Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

U.S. peace envoy for Afghanistan set to resume talks with Taliban: sources

U.S. special representative for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, will resume peace talks with the Taliban soon, sources with knowledge of the issue said on Wednesday. Khalilzad who has, since late last year, held eight rounds of talks with the Taliban to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan, is scheduled to travel to Qatar's capital of Doha from Kabul, via Pakistan.

Ireland not going to be bullied on Brexit: PM

Ireland is not going to be bullied in talks over Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said in an interview published on Wednesday. A disagreement between London and Dublin over plans for the Irish border have become the most contentious issue in negotiations with the EU over a divorce deal.

Iran says it's prepared for dialogue if Saudi Arabia also ready

Iran is prepared for dialogue if Saudi Arabia is also ready, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday, according to the IRIB news agency. Tensions have spiked between Iran and Saudi Arabia, arch-rivals for predominance in the Middle East, since Riyadh accused the Islamic Republic of carrying out attacks that damaged six oil tankers in the Gulf, an allegation Tehran has denied.

North Korea tests more missiles despite efforts at diplomatic solutions

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles early on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, only days after it launched two similar missiles intended to pressure South Korea and the United States to stop upcoming military drills. The firings follow launches on July 25, North Korea's first missile tests since leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump met on June 30 and agreed to revive stalled denuclearization talks.

Stoltenberg says no NATO mission requested in Strait of Hormuz

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday there had been no formal request for the military alliance to launch a mission in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States has proposed stepping up efforts to safeguard the vital oil route at a time of heightened tension between Washington and Tehran.

Israel announces new homes for settlers, Palestinians in West Bank ahead of Kushner visit

Israel will build 6,000 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank - a move Palestinian leaders decried as showing Israel's "colonial mentality" - but in a rare step it also approved permits for 700 houses for Palestinians. Washington warmed to Wednesday's announcement, made ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner to explore prospects for his own Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Details of the plan remain vague, however.

Russian hospital says Kremlin critic Navalny tested negative for poison: Ifax

A Russian state hospital said on Wednesday that a toxicology test it carried out on unspecified biomaterial taken from jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny had not find traces of poison in his system, the Interfax news agency reported. Navalny was jailed for 30 days last week for urging people to take part in an unauthorized opposition protest. He was hospitalized on Sunday and discharged on Monday saying he may have been poisoned, a suspicion shared by his lawyer and personal doctor.

Sign of the times: China's capital orders Arabic, Muslim symbols taken down

Authorities in the Chinese capital have ordered halal restaurants and food stalls to remove Arabic script and symbols associated with Islam from their signs, part of an expanding national effort to "Sinicize" its Muslim population. Employees at 11 restaurants and shops in Beijing selling halal products and visited by Reuters in recent days said officials had told them to remove images associated with Islam, such as the crescent moon and the word "halal" written in Arabic, from signs.

Hong Kong charges 44 protesters with rioting, grants bail

More than 40 people appeared in a Hong Kong court on Wednesday charged with rioting for their role in a recent protest that turned violent when thousands of activists clashed with police near Beijing's main representative office in the city. A wave of protests that began in late April have plunged the former British colony into its biggest political crisis since its return to Chinese rule in 1997, but this is the first time that the authorities in the financial hub have resorted to using the rioting charge.

China warns outsiders not to 'sow distrust' in South China Sea

China's top diplomat on Wednesday warned outside countries not to amplify disputes in the South China Sea, where recent Chinese maneuvering in the energy-rich waters has rattled regional states and drawn condemnation from the United States. Chinese Councillor Wang Yi touted progress on an eventual Code of Conduct with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after meeting counterparts in the Thai capital.