UN, Russia hold talks on extending wartime grain deal

GENEVA (AP) — Top Russian and U.N. officials are holding talks in Switzerland to try to iron out the extension of a deal allowing Ukrainian grain shipments and Russian food and fertilizer exports. There’s just over a week left before the wartime agreement meant to ease a global food crisis is set to expire. U.N. officials are meeting Friday with a Russian team led by the deputy foreign minister. A U.N. Geneva spokeswoman says the talks are aimed to help advance progress toward easing the “unimpeded export” of food and fertilizers from Russia. The deal is critical because Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of grain and other food to parts of the world where many are already going hungry.