Global Echoes: Current World News Briefs

Following is a summary of current world news briefs, covering a variety of topics including U.S. Supreme Court rulings on Trump, Israeli military actions in Gaza, South African political negotiations, immigration debates, elections in France and Uruguay, and more. These updates provide a snapshot of unfolding global events.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

US Supreme Court's slow pace on immunity makes Trump trial before election unlikely

Donald Trump's bid for criminal immunity from prosecution for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss is set to be decided on Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court. But however it rules, the court already has helped the former president in his effort to avoid trial before the Nov. 5 election. The ruling from the court, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by Trump, will be released 20 weeks after he sought relief from the justices. The timeline of the ruling likely does not leave enough time for Special Counsel Jack Smith to try Trump on the federal four-count indictment obtained last August and for a jury to reach a verdict before voters head to the polls.

Israeli tanks advance into areas in north and south Gaza, fighting rages

Israeli forces advanced further on Sunday into the Shejaia neighbourhood of northern Gaza and also pushed deeper into western and central Rafah in the south, killing at least six Palestinians and destroying several homes, residents said. Israeli tanks, which moved back into Shejaia four days ago, fired shells towards several houses, leaving families trapped inside and unable to leave, the residents said.

South African parties close to reaching deal on cabinet, local media reports

South African parties are close to reaching a deal on who gets which cabinet posts, local media reported on Sunday, the last hurdle to setting up a government after the ruling party lost its majority in an election for the first time in three decades. The Sunday Times and City Press both reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) were broadly in agreement with the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), after the latter backed down on a demand to take the trade and industry portfolio.

Trump puts murdered women and girls center stage in anti-immigration drive

Minutes before going on stage for the first presidential debate on Thursday, Donald Trump received a phone call from the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was killed in Houston this month, allegedly by two Venezuelan men in the U.S. illegally. The mother, Alexis Nungaray, was returning a voicemail Trump had left earlier in the day when she was at her daughter's funeral, a friend of the family, Victoria Galvan, who witnessed the call, told Reuters. Nungaray's body was found in a creek near her home on June 17, after her attackers allegedly took her under a bridge, tied her up, took her pants off and strangled her, according to police and prosecutors. The suspects - Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26 - had been detained by U.S. border authorities in Texas earlier this year but released pending a court appearance. During the debate, Trump spoke of Nungaray's case and the phone call as he hammered Biden on his immigration policies, accusing the Democrat of allowing murderers and rapists into the country. "There have been many young women murdered by the same people he allows to come across our border," Trump said. "These killers are coming into our country and they are raping and killing women. And it's a terrible thing."

France votes in election that could hand power to far right

French voters headed to the polls on Sunday in the first round of a snap parliamentary election that could usher in the country's first far-right government since World War Two, a potential sea change at the heart of the European Union. President Emmanuel Macron stunned the country when he called the vote after his centrist alliance was crushed in European elections this month by Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN). Her eurosceptic, anti-immigrant party was a longtime pariah but is now closer to power than it has ever been.

Uruguay holds primary elections as opposition left gains ground

Uruguayans take to the polls on Sunday in primary elections ahead of October's presidential race, in which the left-wing opposition is seen edging ahead according to opinion polls with voters concerned about rising inequality and public safety. Polls show voters cooling on the center-right coalition of President Luis Lacalle Pou, despite its successful steering of the farming economy of 3.4 million people through the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic setbacks following the war in Ukraine.

Myanmar central bank denies UN report on weapons transactions

Myanmar's central bank denied a U.N. report that the country's military government can still access money and weapons for its war against anti-coup forces, saying financial institutions under the bank's supervision followed prescribed procedures. The Central Bank of Myanmar "expressed our strong objection to the U.N. Special Rapporteur's report", it said in a statement published in a junta newspaper on Saturday. "The U.N. report severely harms the interests of Myanmar civilians and the relationship between Myanmar and other countries."

North Korea calls South Korea, US and Japan 'Asian version of NATO'

North Korea criticised a joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan and the United States held this month, state media said on Sunday, saying such drills show the relationship among three countries has developed into "the Asian version of NATO". On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale joint military drills called "Freedom Edge" involving navy destroyers, fighter jets and the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, aimed at boosting defences against missiles, submarines and air attacks.

Mauritania's President Ghazouani extends lead in election

Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has extended his lead in the West African nation's presidential election, provisional results showed on Sunday. Ghazouani - a 67-year-old former army chief of staff and defence minister who is widely expected to win the race in the first round - had 55.05% of the vote, according to results from more than 71% of polling stations by 1040 GMT, the electoral commission's website showed.

North Korean officials sport Kim Jong Un pins for first time

North Korean officials wore pins with a portrait of Kim Jong Un in public for the first time in pictures released by state media on Sunday, the latest step in the development of a cult of personality about the leader. The officials, speaking at a key meeting chaired by Kim of the reclusive state's ruling party, wore the typical party logo pin on the right lapel and, on the left chest, the pin with Kim's face against a flag-shaped red background.

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