Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Oct. 21

WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court based in California on Monday allowed the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops to the city of Portland, lifting a lower court order that had halted the deployment.

The 2-1 ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, headquartered in San Francisco, California, came roughly two weeks after a federal judge temporarily blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's attempt to send National Guard troops to Portland, the state of Oregon. (U.S.-National Guard-Portland)

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MOSCOW -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday.

As a brief statement published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted, the two sides held a "constructive discussion" on possible specific steps to implement the understandings reached during the Oct. 16 telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The ministry did not release more information about the call. (Russia-U.S.-Diplomats)

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JERUSALEM -- Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the coffin of an unidentified Israeli hostage held in Gaza, the Prime Minister's Office said on Monday.

The statement said the coffin was handed over to the Israeli army and the Shin Bet domestic security agency inside Gaza and will be transferred to Israel.

The body will undergo identification at the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, after which the family will be notified. (Israel-Gaza-Hostage)

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SANAA -- Yemen's Houthi group on Monday released 20 United Nations staff members detained two days earlier in the capital Sanaa over allegations of spying for Israel, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said.

"All fifteen international UN staff are now free to move inside the UN compound in Sanaa and are in contact with their respective UN entities and families," Grundberg said in an emailed statement.

He added that five Yemeni UN employees who had been held since Oct. 18 in the same compound were also released, and that Houthi security forces had vacated the UN premises. (Yemen-Houthis-UN Employee) Enditem