Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
Iraq seeks Interpol alerts for former officials over $2.5 billion graft
Iraq plans to ask Interpol to issue international alerts seeking the arrest of former senior officials including an ex-finance minister and an ex-intelligence chief over the alleged theft of more than $2.5 billion from the country's Tax Commission. The scandal centers on suspected illegitimate cash withdrawals from the Commission between 2021 and 2022 totalling around $2.5 billion, according to Iraqi officials - a staggering amount even in a country that regularly ranks among the world's most corrupt.
Hiroshima marks a-bomb anniversary, calls nuclear deterrence "folly"
Japan on Sunday marked the 78th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Hiroshima, where its mayor urged the abolition of nuclear weapons and called the Group of Seven leaders' notion of nuclear deterrence a "folly." The day to commemorate the victims of the world's first nuclear attack comes as Russia has raised the specter of using nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine.
Russia says Western bid to get Global South to back Ukraine is doomed
Moscow said on Sunday that weekend talks in Saudi Arabia including the U.S., China and India aiming to establish principles for a peaceful end to Russia's war in Ukraine were a doomed Western attempt to align the Global South behind Kyiv. Senior officials from some 40 countries were attending the two-day meeting, part of a push by Ukraine to build support beyond its core Western backers among countries that have been reluctant to take sides in the conflict. Russia was not invited.
Maldives Supreme Court bars jailed ex-President Yameen from race
The Maldives Supreme Court confirmed on Sunday that jailed former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is barred for the country's September presidential election. The ruling is another setback for the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), which declared Yameen its candidate before his December conviction for corruption and money laundering over kickbacks from a private company while he was president.
Road crash kills 24 people in Morocco
A road crash killed 24 people in a rural area in Morocco on Sunday, the state news agency said. The crash took place in Azilal Province, about 310 km (190 miles) from the capital Rabat, when a truck carrying local shoppers overturned on the road to the regional weekly market.
Behind Niger's coup, a feud over the former president's legacy
Niger's coup was the culmination of months of acrimony between President Mohamed Bazoum and his chief guard over the leader's attempts to emerge from the shadow of his predecessor, people familiar with the matter said. Since taking over from his political godfather Mahamadou Issoufou in 2021, Bazoum had sought to stamp his authority on the West African country by sidelining a number of senior people in both the military and public administration.
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.
Calm pervades Niger's capital as deadline to reverse coup expires
Niger's capital was calm on Sunday, with citizens appearing to pay little heed to the threat of military intervention by West Africa's regional bloc, as its ultimatum for the country's coup leaders to reinstate the president expires. On Niamey's streets there were sporadic signs of support for the junta, which has said it will not bow to external pressure to stand down following the July 26 power grab.
Closing youth festival in Portugal, pope shares 'old man's' dream of peace
Pope Francis closed an international festival of Catholic Youth on Sunday with a huge outdoor Mass and his own "I have a dream" speech, saying it was for world peace, especially for Ukraine. About 1.5 million people attended his closing Mass at a riverside park in the Portuguese capital, the Vatican said, quoting local authorities. Many of the faithful slept outdoors, having attending a vigil there on Saturday night, and they gathered in sweltering heat.
Israel Supreme Court sets expanded hearing on PM incapacity law
Israel's top court on Sunday scheduled a new hearing next month on appeals filed against an amended law that would limit conditions under which a prime minister can be designated unfit for office. Following a first hearing on Thursday, the Supreme Court instructed the state to respond to arguments that the law should not come into effect immediately lest it be perceived as having been tailor-made for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
