Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
Renewed U.S.-Iran talks to salvage nuclear deal are 'serious' -Russian envoy
Russia's envoy to talks on reviving Iran's 2015 nuclear deal said on Friday they had resumed in a "serious" atmosphere even as few expect a breakthrough compromise while Tehran's disputed uranium enrichment program surges forward. Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington restarted in Vienna on Thursday with a meeting between Iran's chief nuclear negotiator and European Union coordinator Enrique Mora.
Snickers maker apologizes for advert suggesting Taiwan is a country
Mars Wrigley, makers of the Snickers candy bar, apologized on Friday for a Snickers product launch which Chinese social media users said suggested that Taiwan was a country. Videos and pictures of an event promoting a limited edition Snickers bar that was said to be only available in the "countries" of South Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan went viral on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo on Friday.
After Griner gets jail, Russia ready to discuss swap with U.S
Russia said on Friday it was ready to discuss a prisoner swap with the United States in private, a day after a Russian court jailed U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for nine years for a drugs offense. The case against Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) star, plunged her into a geopolitical maelstrom after Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Berlin munitions dump blaze still active as explosion risk impedes fire crews
Emergency services have stopped a fire at an ammunitions dump in a western Berlin forest from spreading further, but fire crews on Friday were still unable to approach the source of the blaze due to the risk that World War Two bombs might explode. The blaze at the Grunewald forest dump broke out on Thursday and spread across 15,000 square meters. An armored vehicle provided by the German army cut a 5 km (3 mile) fire break through the area overnight, said an army spokesperson, helping to stop the fire from growing.
At flashpoint Jerusalem holy site, whispered prayers defy unwritten accord
After weeks of relative calm in Jerusalem, friction between Israel and Palestinians over unauthorized prayers by Jewish visitors in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound is raising the stakes at one of the Middle East's most volatile holy sites. At the compound, Islam's third holiest site after Mecca and Medina and Judaism's most sacred, only Muslim worship is allowed. Jews may not pray there. But some do. And increasingly so, stoking anger among Palestinians.
Pope meets Russian Orthodox number two ahead of meeting with Patriarch
Pope Francis met Bishop Anthony, the second most powerful leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, on Friday ahead of an expected summit next month with its Patriarch Kirill, who supports the war in Ukraine. It was their first meeting since Anthony's predecessor, Hilarion, was ousted in June in an abrupt decision indicating discord at the top of the Moscow Patriarchate over the conflict.
Pelosi praises Taiwan, says Asian trip wasn't to change status quo
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday praised Taiwan, pledged U.S. solidarity and said her trip through Asia, which led to unprecedented military drills by an angry China, was never about changing the regional status quo. Pelosi and a congressional delegation were in Japan on the last stage of an Asian trip that included a brief and unannounced stop in Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing considers its own - and prompted an infuriated Beijing to hold live-fire drills in waters around Taiwan, with five missiles landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone(EEZ).
Anti-U.S. protests erupt in Afghanistan
Hundreds of Afghans carried anti-American banners on Friday to protest against a U.S. drone strike that Washington says killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri this month. The protests were launched a day after the Taliban said their government had no information about Zawahiri "entering and living" in capital city Kabul and warned the United States to never repeat an attack on Afghan soil.
Ukraine seeks to extend shipping safe passage deal beyond grain
Three grain ships left Ukrainian ports on Friday while the first inbound cargo vessel since Russia's invasion was due in Ukraine later in the day to load, as Kyiv called for the safe passage deal to be extended to other cargoes such as metals. The July 22 deal marked a rare diplomatic breakthrough as war rages in eastern Ukraine, with Kyiv trying to rebuild its shattered economy after more than five months of conflict.
Head of Russian hypersonics lab arrested for treason - TASS
A leading Russian hypersonics expert has been arrested on suspicion of treason, the state-controlled TASS news agency reported on Friday. Andrei Shiplyuk heads the hypersonics laboratory at the Novosibirsk Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, according to the institute's website, and has in recent years coordinated research to support the development of hypersonic missile systems. Getnews