Reuters World News Summary

The community testing pilot scheme launched in November, and offered everyone in the city tests whether or not they had symptoms, in an attempt to find a new way to use testing to limit the spread of the coronavirus. U.S. finalizes Belarus air travel restrictions after aircraft diversion The U.S. Transportation Department finalized an order on Tuesday banning ticket sales for air travel between the United States and Belarus, acting after Minsk forced a Ryanair flight to land and arrested a dissident journalist who was aboard.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Brazil's lower house approves text of bill to allow breaking of vaccine patents

Brazil's lower house of Congress on Tuesday approved the main text of a bill that will allow patents for the production of vaccines and medicines to be broken in cases of a public health emergency or national state of emergency. The bill authorizes Congress to pass a law to break patents without the executive's approval or support.

Dutch crime reporter De Vries fighting for his life after shooting

Celebrity Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, known for his work in exposing the criminal underworld, was fighting for his life after being shot on an Amsterdam street, officials said on Tuesday. Three suspects were detained, including the possible shooter, police said. They declined to provide any details.

U.S. extends Temporary Protected Status for Yemeni immigrants

The U.S. government on Tuesday extended Yemeni eligibility for a humanitarian program that grants deportation relief and work permits to immigrants already in the United States who cannot safely return to their home countries. The renewed designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will allow approximately 1,700 Yemenis to keep their status through March 3, 2023, and allows an estimated 480 additional Yemenis to apply, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

Saudi official in U.S. for talks on Yemen, Iran, Khashoggi

Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister on Tuesday became the highest-ranking Saudi envoy to visit Washington since Joe Biden became president in January and was holding talks with senior officials on the Yemen war and threats from Iran. The minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, is the younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler, who is accused by U.S. intelligence of approving a 2018 operation in which Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed, an allegation denied by Saudi Arabia.

Canadian indigenous group takes charge of child welfare services

The Canadian indigenous group that announced last month the discovery of an estimated 751 unmarked graves near a former residential school said on Tuesday it would take charge of its own child welfare services under an agreement with the federal government. The accord, unveiled at an event in the western Canadian province of Saskatchewan attended by Cowessess Chief Cadmus Delorme, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, marks the first time in 70 years the community will have control over child and family services among its members.

U.N. urges Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to recommit to dam talks

The United Nations called on Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on Tuesday to recommit to talks on the operation of a giant hydropower dam, urging them to avoid any unilateral action, a day after Ethiopia began filling the dam's reservoir. The U.N. Security Council will likely discuss the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) this week after Arab states requested the 15-member body address the issue.

Iran begins process of making enriched uranium metal; U.S., E3 dismayed

Iran has begun the process of producing enriched uranium metal, the U.N. atomic watchdog said on Tuesday, a move that could help it develop a nuclear weapon and that three European powers said threatened talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran's steps, which were disclosed by the International Atomic Energy Agency and which Tehran said were aimed at developing fuel for a research reactor, also drew criticism from the United States, which called them an "unfortunate step backwards."

U.S. envoy on North Korea speaks with Chinese counterpart

The United States' top envoy for North Korea spoke with his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday, a State Department spokesman said, after Pyongyang's repeated rejection of the Biden administration's attempts to establish dialogue. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier its special representative on the Korean Peninsula, Liu Xiaoming, spoke by phone with U.S. special representative Sung Kim and that the two "agreed to keep contact."

Mass-testing reduced Liverpool COVID-19 cases by a fifth, study finds

A mass rapid-testing scheme reduced COVID-19 cases in the English city of Liverpool by more than a fifth, researchers said on Wednesday, arguing it was an effective public health intervention despite concerns over accuracy of the devices. The community testing pilot scheme launched in November, and offered everyone in the city tests whether or not they had symptoms, in an attempt to find a new way to use testing to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

U.S. finalizes Belarus air travel restrictions after aircraft diversion

The U.S. Transportation Department finalized an order on Tuesday banning ticket sales for air travel between the United States and Belarus, acting after Minsk forced a Ryanair flight to land and arrested a dissident journalist who was aboard. The department on June 29 had issued a show cause order proposing the restrictions after the U.S. State Department determined that limiting travel between the United States and Belarus was in Washington's foreign policy interest in light of the diversion of the Ryanair flight.