urges dialogue over Church-state crisis in Nicaragua after bishop's arrest

Pope Francis on Sunday called for an "open and sincere" dialogue to resolve a stand-off between the Church and government in Nicaragua, following the arrest of a bishop who is a leading critic of President Daniel Ortega. Speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square for his weekly blessing, Francis made his first comments on the crisis in the Central American country, where in recent months authorities have detained priests while others have gone into exile.

Japan PM Kishida COVID positive, cancels African development conference trip

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to cancel a planned trip to Tunisia to attend a key conference on African development, a person close to him said on Sunday. Kishida, who has just returned from a week-long vacation, will work from his residence from Monday and will join the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) online, the source said, asking not to be identified because he is not authorized to talk to the media.

Floods, landslides kill dozens as monsoon rains lash northern, and eastern India

Floods and landslides triggered by intense monsoon rains killed at least 50 people in northern and eastern India over the last three days, officials said on Sunday. The rains overwhelmed hundreds of villages, sweeping away houses and leaving residents stranded as rescue crews have been racing to evacuate survivors.

Singapore will decriminalize sex between men - PM

Singapore will decriminalize sex between men, the prime minister said on Sunday, adding that society in the city-state was becoming more accepting of gay people. But he added the government had no intention of changing the city-state's legal definition of marriage - that is, between a man and a woman.

Zelensky warns of 'ugly' Russian attack ahead of Ukraine's independence day

President Volodymyr Zelensky urged vigilance ahead of Wednesday's celebrations of 31 years of Ukraine's independence from Soviet rule, as shells rained down near Europe's biggest nuclear plant and Russian forces struck in the south and east. Ukrainians must not allow Moscow to "spread despondency and fear" ahead of the Aug. 24 events, which also mark six months since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Saturday.

Singapore PM says global geopolitical tensions affect security in Asia-Pacific

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday said tensions between the United States and China and the Russia-Ukraine war affect security in the Asia-Pacific. "We can expect more geopolitical contestation in the Asia-Pacific," he said, adding that Singapore would try its best to avoid being caught up in the "major power rivalry".

Daughter of ultra-nationalist Russian ideologue killed in a suspected car bomb attack - investigators

The daughter of an ultra-nationalist Russian ideologue who advocates Russia absorbing Ukraine was killed in a suspected car bomb attack outside Moscow, Russian state investigators said on Sunday. Darya Dugina, daughter of prominent ideologue Alexander Dugin, was killed on Saturday evening after a suspected explosive device blew up the Toyota Land Cruiser she was driving, investigators said.

Indiana governor latest U.S. official to visit Taiwan amid China tensions

The governor of Indiana arrived in Taipei on Sunday, becoming the latest U.S. official to visit Taiwan and defying pressure from China for such trips not to happen. China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory despite the Taipei government's strong objections, has been carrying out war games and drills near Taiwan since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a two-day visit to Taipei earlier this month.

At least 21 killed in the Somalia hotel siege, many hostages freed

Somali forces have ended a deadly siege at a hotel in the capital Mogadishu which saw more than 20 people killed and dozens of hostages freed, authorities said on Sunday. Elite armed forces in the Horn-of-Africa nation battled al Qaeda-linked militants for 30 hours after the jihadists blasted and shot their way into the Hayat Hotel on Friday evening.

Nine soldiers die as truck plunges into ravine in Pakistani Kashmir

At least nine Pakistani soldiers were killed and four injured when their truck plunged into a ravine in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Sunday morning, military and witnesses said. The truck - part of a military convoy - was heading towards Mang Bajri in Bagh district of Pakistani Kashmir when the occurred near Shujaabad, some 12 km before its destination, at about 4 a.m. on Sunday, military officials said.