Reuters World News Summary

Khaled Saleh, president of the U.S.-based non-profit Fajr Scientific, said the visit would help patients immobilised by joint problems and chronic pain, as well as those in wheelchairs or who use a cane to walk. Analysis-China's Ukraine peace talks gambit shows shifts amid hard realities China's decision to join international talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend seeking to end Russia's war in Ukraine signals possible shifts in Beijing's approach but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts say.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Pope says Church open to everyone, including LGBT people, but has rules

Pope Francis said on Sunday that the Catholic Church is open to everyone, including the gay community, and that it has a duty to accompany them on a personal path of spirituality but within the framework of its rules. Francis, speaking to reporters on the plane returning to Rome from Portugal, also said his health was good following surgery for an abdominal hernia in June. He said his stitches had been removed but had to wear an abdominal band for another two or three months until his muscles strengthened.

Delegation of US House Democrats to visit Israel, occupied West Bank this week

Two dozen Democrats of the U.S. House of Representatives will visit Israel and the occupied West Bank this week to discuss prospects for a two-state solution and Israel's judicial reforms, among other issues. Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries and Representative Steny Hoyer will lead a group of 24 House Democrats, who will also discuss extremism and Iran's nuclear capabilities, Jeffries' office said in a statement on Sunday.

Ukraine calls Jeddah talks productive, Russia calls them doomed

A senior Ukrainian official said on Sunday that talks in Saudi Arabia to make headway towards a peaceful settlement of the war with Russia had been productive, but Moscow called the meeting a doomed attempt to swing the Global South behind Kyiv. More than 40 countries, including China, India, the United States, and European countries, but not Russia, took part in the Jeddah talks that ended on Sunday.

Three Palestinian militants shot dead, say Israeli police

Israeli security forces shot dead three Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli police said, drawing threats of revenge by Palestinian militant factions. Violence has worsened in the West Bank since last year with more Israeli raids and Palestinian street attacks on Israelis.

Ukraine says U.S and German air defence systems 'highly effective'

Ukraine is seeing "significant results" from U.S. and German air defence systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday, despite waves of Russian air strikes that Kyiv says targeted civilians and residential buildings. Russia reported it had shot down a drone heading for Moscow in the third such attack in a week, while officials on both sides said Ukraine had struck two bridges linking Crimea to the mainland.

U.S. surgeons in Gaza for medical intervention

A team of U.S. orthopaedic surgeons is visiting the Gaza Strip to perform a series of joint replacement operations and provide training to local doctors. Khaled Saleh, president of the U.S.-based non-profit Fajr Scientific, said the visit would help patients immobilised by joint problems and chronic pain, as well as those in wheelchairs or who use a cane to walk.

Analysis-China's Ukraine peace talks gambit shows shifts amid hard realities

China's decision to join international talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend seeking to end Russia's war in Ukraine signals possible shifts in Beijing's approach but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts say. While Beijing declined to join earlier talks in NATO member Denmark, analysts said it feels far more comfortable joining the effort in Saudi Arabia, even if Russia is not present and Ukraine is pushing its own plan.

Lukashenko opponents unite, plan 'New Belarus' passports

Exiled opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko met in Poland on Sunday, on the eve of the third anniversary of their unsuccessful post-election protests, to display unity and plan strategy including the issuance of "New Belarus" passports.

Set up in August 2022 by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the self-declared government-in exile has opened more than 20 alternative embassies and information centres abroad.

Niger closes airspace as it refuses to reinstate president

Niger closed its airspace on Sunday until further notice, citing the threat of military intervention from the West African regional bloc after coup leaders rejected a deadline to reinstate the country's ousted president. Earlier, thousands of junta supporters flocked to a stadium in Niamey, the capital, cheering the decision not to cave in to external pressure to stand down by Sunday following the July 26 power grab.

Four dead, 51 missing after migrant ship sinks off Tunisian coast

At least four migrants died and 51 were missing after a migrant ship sank off Tunisia's Kerkennah island, a judicial official told Reuters on Sunday, adding that all the migrants onboard were from sub-Saharan Africa. The Tunisian coast guard recovered 901 bodies of drowned migrants off its coast from Jan. 1 to July 20 this year, the country's interior minister said in July, marking an unprecedented number of victims off the country's coasts.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)