TOKYO (Reuters) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will refrain from visiting the Yasukuni shrine for war dead on the 75th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two, Jiji news agency said on Sunday, but will make an offering on the emotive day, as he has done in the past.

TOKYO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will refrain from visiting the Yasukuni shrine for war dead on the 75th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two, Jiji news agency said on Sunday, but will make an offering on the emotive day, as he has done in the past.

MINSK, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Belarus began voting in an election on Sunday pitting President Alexander Lukashenko against a former teacher who emerged from obscurity to lead the biggest challenge in years against the man once dubbed "Europe's last dictator" by Washington.

MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least seven people died after a massive fire broke out at a hotel that was being used as a COVID-19 facility in India's southern Andhra Pradesh state early on Sunday, police said.

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus on Sunday, but warned against complacency as countries like Vietnam and Australia which once had the virus under control now battle a resurgence in infections.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and Britain agreed to lift auto tariffs for a post-Brexit trade agreement in 2026 despite Japan's push to lift the tariffs earlier, the Nikkei Asian Review reported on Sunday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to cut its troop levels in Afghanistan to "a number less than 5,000" by the end of November, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in an interview broadcast on Saturday, adding detail to drawdown plans U.S. President Donald Trump announced earlier this week.

SYDNEY, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Brisbane Broncos' forward Tevita Pangai Jr. has been placed in isolation for two weeks after he became the sixth person within a week to breach the National Rugby League's strict COVID-19 protocols.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Dustin Johnson's hot putter and improved accuracy off the tee gave him a one-stroke lead after the third round of the PGA Championship on Saturday, with the American looking set to secure his second major title on Sunday.