IN BRIEF

Vietnam

Floods kill 26, cause damage

Floods in northern Vietnam have killed 26 people and washed away hundreds of homes over the past week, causing damage estimated at more than $41 million, the government's disaster agency said on Monday. Fifteen people were still missing and the search had been hampered by damage to roads from floods, the agency said. Flooding has crippled four provinces, damaging water systems and farms, where rice and fruits are grown, it added, with about 200 homes destroyed.

Europe

Report warns of extreme weather

A newly published European study on climate showed that weather-related disasters could kill some 152,000 people every year in Europe if climate change is not curbed, and that heat waves would be the cause of 99 percent of those deaths. The study said that if no actions are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impact of extreme weather events, Europe will see 50 times more deaths per year between 2071 and 2100 than in the 1981-2010 period.

Venezuela

Probe ordered into deadly protests

The new Constituent Assembly has created a Truth, Justice and Reparations Commission to investigate violent protests which have caused more than 100 deaths, President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday. The assembly, whose members were elected on July 30, convened for the first time on Saturday, aiming to identify those responsible for the deaths and to make compensations to the families of the victims.

United States

Pence blasts report of 2020 bid

Vice-President Mike Pence has pushed back against a news report suggesting he is laying groundwork for a possible the presidential bid in 2020 if President Donald Trump does not run. In a statement released by the White House, Pence said Sunday's story in The New York Times "is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team". He added that "the allegations in this article are categorically false." The article said Pence has set up a fundraising committee which can accept checks of up to $5,000 from individual donors.

Australia

Wonderland after record snowfall

Australian ski resorts have recorded their biggest snowfall of the season on Monday, to the delight of skiers and snowboarders in the eastern states. The Snowy Mountains in New South Wales and Alpine National Park in Victoria both recorded their highest falls of the season, thanks to what Communications Manager at Thredbo Ski Resort in NSW Susie Diver called "the Blizzard of Oz".

Germany

Woman gives birth at festival

Public broadcaster SWR reported that a 20-year-old was unaware she was pregnant until giving birth at a techno festival campsite on Saturday. Organizers of the Nature One festival said the child would get a ticket for life once she turns 16. Mother and child were taken to a nearby hospital and are reportedly doing well.