Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Dec. 1

COLOMBO -- Adverse weather in Sri Lanka has killed 334 by 6 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center (DMC) said.

The DMC said at least 370 people remain missing and 1,118,929 individuals from 309,607 families have been affected by heavy rains, flooding, and landslides. (Sri Lanka-Extreme Weather-Deaths)

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TOKYO -- The Japanese government recently approved a supplementary budget proposal for fiscal 2025 (April 2025-March 2026), boosting defense spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) ahead of schedule, a move that has sparked concerns across various sectors in Japan.

Included in the budget proposal approved by the cabinet on Friday is 1.1 trillion yen (about 7.04 billion U.S. dollars) in additional defense spending. Including the 9.9 trillion yen in the regular budget, total defense-related spending for the current fiscal year would reach about 11 trillion yen to meet the government's target of bringing it to 2 percent of GDP. (Japan-Defense spending)

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HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong police said on Sunday the casualty enquiry unit has confirmed the safety of 159 residents previously reported missing after a major fire broke out in a residential complex on Nov. 26.

Speaking at a press briefing, Tsang Shuk-yin, officer in charge of the casualty enquiry unit of the Hong Kong Police Force, said that as of 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, the death toll from the fire had risen to 146, with 79 people injured. (Hong Kong-Fire)

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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request to President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, according to a statement from the president's office.

In a letter sent by Netanyahu and his lawyers, a copy of which was seen by Xinhua, Netanyahu stated that he submitted the request "out of public responsibility." He added that ending his trial "will help to reduce the intensity of the flames in the power debate surrounding it." (Israel-PM) Enditem