World News Roundup: US, South Korea and Japan to agree to crisis consultations at Camp David summit; Ukrainian drone damages building in Moscow disrupting air traffic, Russia says and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

US, South Korea and Japan to agree to crisis consultations at Camp David summit

At a Camp David summit on Friday, the United States, South Korea and Japan will pledge to consult each other in moments of crisis, officials said, a commitment designed to deepen three-way military ties as the U.S. seeks to rally its allies to counter China's rising influence. The commitment, which falls short of a formal alliance, will be the centerpiece of U.S. President Joe Biden's first Camp David summit for foreign leaders and represents a significant move for Seoul and Tokyo, which have a long history of mutual acrimony and distrust.

Ukrainian drone damages building in Moscow disrupting air traffic, Russia says

A Ukrainian drone smashed into a building in central Moscow on Friday after Russian air defences shot it down, disrupting air traffic at all the civilian airports of the Russian capital, Russian officials said. A Reuters witness who was in the area described hearing "a powerful explosion". Reuters images showed workers and emergency workers inspecting a damaged roof of a non-residential building which the drone hit.

Chinese president Xi to meet African leaders during BRICS summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet African heads of state on the sidelines of the BRICS summit next week "to advance China-Africa cooperation in the new era", China's ambassador to South Africa said on Friday. The meeting will take place late on Thursday, the last day of the three-day summit, Chen Xiaodong told a briefing. The day has been set aside for events involving the more than 70 countries invited as "friends" of the BRICS bloc, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Latest North Korean missile sparks new debate over possible Russian role

North Korea's latest Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile - its first ICBM to use solid rocket fuel - has ignited new debate over a possible Russian role in the nuclear-armed state's dramatic missile development. In a report published on Thursday by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, Theodore Postol, professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, argued that the Hwasong-18 ICBM is likely the result of technical cooperation sourced to Russia.

Guatemala's Arevalo, casting election as turning point, eyes top prize

Bernardo Arevalo, the surprise frontrunner in Guatemala's presidential election, is promising to revive a stalled anti-corruption movement and reverse democratic backsliding if voters back him in Sunday's runoff vote. A 64-year-old ex-diplomat, son of a former president and leader of the progressive Semilla party, Arevalo holds a double-digit lead in polls over his opponent, former first lady Sandra Torres.

Pakistani Christian brothers held for blasphemy after mob burns churches

Pakistani police have arrested two Christian brothers accused of blasphemy, a spokesperson and a source said on Friday, two days after a Muslim mob burnt churches and houses, blaming the two men for desecrating the Koran. Pages of the Koran were found in a street with derogatory comments written on them in red, police said. One attached extra page also carried the names, addresses and national identity card numbers of the accused, provincial police chief Usman Anwar said.

Analysis-No clear winner in U.S., China contest in the Pacific

The United States opened international aid offices in the Pacific Islands this week, bolstering support for the strategic region and pitting it more forcefully against China, which has been providing infrastructure loans to the area for years. The vast ocean region, pivotal in World War Two, is in the spotlight again amid tensions over Taiwan. Taiwanese officials this week said China, which claims the island as its territory, could launch military drills soon to intimidate voters ahead of an election next year.

West African militaries meet to finalise possible Niger intervention

West African army chiefs were due to hold a second and final day of talks on Friday in Ghana's capital Accra, where they have been hashing out the details of a possible military intervention in Niger if diplomacy fails to reverse a military coup. Military officers deposed Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and have defied calls from the United Nations, the West African bloc ECOWAS and others to reinstate him, prompting regional powers to order a standby force to be assembled.

UN rights chief says Niger president treason case has 'no legal basis'

The United Nations human rights chief on Friday said there was no legal basis for Niger's military junta to prosecute deposed president Mohamed Bazoum for high treason, saying the "very notion of freedoms" in the country was at stake. The military junta, which seized power in a coup last month, said it would prosecute Bazoum for high treason over his exchanges with foreign heads of state and international organisations, prompting condemnation from the United States and West African leaders.

India plans to hold FTA talks with UK, EU, Canada on G20 sidelines - trade secretary

India plans to hold bilateral free trade talks with the United Kingdom, the European Union and Canada and discuss bilateral trade issues with the Russian delegation on the sidelines of a G20 meeting next week, a top trade official said on Friday. The G20 trade ministers are likely to discuss trade and World Trade Organisation reforms in their meeting, trade secretary Sunil Barthwal also told reporters.

(With inputs from agencies.)