MANILA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from flooding and landslides triggered by typhoon Doksuri climbed to 25, with at least 20 more missing, the Philippines' national disaster agency said on Monday.

Many parts of the country remain underwater as heavy rain continues to pour even after Doksuri blew away from the Philippines last week.

Typhoon Khanun, the sixth cyclone to batter the Philippines this year, continues to intensify on Monday, enhancing the southwest monsoon rains across the country, including Metro Manila.

RIYADH, Jul 31 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, urged warring parties in Sudan, to stop “all forms of military escalation” and find a political solution that would guarantee Sudan’s return to security and stability.

In a phone call that Faisal received from General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the Saudi top diplomat urged the warring parties in Sudan to “restore calm” and prioritise their national interest.

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military-controlled government has extended the state of emergency it imposed when the army seized power from an elected government 2 1/2 years ago, state-run media said Monday, forcing a further delay in elections it promised when it took over.

MOSCOW, July 31 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday it needed to find out the purpose of upcoming talks reportedly planned in Saudi Arabia about the war in Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that Saudi Arabia would invite Western states, Ukraine and major developing countries to the talks. The paper said Kyiv and Western countries hoped that the talks, which would exclude Russia, can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine.

KYIV, July 31 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces have recaptured nearly 15 square km (5.8 square miles) of land from Russian troops in the east and south over the past week during their counteroffensive, a senior defence official said on Monday.

Kyiv's forces have now retaken 204.7 sq km in the south since they launched a major push against Russian forces early last month, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app.

MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/: The Ukrainian military lost over 20,800 troops and more than 2,200 items of military hardware, including 10 Leopard tanks over the past month, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told a conference call with military commanders on Monday.

31 July 2023; MEMO: Handala, the Freedom Flotilla boat which hopes to break the siege of Gaza, yesterday left the Netherlands city of Rotterdam heading for Hamburg in Germany, a statement said.

Head of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza, Zaher Birawi, said: "This stage of Handala's journey is core in the creation of a state of international solidarity with Palestine."

MOSCOW, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Moscow views Ukrainian attacks on civilian facilities in Russia as "acts of desperation," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Peskov said that Ukraine is attempting to carry out "terrorist attacks" on Russian territory because Kiev is facing military failures.

"The Kiev regime is resorting to terrorist tactics," Peskov noted.

Peskov noted that Kiev has yet to succeed in the country's counteroffensive and is currently in a difficult situation.

NEW DELHI, Jul 31 (NNN-PTI) – At least four persons were killed, when a police officer with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), allegedly opened indiscriminate fire, inside a moving train, in the south-western state of Maharashtra, today, official sources said.

The shootout took place inside the “Jaipur Express” train (Train Number 12956), which was moving from the country’s western city of Jaipur towards the financial capital, Mumbai, after it had crossed the Palghar railway station, nearly 60 miles from Mumbai.

LONDON (AP) — Britain said on Monday it will grant hundreds of new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea in a bid for energy independence, ignoring calls from environmental campaigners and the United Nations to stop the development of new fossil fuel projects.

The plans announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak include a pledge to invest 20 billion pounds ($26 billion) in carbon capture and storage projects as Sunak maintained the government’s commitment to eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian ballistic missiles slammed into an apartment complex and a university building in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown Monday, killing six people and wounding 75 others as the blasts trapped residents beneath rubble, Ukrainian officials said.

One of the two missiles that hit the central city of Kryvyi Rih destroyed part of an apartment building between the fourth and ninth floors, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Video showed black smoke billowing from corner units and burned out or damaged cars on a tree-lined street.

NIAMEY, July 31 (Reuters) - The junta that seized power in Niger last week detained three more senior politicians from the ousted government on Monday, their party said, in defiance of international calls to restore democratic rule.

Following days of turmoil, the International Monetary Fund said that it was closely monitoring developments in Niger. But the IMF has not yet taken any specific actions in response to the coup.

It has yet to disburse a $131.5 million loan to Niger that was approved on July 5, it added.