World News Roundup: Latvia to remain Russia's critic as prime minister wins election; Hurricane-ravaged Florida, Carolinas face daunting recovery and more

The West African nation remained on edge after Traore accused President Paul-Henri Damiba on Saturday of staging a counter-offensive after his apparent ouster a day earlier. Prime Minister Truss tries to reassure Britain on economic plan British Prime Minister Liz Truss tried to reassure her party and the public on Sunday by saying she should have done more to "lay the ground" for an economic plan that saw the pound fall to record lows and government borrowing costs soar.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Latvia to remain Russia's critic as prime minister wins election

The center-right New Unity party of Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins won Saturday's election, according to provisional results, with its 19% of the vote putting him in a position to head another coalition government. The results - with 96% of districts counted - mean Latvia should remain a leading voice alongside its Baltic neighbors Lithuania and Estonia in pushing the European Union for a decisive stance against Russia.

Hurricane-ravaged Florida, Carolinas face daunting recovery

The largely innocuous but soggy remnants of Hurricane Ian drifted through Virginia early on Sunday, leaving in their wake storm-ravaged residents in Florida and the Carolinas facing a disaster recovery expected to cost tens of billions of dollars. The storm's toll on human life also was expected to rise as floodwaters receded and search teams pushed farther into areas initially cut off from the outside world, seeking stranded survivors and the remains of anyone who may have perished.

Ukraine claims full control of key logistics hub, eyes further gains

Ukraine on Sunday claimed full control of the eastern logistics hub of Lyman, Kyiv's most significant battlefield gain in weeks, providing a potential staging post for further attacks to the east while heaping further pressure on the Kremlin. The stinging setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin came after he proclaimed the annexation of four regions covering nearly a fifth of Ukraine on Friday, an area that includes Lyman. Kyiv and the West have condemned the proclamation as an illegitimate farce.

Iran lawmakers chant "thank you, police" amid growing public fury over woman's death

Iranian lawmakers chanted "thank you, thank you, police" during a parliament session on Sunday, amid weeks of anti-government protests across Iran following the death of a young woman in police custody, Iranian state media reported. The protests, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini from Iranian Kurdistan, have spiraled into the biggest show of opposition to Iran's authorities in years, with many calling for the end of more than four decades of Islamic clerical rule.

Pope begs Putin to end 'spiral of violence and death', fears nuclear war

Pope Francis for the first time directly begged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the "spiral of violence and death" in Ukraine, saying on Sunday that the crisis was risking a nuclear escalation with uncontrollable global consequences. In an address dedicated to Ukraine and made to thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, Francis also condemned Putin's latest annexation of parts of Ukraine as being against international law. He urged Putin to think of his own people in the event of an escalation.

Brazil votes in tense Lula-Bolsonaro presidential contest

Brazilians are voting on Sunday in the first round of their country's most polarized election in decades, with leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva favored to beat right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Most polls have shown Lula with a solid lead for months, but Bolsonaro signaled he may refuse to accept defeat, stoking fears of institutional crisis or post-election violence.

Indonesia authorities say 125 dead in soccer stadium stampede

A stampede at a soccer stadium in Indonesia has killed at least 125 people and injured more than 320 after police sought to quell violence on the pitch, authorities said on Sunday, in one of the world's worst stadium disasters. Officers fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse agitated supporters of the losing home side who had invaded the pitch after the final whistle in Malang, East Java, on Saturday night, the region's police chief Nico Afinta told reporters.

Burkina Faso's self-declared military leader says the "situation is under control"

Burkina Faso's self-declared military leader Captain Ibrahim Traore said on Sunday that the situation was under control, urging people to refrain from acts of vandalism targeting the French embassy, a statement read on national television said. The West African nation remained on edge after Traore accused President Paul-Henri Damiba on Saturday of staging a counter-offensive after his apparent ouster a day earlier.

Prime Minister Truss tries to reassure Britain on the economic plan

British Prime Minister Liz Truss tried to reassure her party and the public on Sunday by saying she should have done more to "lay the ground" for an economic plan that saw the pound fall to record lows and government borrowing costs soar. On the first day of her governing Conservative Party's annual conference, Truss, in office for less than a month, adopted a softer tone by saying she would support the public during a difficult winter and beyond.

Tired of gridlock, Bulgarians vote in 4th election in less than two years

Bulgarians voted in their fourth national election in less than two years on Sunday, with little hope for a stable government emerging because of deep divisions within the political elite over how to tackle entrenched corruption. Prolonged political turmoil threatens to undermine Bulgaria's ambitions to join the euro zone in 2024 amid double-digit inflation and steep energy prices, and could lead to a softening of Sofia's stance on the Russian war in Ukraine.