World News Roundup: Pope evokes spectre of Ukraine war sparking global conflict; U.S. envoy not confident Iran nuclear deal is imminent and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Pope evokes spectre of Ukraine war sparking global conflict

The threat of a global conflict spawned by Russia's invasion of Ukraine should convince everyone that the time has come for humanity to abolish war before it abolishes humanity, Pope Francis said on Sunday. "More than a month has passed since the invasion of Ukraine, since the start of this cruel and senseless war, which, like every war, is a defeat for everyone, for all of us," he said to thousands of people in St. Peter's Square for his Sunday blessing.

U.S. envoy not confident Iran nuclear deal is imminent

U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said on Sunday he was not confident that a nuclear deal between world powers and Tehran was imminent, dampening expectations after 11 months of talks in Vienna that have stalled. The failure of efforts to restore a 2015 accord, which would curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions that have hammered Iran's economy, risks spiking political tensions in the Middle East and further increasing world oil prices, analysts say.

Russia hits Ukraine's Lviv with cruise missiles, defense ministry says

Russia struck military targets in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv with high-precision cruise missiles, the Russian defense ministry said on Sunday. Russia hit a fuel depot being used by Ukrainian forces near Lviv with long-range missiles and used cruise missiles to strike a plant in the city being used to repair anti-aircraft systems, radar stations, and sights for tanks, the ministry said.

Before Israeli-Arab summit, Blinken seeks to reassure allies on Iran

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to reassure Israeli and Arab partners convening for a rare summit in Israel on Sunday that Washington would continue to counter any Iranian threat even as he promoted nuclear diplomacy with Tehran. The issue is likely to dominate the two-day summit which will include foreign ministers from three Arab states that normalized ties with Israel even as peacemaking with the Palestinians remains stalled. Blinken pledged in parallel to work on improving Palestinian conditions.

UK's Prince William says he wants to serve after Caribbean criticism

Prince William has said he is committed to service and "not telling people what to do" after a tour of the Caribbean that was marked by protests over the British empire and criticism that the trip reflected a throwback to colonial times.

William released the statement at the end of an eight-day tour with his wife Kate to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas that included protests and calls for reparations payments by Britain and an apology for slavery.

Philippines on alert as volcano near capital spews more plumes

A small but restive volcano near the Philippine capital Manila ejected two more plumes on Sunday, indicating continued eruption and prompting authorities to urge residents to stay out of harm's way. Located in a scenic lake in Batangas province south of Manila, the 311-meter (1,020-foot) Taal volcano spewed an 800-meter-tall plume followed by one of 400 meters. This followed a phreatomagmatic eruption - the result of super-hot magma interacting with water - from its main crater on Saturday.

Ukraine says Russia wants to split nation, calls for more arms

Russia wants to split Ukraine into two, as happened with North and South Korea, Ukraine's military intelligence chief said on Sunday, vowing "total" guerrilla warfare to prevent a carve up of the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West to give Ukraine tanks, planes and missiles to help fend off the Russian forces, which the Kyiv government said were increasingly targeting fuel and food depots.

Afghanistan's Taliban ban women from flying without male chaperone - sources

The Taliban have told airlines in Afghanistan that women cannot board domestic or international flights without a male chaperone, two sources told Reuters on Sunday. The move comes after the Taliban backtracked on their previous commitment to open high schools to girls, a u-turn that shocked many Afghans and drew condemnation from humanitarian agencies and foreign governments.

Malta's Labour claims victory in parliamentary election

Malta's ruling Labour Party claimed victory on Sunday in the Mediterranean island nation's parliamentary election, its third successive win, and the main center-right opposition Nationalist Party conceded defeat. The center-left Labour Party had been helped during campaigning for Saturday's election by a strong economy and its management of the COVID-19 crisis, in which state handouts provided support for businesses and consumers.

China recovers second black box of crashed passenger jet

Recovery crews on Sunday found the second black box - the flight data recorder - from the wreckage of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 jet that crashed into a mountainside in southern China. Flight MU5735 crashed on Monday, killing all 132 people onboard, mainland China's deadliest aviation disaster in 28 years.