World News Roundup: Sweden raises terrorist alert level after Koran burnings; Private jet crashes into motorbike and car in Malaysia, kills 10 and more

U.S. President Joe Biden will meet at Camp David on Friday with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, hoping to tighten ties between Seoul and Tokyo amid nuclear threats from North Korea at a time when China's regional influence is growing. Troops guard Pakistani Christians after mob torches churches Paramilitary troops have cordoned off a Christian settlement in eastern Pakistan where a Muslim mob vandalised and torched several churches and scores of houses after two men living there were accused of desecrating the Koran, police and witnesses said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Sweden raises terrorist alert level after Koran burnings

Sweden's national security service raised its terrorist alert to the second highest level on Thursday and warned that the threat of attack could persist for a long time after burnings and other acts against the Koran outraged Muslims. Denmark and Sweden have tightened border controls in fear of revenge attacks after anti-Islam activists damaged several copies of the Muslim holy book in recent months.

Private jet crashes into motorbike and car in Malaysia, kills 10

A small private jet crashed into a motorbike and a car while attempting to land at an airport in the outskirts of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, leaving at least 10 people dead, officials said on Thursday. A Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) aircraft, a light private business jet, was carrying six passengers and two crew when it crashed near Elmina township at 2.08 p.m. (0608 GMT), just before it was due to land, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told reporters.

Biden hopes to tighten S. Korean, Japanese bond at Camp David

When Yoon Suk Yeol this week commemorated his country's 1945 independence from Japan, the South Korean president didn't dwell on the brutal 35-year occupation his people endured under their neighbor. Instead, the 62-year-old leader, too young to remember the humiliations of Japanese rule, celebrated the country as a "partner" that now shares the same values and interests. Facing nuclear threats from North Korea - a constant worry for both Seoul and Tokyo - Yoon reserved his condemnation for "Communist aggression."

Israeli forces kill Palestinian gunman in West Bank raid

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian fighter during a raid that set off clashes in the flashpoint city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, medical officials and militant groups said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said one of its staff, a woman, was also shot and wounded by Israeli gunfire.

Analysis-Israel-Hezbollah tensions elevate risks of conflict

An escalating war of words between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon echoes heightened tension at the border, with each vowing to return the other to the "stone age" and preparing for a possible conflict even as they deny seeking one. Israel and Hezbollah have avoided war across the Lebanese-Israeli frontier since their last major clash 17 years ago, deterred by mutual threats of destruction. Syria has meanwhile served as an arena for their conflict.

West African bloc says 'we are going into Niger' if all else fails

The West African bloc ECOWAS stands ready to intervene militarily in Niger should diplomatic efforts to reverse a coup there fail, a senior official told army chiefs who were meeting in Ghana on Thursday to discuss the details of a standby force. Niger military officers deposed President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and have defied calls from the United Nations, ECOWAS and Western powers to reinstate him, prompting West African heads of state to order the standby force to be assembled.

Pheu Thai gain backing from rival party to form government

Thailand's Pheu Thai Party on Thursday gained support from a rival military-backed party, potentially boosting it in its bid to form a government ahead of a prime ministerial vote in parliament next week. The United Thai Nation Party or UTN, the party that fielded former coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as its prime ministerial candidate in the May election, said on Thursday that it will help Pheu Thai form a government.

Brazil police carry out more raids as part of Jan. 8 riots probe

Brazil's federal police said on Thursday they were carrying out a fresh round of raids and arrests as part of an investigation into the Jan. 8 riots in Brasilia, in which supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings. Police, according to a statement, were serving 10 arrest warrants and 16 search and seizure warrants in five states and the federal district, where Brasilia is located.

North Korea prepares for military actions in protest of U.S. three-nation summit -S.Korea

North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or take other military action to protest a summit of the United States, South Korea and Japan, a South Korean lawmaker said on Thursday, citing the country's intelligence agency. U.S. President Joe Biden will meet at Camp David on Friday with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, hoping to tighten ties between Seoul and Tokyo amid nuclear threats from North Korea at a time when China's regional influence is growing.

Troops guard Pakistani Christians after mob torches churches

Paramilitary troops have cordoned off a Christian settlement in eastern Pakistan where a Muslim mob vandalised and torched several churches and scores of houses after two men living there were accused of desecrating the Koran, police and witnesses said on Thursday. The attack took place in Jaranwala in the industrial district of Faisalabad on Wednesday, and continued for more than 10 hours without any intervention by police who were at the scene, residents and community leaders said. Police denied the accusation, saying security forces had prevented an even worse situation.