World News Roundup: U.S., Papua New Guinea sign defence pact at Pacific summit; Mitsotakis gunning for outright victory in Greek second vote and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

U.S., Papua New Guinea sign defence pact at Pacific summit

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a defence cooperation pact signed with Papua New Guinea on Monday would expand the Pacific island nation's capabilities and make it easier for the U.S. military to train with its forces. Blinken and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate summits with 14 Pacific island leaders in the PNG capital Port Moresby, pledging support for the region's priorities of health, development and climate change.

Mitsotakis gunning for outright victory in Greek second vote

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday he will not seek to form a coalition government following this weekend's election, paving the way for a second vote in June he hopes his conservative party will win outright. New Democracy won 40.8% of the vote versus 20.1% for the leftist Syriza, in a stunning boost for Mitsotakis, who has had to deal with a wiretapping scandal, the COVID pandemic, a cost of living crisis and a deadly rail crash that enraged the public.

Beijing rebukes Japan, Britain over 'anti-China' G7 summit

State-backed Chinese mouthpiece Global Times called the G7 an "anti-China workshop" on Monday, a day after Beijing summoned Japan's envoy and berated Britain in a fiery response to statements issued at the group's summit in Hiroshima. Group of Seven (G7) declarations issued on Saturday singled out China on issues including Taiwan, nuclear arms, economic coercion and human rights abuses, underscoring the wide-ranging tensions between Beijing and the group of rich countries which includes the United States.

Thai alliance signs pact aimed at ambitious reforms but not on royal insult law

An alliance led by Thailand's progressive Move Forward party on Monday signed an ambitious agreement to draft a new constitution, end monopolies and allow same-sex marriage, among other aims, but made no mention of a divisive royal insult law.

The opposition Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties dominated last week's election in a resounding defeat of conservative parties backed by a royalist military that has controlled government since a 2014 coup.

Israel aims to be 'AI superpower', advance autonomous warfare

Israel aims to parlay its technological prowess to become an artificial intelligence "superpower", the Defence Ministry director-general said on Monday, predicting advances in autonomous warfare and streamlined combat decision-making. Steps to harness rapid AI evolutions include the formation of a dedicated organisation for military robotics in the ministry, and a record-high budget for related research and development this year, retired army general Eyal Zamir said.

Ukraine says it advances on Bakhmut's flanks to entrap Russians

Ukraine said its forces north and south of Bakhmut were advancing on Monday, to entrap Russians inside the ruined city that Moscow says it captured over the weekend after Europe's bloodiest battle for ground troops since World War Two. Russia's proclamation on Saturday that it had finally captured the final few blocks of Bakhmut culminated a battle both sides have called a meatgrinder, and gave Moscow its first chance to declare a substantial victory for more than 10 months.

Seven bodies recovered after Chinese vessel capsized in Indian Ocean

Seven bodies were recovered from a Chinese fishing vessel that capsized in the central Indian Ocean, according to state media on Monday, days after China President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search to rescue and recover missing crew members. Several countries, including Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Maldives, and the Philippines, joined in rescue efforts for 39 missing crew members after the Chinese distant-water fishing vessel "Lupeng Yuanyu 028" capsized early last Tuesday, state-run CCTV reported.

Air strikes hit Khartoum as seven-day ceasefire approaches

Sudan's army conducted air strikes in the capital Khartoum on Monday, residents said, seeking to win ground against its paramilitary rivals hours before a week-long ceasefire aimed at allowing delivery of aid was due to take effect. The army also carried out air strikes into the evening on Sunday, witnesses said, targeting vehicles from mobile units of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have been operating across residential areas in the capital since the conflict between the two military factions erupted on April 15.

Russian regional governor says Ukrainian 'sabotage group' crossed border

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region said on Monday that a Ukrainian army 'sabotage group' had entered Russian territory in the Graivoron district, which borders Ukraine. In a statement on Telegram, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the Russian army, border guards, presidential guards and the FSB security service were taking measures to repel the incursion.

Analysis-G7's nuanced pledge to 'de-risk' from China reflected concerns from Europe and Japan

The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) rich democracies this weekend pledged to "de-risk" without "decoupling" from China, an approach that reflected European and Japanese concerns about pushing Beijing too hard, officials and experts said. U.S. President Joe Biden and other G7 leaders wrapped up a three-day summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Sunday where they took aim at China over "economic coercion" and said they would reduce exposure to the world's second-largest economy in everything from chips to minerals.

(With inputs from agencies.)