LONDON (Reuters) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow was open to talks with the West on the Ukraine war but had yet to receive any serious proposal to negotiate. In an interview on state TV, Lavrov said Russia was willing to engage with the United States or with Turkey on ways to end the war, now in its eight month. His emphasis on Russia’s receptiveness to talks came after a series of stinging defeats since the start of September that have swung the momentum of the conflict in favour of Ukraine. Lavrov said officials including White House national security spokesman John Kirby had said the United States was open to talks but that Russia had refused. “This is a lie,” Lavrov said. “We have not received any serious offers to make contact.” He also said Russia would not turn down a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden at a mid-November summit of the Group of 20 in Indonesia, and would consider the proposal if it receives one. “We have repeatedly said that we never refuse meetings. If there is a proposal, then we will consider it,” Lavrov said. Commenting on the possibility that Turkey could host talks between Russia and the West, Lavrov said Moscow would be willing to listen to any suggestions but could not say in advance whether this would lead to results.

***
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) -- The death toll from storm Julia rose to at least 25, officials said, with most victims in El Salvador and Guatemala, as the weakening storm dumped heavy rain on a swath of Central America and southern Mexico. Salvadoran authorities reported the deaths of 10 people, including five soldiers, and said more than 1,000 people were evacuated. n Guatemala, eight were killed between Sunday and Monday, according to officials, while seven were injured and hundreds more affected by the storm. Authorities in both El Salvador and Guatemala also canceled classes. In Honduras, five victims have been confirmed including a woman who died Sunday after she was swept away by flood waters, and a four-year-old boy in a boat that capsized near the Nicaragua border on Saturday night, officials said. Panama’s emergency services confirmed later on Monday two deaths as a result of heavy rains, with around 300 people evacuated from communities near the country’s border with Costa Rica.

***
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -- Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slightly broadened his lead over incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro ahead of the Oct. 30 runoff vote, according to a survey by pollster IPEC published on Tuesday. Lula’s voter support reached 51% against 42% for Bolsonaro, compared with 51% and 43%, respectively, in the previous poll. The survey by IPEC interviewed 2,000 people on Oct. 8-10 and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points up or down. IPEC was one of several polling firms criticized for underestimating support for Bolsonaro in the first-round vote early this month.

***
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader John Lee said Tuesday he will only implement United Nations sanctions, after the U.S. warned the territory’s status as a financial center could be affected if it acts as a safe haven for sanctioned individuals. Lee’s statement Tuesday came days after a luxury yacht connected to Russian tycoon Alexey Mordashov docked in the city. Mordashov, who is believed to have close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was sanctioned by the U.S., UK and the European Union in February after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Hong Kong authorities have said that they do not implement unilateral sanctions imposed by other governments. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement Monday that “the possible use of Hong Kong as a safe haven by individuals evading sanctions from multiple jurisdictions further calls into question the transparency of the business environment.”

***
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -- Argentine President Alberto Fernandez again reshuffled his cabinet and appointed three women to lead the labor, social development and women’s ministries, as a deep economic crisis has sparked weeks of protests. The latest Cabinet changes come less than three months after the government reshuffled the economic ministries, naming Sergio Massa to be Argentina’s economy “superminister” in an attempt to contain the worsening economic crisis. In a statement, the government said the new ministers are “women of different ages, geographical origin and extensive experience” that will be part of Fernandez’s Cabinet “in order to deepen the breadth of views and management efficiency.”

***
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -- Malaysia’s veteran politician and opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad predicted on Tuesday that disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak would be released from jail if his graft-tainted ruling party wins an upcoming general election. Najib began a 12-year jail term in August after being convicted in the first of several cases related to the looting of billions of dollars from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Malaysia is set to hold a general election in the coming weeks after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolved parliament on Monday, buckling to pressure from factions in the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) that remain loyal to Najib and others charged with corruption. Speaking a day later, Mahathir warned that UMNO would rush to get Najib released from prison through a royal pardon as well as drop dozens of other corruption charges if it wins the election.