Global Turbulence: Floods, Conflicts, and Geopolitical Tensions

A roundup of current world news: Death toll from floods in China's Guangdong rises dramatically, Russia seeks comprehensive talks with the US including Ukraine, US-China resume informal nuclear talks, Armenia recognizes Palestinian statehood, escalating Israel conflicts, South China Sea disputes, Kenya's tax protests, India-China border tensions, and China’s threats against Taiwan separatists.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Death toll from floods in China's Guangdong jumps to 38

The death toll from days of torrential rain in one of the worst-hit areas in southern China jumped to 38 from nine on Friday, Chinese state television CCTV reported. Downpours this week in Meizhou city in Guangdong province led to flash floods and mudslides that destroyed thousands of low-rise houses, damaged roads and crops, and disrupted communications and power supplies.

Russia tells US: we need to talk, but Ukraine must be on agenda

Russia sees a pressing need for security talks with the United States but they must be "comprehensive" and include the subject of Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday. "It is impossible to rip out any individual segments from the general complex of accumulated problems, and we will not do this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked if Moscow was ready to talk to Washington about nuclear risks.

Exclusive-U.S. and China hold first informal nuclear talks in 5 years, eyeing Taiwan

The United States and China resumed semi-official nuclear arms talks in March for the first time in five years, with Beijing's representatives telling U.S. counterparts that they would not resort to atomic threats over Taiwan, according to two American delegates who attended. The Chinese representatives offered reassurances after their U.S. interlocutors raised concerns that China might use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons if it faced defeat in a conflict over Taiwan. Beijing views the democratically governed island as its territory, a claim rejected by the government in Taipei.

Armenia recognises Palestinian statehood, says Armenian foreign ministry

Armenia has officially recognised a Palestinian state, the Armenian foreign ministry said on Friday, the latest country to do so despite opposition from Israel. Armenia supports a United Nations resolution on an immediate ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and is in favour of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a ministry statement said.

Israeli forces step up bombardment across Gaza, amid fierce fighting

Israeli forces pounded Rafah and other areas across the Gaza Strip and engaged in close-quarter combat with fighters led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, residents and Israel's military said. Residents said the Israelis appeared to by trying to complete their capture of Rafah, the city on the enclave's southern edge that has been the focus of an Israeli assault since early May.

Philippines says it did not consider invoking US pact over South China Sea clash

The Philippines did not consider invoking a mutual defence treaty with the United States after accusing China of disrupting a resupply mission in the disputed South China Sea, officials said on Friday. A Philippine sailor suffered serious injury after what its military described as "intentional-high speed ramming" by the Chinese Coast Guard on Monday, aiming to disrupt a resupply mission for troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal.

Analysis-Israel and Hezbollah faceoff raises risk of wider conflict

Regular puffs of smoke from missile intercepts over northern Israel and fires from air strikes in southern Lebanon are outward signs of a fear that the Gaza war may be expanding into a wider conflict, which analysts say poses risks for both sides. The stark threats on Wednesday from Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, that nowhere in Israel would be safe in the event of a war, and that even Cyprus and other parts of the Mediterranean would be in danger was the latest salvo in a rhetorical barrage from both sides.

One person killed, over 200 injured in Kenya tax protests

One person was killed and at least 200 people injured across Kenya in Thursday's nationwide protests against government plans to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes, an alliance of rights groups and the police watchdog said. Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters in the capital Nairobi, the five rights groups, which include Amnesty International and the Kenya Medical Association, said in a joint statement late on Thursday.

India says peace at Chinese border key as direct flights remain stalled

India's foreign ministry said peace on its border with China was critical for relations to become normal, reacting on Friday to a Reuters report that New Delhi was not keen to restart direct flights with China amid a stand-off on their Himalayan frontier. China has been pressing India to restart direct passenger flights after a four-year halt, but New Delhi is resisting as the border dispute continues to weigh on ties between the world's two most populous countries, Reuters reported on Thursday.

China threatens death penalty for 'diehard' Taiwan separatists

China on Friday threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for "diehard" Taiwan independence separatists, a ratcheting up of pressure even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the democratically governed island. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has made no secret of its dislike of President Lai Ching-te who took office last month, saying he is a "separatist", and staged war games shortly after his inauguration.

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