Reuters World News Summary

In his first address to the nation, Charles paid tribute to his mother for her devotion to her family and to those she reigned over, saying her loss brought great sadness and a "sense of loss, beyond measure". Analysis-Kim Jong Un's 'decapitation' fears shine through in new N.Korea nuclear law A new North Korean law calls for "automatic" nuclear launches if the country's leadership or command and control systems are threatened, underscoring leader Kim Jong Un's fears of a so-called "decapitation" strike, experts said.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

A child's death highlights threat posed to young by Pakistan's floods

In the hours before her six-year-old son died in her lap, Badar Bibi recalled how she rushed from a field clinic set up to treat people caught in Pakistan's worst floods in decades to a city hospital, desperate to bring down the boy's fever. First she took Abdul Qadeer to a makeshift medical centre set up by the air force, where doctors managed to bring down his temperature from 106 Fahrenheit. They also helped her get a tuk-tuk to rush him to the hospital in the nearby city of Sehwan.

King Charles vows to serve his nation as Britain mourns late queen

Britain's King Charles paid a heartfelt tribute on Friday to his late "darling mama" Queen Elizabeth, and vowed to serve as monarch with "loyalty, respect and love" as she had done for more than seven decades. In his first address to the nation, Charles paid tribute to his mother for her devotion to her family and to those she reigned over, saying her loss brought great sadness and a "sense of loss, beyond measure".

Analysis-Kim Jong Un's 'decapitation' fears shine through in new N.Korea nuclear law

A new North Korean law calls for "automatic" nuclear launches if the country's leadership or command and control systems are threatened, underscoring leader Kim Jong Un's fears of a so-called "decapitation" strike, experts said. In an updated nuclear policy law passed on Thursday, North Korea enshrined the right to use preemptive nuclear strikes to protect itself, with Kim saying the legislation makes the country's nuclear status "irreversible" and bars denuclearisation talks.

Global standards body approves new merchant code for gun sellers

An international standards body has approved creation of a merchant code for gun retailers, a representative said on Friday, following pressure from activists who say it will help track suspicious weapons purchases. At a meeting this week, a subcommittee of the International Organization for Standardization approved what is known as a "merchant category code" for firearms stores, a spokeswoman said.

Rebuilding Ukraine after Russian invasion may cost $350 billion, experts say

Russia's invasion caused over $97 billion in direct damages to Ukraine through June 1, but it could cost nearly $350 billion to rebuild the country, a report released Friday by the World Bank, Ukrainian government and European Commission shows. It said Ukraine had also suffered $252 billion in losses through disruptions to its economic flows and production, as well as extra expenses linked to the war, while the displacement of one-third of all Ukrainians was expected to jack up its poverty rate to 21% from just 2% before the war.

King Charles voices love for late mother and family in first speech as sovereign

Britain's King Charles pledged on Friday to follow the example of his mother Queen Elizabeth in devoting himself to duty, during a solemn address to the nation in which he also spoke of his love for her, and for his wife and children. Charles became king on Thursday after Elizabeth died aged 96 at her Scottish residence. On Friday he flew down from Scotland to London and delivered his first speech as sovereign, filmed at Buckingham Palace.

Mexico gives Army control of National Guard, sparks clash with U.N

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday defiantly dismissed criticism of his security policy by domestic adversaries and the United Nations after Congress voted to give the Army control over the civilian-led National Guard. By a margin of 71 to 51, senators early on Friday passed a bill ceding control of the National Guard to the Army, which has fed concerns about the militarization of public security.

Ukraine retakes territory in Kharkiv region as Russian front crumbles

Ukrainian forces have seized an expanding area of previously Russian-held territory in the east in a "very sharp and rapid" advance, a Russian-installed regional official said on Friday, in a breakthrough that may mark a turning point in the war. After keeping silent for a day, Russia effectively acknowledged a section of its frontline had crumbled southeast of Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv.

Zelenskiy says Turkish drone maker to build Ukraine factory

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday met with the head of Turkish defence firm Baykar and said the company would set up a factory in Ukraine to build unmanned aerial vehicles. Baykar's Bayraktar TB2 drone has been hugely popular in Ukraine, where it helped destroy many Russian artillery systems and armoured vehicles.

Bolsonaro narrows deficit to Lula ahead of Brazil election - Datafolha poll

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro's slightly narrowed his deficit to opponent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of an October election, a poll published on Friday showed. The survey by Datafolha showed Lula's lead dipping to 11 percentage points, with 45% support against Bolsonaro's 34% in the first round of the election. Bolsonaro recorded 32% support in the previous poll last week.

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