Europe

VATICAN CITY, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has lamented what he called a "reactionary" Catholic Church in the United States, where he said political ideology has replaced faith in some cases.

In the 10 years since his election, Francis has been criticised by conservative sectors of the U.S. Church who are opposed to reforms such as giving women and lay Catholics more roles and making the Church more welcoming and less judgmental towards some, including LGBT people.

PARIS, Aug 28 (Reuters) - French conservatives on Monday applauded the government's decision to ban children from wearing the abaya, the loose-fitting, full-length robes worn by some Muslim women, in state-run schools, but the move also drew criticism and some mockery.

France, which has enforced a strict ban on religious symbols in state schools since 19th century laws removed any traditional Catholic influence from public education, has struggled to update guidelines to deal with a growing Muslim minority.

KYIV, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Monday its troops had liberated the southeastern settlement of Robotyne and were trying to push further south in their counteroffensive against Russian forces.

The Ukrainian military said last week that its forces had raised the national flag in the strategic settlement, but were still carrying out mopping-up operations.

MOSCOW, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held phone talks Monday on the outcomes of the recently held BRICS Summit and bilateral cooperation.

Noting the importance of the agreements reached during the 15th BRICS Summit held recently in Johannesburg, South Africa, the two leaders said the expansion of the bloc will contribute to its growing global influence, the Kremlin said.

They further exchanged views regarding the upcoming Group of 20 Summit to be held in New Delhi.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Climate activists have spraypainted a superyacht, blocked private jets from taking off and plugged holes in golf courses this summer as part of an intensifying campaign against the emissions-spewing lifestyles of the ultrawealthy.

KUPIANSK, Ukraine (AP) — The thunder of mortar fire echoes in the distance as 5-year old David approaches his mother with an innocent request: Can he play with the baseball bat a relative gave him as a gift?

Valeria Pototska rolls her eyes and tells her son no for the umpteenth time. It’s a toy for big kids, she scolds. The boy, who doesn’t so much as flinch when the weapons not far from their town in northeast Ukraine shoot off more rounds, pouts and peddles away on his bicycle.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top domestic security agency said Monday that a detained former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok is accused of collecting information about Russia’s action in Ukraine and related issues for U.S. diplomats.

MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/: BRICS leaders deal with real issues while Western politicians and reporters tend to mostly wag their tongues, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in remarks for a Rossiya-1 television program.

"It shows that they wag their tongues, while we use our heads and [engage in] concrete issues," the minister said of Western politicians and reporters who had spoken condescendingly about the BRICS.

MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/: The Russian Investigative Committee said it had completed genetic examinations of the people that were killed in the recent plane crash north of Moscow, identifying all of them, including Yevgeny Prigozhin.

"As part of the investigation into the plane crash in the Tver Region, molecular genetic examinations have been completed. According to their results, the identities of all 10 victims have been established. They correspond to the list stated in the flight manifest," the agency said in a statement.

GENICHESK, August 27. /TASS/: A military correspondent of the News Front agency was wounded in a life attempt committed by Ukrainian troops in the Kherson Region, the region’s acting governor, Vladimir Saldo, said on Sunday.

"Today, Ukrainian militants used a FVP drone to make an attempt to kill New Front war correspondent Lex [codename]. His car was traced near Alyoshki and a bomb was dropped on it. Lex received a wound," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to Saldo, the journalist’s car was seriously damaged.