World News Roundup: Palestine quits Arab League sessions; Explosion rocks southern Lebanon and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Angered by Arab-Israel ties, Palestine quits chairing Arab League sessions

Palestine has quit its current chairmanship of Arab League meetings, the Palestinian foreign minister said on Tuesday, condemning as dishonorable any Arab agreement to establish formal ties with Israel. Palestinians see the accords which the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed with Israel in Washington a week ago as a betrayal of their cause and a blow to their quest for an independent state in Israeli-occupied territory.

Exclusive: U.S. and UAE eye December goal to agree on F-35 deal

The United States and the United Arab Emirates hope to have an initial agreement on the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Gulf state in place by December, as the Trump administration studies how to structure a deal without running afoul of Israel. Sources close to the negotiations said the goal is to have a letter of agreement in place in time for UAE National Day celebrated on Dec. 2.

Explosion rocks village in southern Lebanon, witnesses say

An explosion rocked a village in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese broadcasters and a witness said, and clouds of dark smoke rose from the area. The cause of the blast in the village of Ain Qana was not immediately clear.

EU's Barnier to talk Brexit in London on Wednesday: BBC

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier is due in London on Wednesday for informal Brexit talks, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said on Twitter, citing EU sources.

Russia says U.S. sanctions on Iran will not affect Moscow-Tehran cooperation: Ifax

Russia said on Tuesday new U.S. sanctions against Iran would have no political or practical consequences for Moscow's cooperation with Tehran, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. The United States on Monday slapped new sanctions on Iran's defense ministry and others involved in its nuclear and weapons program to support the U.S. assertion that all U.N. sanctions against Tehran are now restored, a stance which key European allies, as well as Russia and China, reject.

Woman suspected of sending ricin-filled envelope to White House to appear in court

A woman arrested by U.S. authorities on suspicion of sending a ricin-filled envelope to the White House and to five other addresses in Texas will appear before a federal court in Buffalo, New York, later on Tuesday. U.S. authorities arrested a woman on the Canada-U.S. border on Sunday, at the so-called Peace Bridge that runs between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo.

No COVID-19 test, no grape harvest in Spain's Basque Country

All wine industry workers in Spain's Rioja-producing region of Alava must undergo a coronavirus test before they start work to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks putting the grape harvest at risk. Grape pickers, who have dubbed 2020 the "harvest of the masks", will be given their own equipment, including baskets and scissors, which cannot be exchanged, to avoid infections, said a spokeswoman for the Rioja wine regulatory board.

COVID 'firepower': Britain imposes six-month curbs against second wave

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told people on Tuesday to work from home where possible and ordered bars and restaurants to close early to tackle a fast-spreading second wave of COVID-19 with restrictions lasting probably six months. After government scientists cautioned that deaths may soar without urgent action, Johnson stopped short of another full lockdown as he did in March but said further action could be taken if the disease was not suppressed.

Revealed: the darkness behind the beauty of Britain's great houses

Feted for their fine architecture and often used as lavish backdrops for period movies, Britain's great estates came under the spotlight on Tuesday for a darker reason: their links to colonialism or slavery. The National Trust, which runs some 300 heritage buildings, said about a third of them had past owners who had profited from slavery, opposed its abolition, been involved in colonial expansion or administration or promoted imperialism.

U.S. troops to stay longer in Lithuania, defence minister says

A new contingent of U.S. troops and armor will be deployed in Lithuania in November but their presence is not linked to the situation in neighboring Belarus, Lithuania's defense minister said on Tuesday. Belarus has undergone six weeks of protests since a contested Aug. 9 election which President Alexander Lukashenko said he won.

(With inputs from agencies.)