Reuters World News Summary

When asked about the Ukrainian claim, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed it, the RIA news agency reported. Australia says Quad meeting could still proceed without Biden Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday a Quad summit could still go ahead as scheduled in Sydney next week without U.S. President Joe Biden, who postponed his trip to Australia due to debt ceiling negotiations in Washington.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Thailand's Thaksin lauds 'disruptors' Move Forward for election triumph

Thailand's influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday hailed the election-winning Move Forward Party as disruptors who mastered social media, and said aging army generals central to years of turmoil should retire with dignity.

The self-exiled tycoon, a towering figure in Thai politics whose family is the driving force behind the dominant Pheu Thai party, said Move Forward proved social media and user-generated content (UGC) can triumph over big-spending campaigns and vote-buying.

Pakistan to try ex-PM Khan's violent supporters under army laws

Pakistan's civilian and military leaders on Tuesday said that rioters and their backers who attacked state assets and military installations to protest the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan will be tried under army laws. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. It is an endorsement of the military, which said on Monday that the rioters and their handlers had been identified, and would be tried under army laws.

Patriot missile defense system in Ukraine likely damaged -US sources

A U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system being used by Ukraine likely suffered some damage from a Russian strike, two U.S. officials said on Tuesday, adding that it did not appear to have been destroyed. The Patriot system is one of an array of sophisticated air defense units supplied by the West to help Ukraine repel a Russian campaign of air strikes that has targeted critical infrastructure, power facilities and other sites.

At Hiroshima G7, bomb survivors grapple with a disarmament dream deferred

The last time a U.S. president visited Hiroshima, atomic bomb survivor Shigeaki Mori was filled with hope for a future without nuclear weapons. Seven years later, he's more sceptical.

As leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations gather in the Japanese city this week for a summit, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants a pledge on nuclear disarmament.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un inspects military satellite station -KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a military satellite station on Tuesday, state media KCNA reported. The report also said Kim has approved the next steps of the plan by the non-permanent satellite-launching preparatory committee, a group dedicated to launching North Korea's first military intelligence satellite.

Taiwan speaker hails Japan, South Korea and Philippines for 'crescent of defense'

The speaker of Taiwan's parliament praised Japan, South Korea and the Philippines on Tuesday for helping to create a "crescent of defense" with Taiwan and the U.S. against China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. Speaking in Washington, You Si-kun told the Hudson Institute think tank that China's ruling Communist Party (CCP) and leader Xi Jinping saw Taiwan as just a "stepping stone" to global hegemony.

Erdogan calls Turkish voters to ensure stability in runoff vote

President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called Turkish voters to support him in a May 28 election runoff to maintain stability in Turkey, as he seeks to extend his rule into a third decade. Erdogan got 49.5% in Sunday's vote and fell just short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff in a vote seen as a referendum on his autocratic rule. His main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, received 45%.

In Taiwan, former UK PM Truss warns against appeasing China

Former British prime minister Liz Truss will say in Taiwan on Wednesday that the West must avoid appeasing China and show unwavering support for the self-governed island, in a speech that risks further damaging Britain's relations with Beijing. Truss is the most well-known British politician to visit Taiwan since former prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1990s, and her trip comes at a time when relations between Britain and China are the worst in decades.

In first, Kyiv says it shoots down volley of Russian 'hypersonic' missiles

Ukraine said on Tuesday it had shot down six Russian Kinzhal missiles in a single night, thwarting a weapon Moscow has touted as a next-generation hypersonic missile that was all but unstoppable. When asked about the Ukrainian claim, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed it, the RIA news agency reported.

Australia says Quad meeting could still proceed without Biden

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday a Quad summit could still go ahead as scheduled in Sydney next week without U.S. President Joe Biden, who postponed his trip to Australia due to debt ceiling negotiations in Washington. Albanese said his government was in talks with the prime ministers of Japan and India after Biden canceled his attendance at the summit and the second leg of his upcoming Asia trip, which was also to have included a visit to Papua New Guinea.

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