Reuters World News Summary

Russia has massed troops near Ukraine's border and demanded the U.S.-led NATO alliance rule out admitting the former Soviet state or expanding further into what Moscow sees as its back yard. Bulgaria wants results to let Skopje start EU accession talks The lifting of Bulgaria's veto on the start of North Macedonia's talks to join the European Union must be linked to tangible results and not to any timeline, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

N.Korea conducts second suspected missile test in less than a week

North Korea fired what was believed to a ballistic missile on Tuesday, South Korea's military and the Japanese coast guard said, the second apparent missile launch in less than a week after the reclusive state's leader urged more military advances. The projectile appeared to have landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Kyodo news agency reported, citing government sources in Tokyo.

U.S. and Russia still far apart on Ukraine after Geneva talks

Russia and the United States gave no sign of narrowing their differences on Ukraine and wider European security in talks in Geneva on Monday, as Moscow repeated demands that Washington says it cannot accept. Russia has massed troops near Ukraine's border and demanded the U.S.-led NATO alliance rule out admitting the former Soviet state or expanding further into what Moscow sees as its back yard.

Bulgaria wants results to let Skopje start EU accession talks

The lifting of Bulgaria's veto on the start of North Macedonia's talks to join the European Union must be linked to tangible results and not to any timeline, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said on Monday. Bulgaria has blocked the opening of formal EU membership talks with North Macedonia due to a dispute over history and language. It has since been under pressure from its Western allies in the EU and NATO to break the diplomatic deadlock.

Pacific may be most likely to see strategic surprise -U.S. policymaker Campbell

The Pacific may well be the part of the world most likely to see "strategic surprise," the U.S. Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Monday, in comments apparently referring to China's ambitions to expand its influence and establish bases there. Campbell told an event hosted by Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies the Pacific was a region where the United States has "enormous moral, strategic, historical interests" and where it had not done enough, unlike countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

Parthenon fragment returns to Greece, rekindling campaign for UK to hand over marbles

A marble fragment of the Parthenon temple has been returned to Athens from a museum in Sicily, a move officials hope will advance efforts to have the British Museum send back ancient sculptures from Greece's most renowned ancient landmark.

Athens' Acropolis Museum presented on Monday the "Fagan fragment", a 35-by-31-centimetre marble fragment showing the foot of the seated ancient Greek goddess Artemis brought home from the Antonio Salinas Archaeological Museum in Palermo.

Paris attacks trial set to resume, French media report

The main suspect in the November 2015 Islamist attack that killed 130 people in Paris has recovered from his COVID-19 infection, allowing the trial into the attacks to resume soon, French media reported on Monday. Salah Abdeslam "is in a position (...) to attend the hearing by the criminal court" according to a medical expertise seen by French public television France Television, which said on its website that the accused will be able to attend the trial's next session on Tuesday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid tests positive for COVID-19

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Monday he had tested positive for COVID-19 but was in good health. Lapid, who heads the largest party in the government, was isolating at home, according to a spokesperson.

Biden raises concerns over air strikes in call with Ethiopia's Abiy

U.S. President Joe Biden raised concerns about air strikes in the conflict in northern Ethiopia and about human rights issues during a call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Monday, the White House said. Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since war broke out in Ethiopia's Tigray region in November 2020 between Abiy's federal forces, backed by regional allies, and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that governs the region.

Democrats urge Biden to grant deportation relief to at least 2 million immigrants

U.S. Senate Democrats are urging the Biden administration to allow at least 2 million immigrants in the country illegally to prolong their stay and to prevent deportation to home countries where natural disasters and crises prevent their safe return. They want President Joe Biden, a fellow Democrat, to take executive action to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Central American immigrants from Guatemala and expand eligibility for those from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

COVID-19 hospitalisations in France see biggest jump since April 2021

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 in France rose by 767 to 22,749 on Monday, the biggest increase since April 2021 as a runaway Omicron infection rate boosted hospitalisations. Net new hospital admissions still remained well below peaks set in Nov-Dec 2020, when they stood over 700 for nearly a month and COVID-19 hospitalisations peaked at 33,497 on Nov. 16, 2020.