Briefly

IRAN

Nuclear talks with E3 nations to be resumed

Iran, Britain, France and Germany will hold nuclear talks in Istanbul on Friday, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said early on Monday, following warnings by the three European countries that failure to resume negotiations would lead to international sanctions being reimposed. The talks come after foreign ministers of the E3 nations, as those European countries are known, as well as the European Union's foreign policy chief, held their first call on Thursday with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi since Israel and the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago.

SYRIA

Fresh clashes disrupt ceasefire in Sweida

Israeli airstrikes across Syria's western Sweida Province and a tribal offensive on areas controlled by Arab religious group Druze continue to jeopardize lasting peace, despite both sides agreeing to a cessation of hostilities over the weekend. Late Sunday into early Monday, Israeli warplanes and drones launched a series of airstrikes across western Sweida Province, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Heavy clashes erupted in the towns along the Damascus-Sweida highway, where tribal fighters allegedly committed property violations.

SOUTH KOREA

Torrential rain leaves 18 dead, 9 missing

Severe wet weather in South Korea eased on Monday following days of torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides and left at least 18 people dead, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. Nine people remained missing as of Sunday evening, the ministry said. Across the country, 1,999 public structures and 2,238 private facilities reported rain-related damages, the interior ministry said. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has ordered a thorough response to the disaster, his office said.

Xinhua - Agencies