World News Summary: Pompeo slams Kerry for meetings with Iran; at least 3 dead in Philippines

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russian warships hold drills in Bering Sea in huge military exercise

Russian warships held drills in the Bering Sea which separates Russia from Alaska, part of Moscow's biggest military maneuvers since the fall of the Soviet Union, footage aired by the Ministry of Defence showed on Friday. The Vostok-2018 (East-2018) drills, which run until Sept. 17, are taking place in Siberia and in waters off Russia's eastern coast, involving 300,000 troops, over 1,000 military aircraft and two naval fleets.

Embattled German spymaster wants to double agency staff: media

The embattled chief of Germany's BfV domestic security agency wants to more than double his staff to 6,000 people by 2021, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday, citing sources at the interior ministry. Hans-Georg Maassen is facing calls to step down after he cast doubt on the authenticity of video footage showing far-right protesters chasing migrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz after the fatal stabbing of a German-Cuban man.

Europe must offset U.S. pullout from nuclear deal: Iran minister

Europe should take action to neutralize the consequences of the U.S. decision to quit a 2015 Iran nuclear accord to ensure its own long-term economic interests, Iran's Foreign Minister said in an interview published on Saturday. Mohammed Javad Zarif told Germany's Der Spiegel news magazine that Iran could "reduce its implementation" of the agreement and possibly increase uranium enrichment activities if the nuclear agreement was jeopardized by "the actions of the Americans and the passivity of the Europeans."

Iraq parliament elects Sunni lawmaker al-Halbousi as speaker, breaking deadlock

Iraq's parliament elected Sunni lawmaker Mohammed al-Halbousi as speaker on Saturday, marking an important step toward establishing a new government four months after an inconclusive national election. Parliament had been due to elect a speaker and two deputies during its first meeting on Sept 3, but failed to do so as lawmakers were unable to determine which competing bloc had the most seats.

'Brothers and sisters' of the Mafia, repent, pope says in Sicily

Pope Francis appealed to Sicily's Mafia on Saturday to abandon a life of crime and violence, saying the island needed "men and women of love, not men and women 'of honor,'" using the term mobsters apply to themselves. Francis, in the Sicilian capital, said organized crime members - many of whom go to church and worship openly - "cannot believe in God and be Mafiosi" at the same time. In his appeal, he referred to them as "dear brothers and sisters".

British ex-Foreign Minister Johnson says supports May, opposes her Brexit plan: newspaper

Britain's former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson has said he supports Prime Minister Theresa May and his opposition was not to her but to her proposals for exiting the European Union, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday. Following a week in which reports surfaced of a plot by Johnson's fellow eurosceptic colleagues to oust May, Johnson, bookmakers' favorite to succeed her, was quoted as saying he wanted her Chequers Brexit plan dropped, not her.

Pompeo slams Kerry for 'inappropriate' meetings with Iran officials

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday lambasted his predecessor, John Kerry, for meetings with Iranian officials in back-channel talks and accused him of "actively undermining" the Trump administration's policy toward Tehran. "What Secretary Kerry has done is unseemly and unprecedented," Pompeo told a news conference, adding that he "ought not to engage in that kind of behavior. It's inconsistent with what the foreign policy of the United States is, as directed by this president. It is beyond inappropriate."

At least 3 dead as Philippines faces more hazards in powerful typhoon's wake

A strong typhoon tore through the northern tip of the Philippines on Saturday packing winds of more than 200 kph (124 mph) along with torrential rain, killing at least three people, wrecking homes and triggering at least 42 landslides. Mangkhut entered the Philippines as a super typhoon in the early hours, and sent fierce winds and heavy rains across the entire main island of Luzon, home to about half the country's 105 million people.

Pompeo accuses Russia of actively working to undermine North Korea sanctions

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Russia on Friday of actively working to undermine international sanctions on North Korea and said the enforcement of the steps was essential to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. "Russia has actively attempted to undermine the U.N. Security Council resolutions, the work of the ... committee at the U.N. that evaluates compliance with sanctions," Pompeo told a news briefing at the State Department.

Three shot dead in Mexico City tourist hotspot, 'mariachi' gunmen flee

Gunmen with rifles and pistols killed three people on Friday and injured at least seven in a tourist plaza in downtown Mexico City, police said, adding that they were chasing three men dressed as mariachi musicians who fled on motorbikes. After years of keeping a lid on the worst violent crime that has plagued Mexico, its capital has seen homicides surge since 2014 to record levels, presenting a major challenge to an incoming city government that has vowed a clean-up.