Briefly

IRAN

Red lines observed in Vienna talks

Teheran said on Monday that if it had allowed its red lines to be crossed in the Vienna talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, an agreement would have been reached a few months ago, according to the official news agency IRNA. Addressing a weekly news conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the talks have not yet reached a point to say the US side has proved that it is committed to its pledges under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. For Iran, the full removal of the sanctions and safeguarding its people's interests are what matters most, Khatibzadeh said.

THE PHILIPPINES

Tropical storm Megi leaves at least 24 dead

A tropical storm triggered floods and landslides in the Philippines over the weekend, leaving at least 24 dead and several more missing, officials said on Monday. A government disaster agency said Tropical storm Megi, which made landfall in Leyte province on Sunday morning, also affected over 136,000 people in the central and southern Philippines. On Monday, the state weather bureau downgraded Megi to a tropical depression. Megi is the first tropical storm this year to hit the Southeast Asian country.

DR CONGO

At least 21 killed in armed attack

At least 21 people were killed early on Monday in an armed attack blamed on rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to local sources reached by Xinhua. According to local security and military sources, who confirmed the tragedy, the attack was carried out by possible ADF rebels in the Mangusu village in the Irumu region of the Ituri Province. Hundreds of civilians, mainly women and children, have been rushing to Bunia, Ituri's capital, to seek refuge, multiple local sources said.

UNITED STATES

New York mayor tests positive for virus

New York City Mayor Eric Adams tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, said the mayor's office in a statement. Adams "woke up with a raspy voice" on Sunday morning and tested positive, said the statement. Adams attended the Gridiron Club dinner, which has since become a superspreader event, in Washington, DC, a week earlier.

Xinhua - Agencies