World News Roundup: Spain says its mothballed German-made tanks in no fit state to send to Ukraine; Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in U.S. drone strike in central Kabul and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Somalia appoints former al Shabaab spokesperson as minister

Somalia’s prime minister has named former al Shabaab group co-founder and spokesperson Mukhtar Robow as a minister in the country’s new cabinet, a move that could either help strengthen the fight against the insurgency or provoke clan clashes. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said in televised remarks that Robow, who once had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head before he split from al Shabaab in 2013, would serve as the minister in charge of religion.

Chinese warplanes buzz line dividing Taiwan Strait before expected Pelosi visit – source

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi was expected to arrive in Taipei later on Tuesday, people briefed on the matter said, as several Chinese warplanes flew close to the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait, a source told Reuters. China has repeatedly warned against Pelosi going to Taiwan, which it claims as its own, while the United States said on Monday that it would not be intimidated by Chinese “sabre rattling.”

Spain says its mothballed German-made tanks in no fit state to send to Ukraine

Spain cannot send its mothballed Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine as they are “in an absolutely deplorable state” and could be a danger to the people firing them, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Tuesday. In June, Robles said the possibility “was on the table” after El Pais newspaper reported that Spain was considering sending around 40 German-made Leopards kept at a military base in Zaragoza to Ukraine.

Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in U.S. drone strike in central Kabul

The United States killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri with a drone missile strike on a balcony of his home in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan, officials in Washington said, the biggest blow to the militants since Osama bin Laden was hit in 2011. Afghanistan’s Taliban government has not confirmed the death of Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million bounty on his head and helped to coordinate the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people.

U.S. Navy deploys four warships east of Taiwan as Pelosi heads to Taipei

Four U.S. warships, including an aircraft carrier, were positioned in waters east of Taiwan on what the U.S. Navy called routine deployments on Tuesday amid Chinese anger over U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit the island. The carrier USS Ronald Reagan had transited the South China Sea and was currently in the Philippines Sea, east of Taiwan and the Philippines and south of Japan, a U.S. Navy official told o Reuters.

Pact with centrists makes elections an open race, Italy’s PD says

An alliance agreed between the Democratic Party (PD) and a small centrist group makes the next Italian elections a genuine contest, the PD leader told a news conference on Tuesday. “I believe the step we have taken today makes this campaign and the upcoming election a truly open race,” PD leader Enrico Letta said after he agreed to team up with the Azione party.

Turkey expects daily departures from Ukraine after first grain ship sails

Turkey expects roughly one grain ship to leave Ukrainian ports each day as long as an agreement that ensures safe passage holds, a senior Turkish official said on Tuesday after the first wartime vessel safely departed Odesa on Monday. The first ship, Razoni, carrying 26,527 tonnes of corn to Lebanon, was crossing the western Black Sea off Romania’s Danube Delta at 0714 GMT, nearly halfway to Turkish waters, where it will be inspected on Wednesday, Refinitiv Eikon data showed.

UK leadership candidate Truss forced into U-turn on public sector pay

Foreign minister Liz Truss, the frontrunner to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was forced to backtrack on one of the her most striking pledges a day after announcing it after a backlash from fellow Conservatives and opposition parties. In the biggest misstep of her campaign so far, Truss set out plans to save billions of pounds a year in government spending in a change opponents said would require cutting the pay of public sector workers outside of the wealthy south of England.

Turkey says ship carrying first Ukrainian grain on track for safe arrival

The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets since Russia’s invasion blocked exports more than five months ago is on track to safely arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday night, Turkey said, amid Ukrainian fears it could still run into problems. The vessel’s departure on Monday from the Ukrainian port of Odesa for Lebanon via Turkey under a safe passage deal has raised hopes of further such departures which could help ease a burgeoning global food crisis.

U.S. has no DNA on Zawahiri, confirmed death by other sources – White House

The United States has no DNA confirmation of the death of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul, a White House spokesman on Tuesday, but verified his identity through other sources. “We do not have DNA confirmation. We’re not going to get that confirmation. Quite frankly, based on based on multiple sources and methods that we’ve gathered information from, we don’t need it,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said in an interview with CNN.

(With inputs from agencies.)