Reuters World News Summary

09/04/2016 8:57

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Syria ceasefire deal with Russia close, but Obama says 'not there yet'

President Barack Obama said the United States and Russia were working on Sunday to try to finalize a ceasefire in Syria that would allow more deliveries of humanitarian aid in the war-torn country. "We're not there yet," Obama told reporters after a meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, noting previous ceasefires had failed to last for long.

German anti-immigrant party poised for big gains in Merkel's home state

Voting began on Sunday in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where polls show the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party making huge gains amid growing discontent with Chancellor Angela Merkel and her open-door refugee policy. The election, taking place exactly a year after Merkel's decision to open Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands of refugees, will be followed by another key vote in Berlin in two weeks and national elections next September.

Childless Scottish nationalist leader Sturgeon reveals 2011 miscarriage

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, whose childlessness has been a matter of media speculation over the years, has revealed she suffered a miscarriage in 2011. Following the publication of extracts from a book in the Sunday Times, in which the author referred to Sturgeon losing a baby, the Scottish National Party leader said she hoped it would challenge some of the assumptions and judgments made about women, especially in politics, who don't have children.

British government to set out plans on post-Brexit ties with EU in coming week

The British government will set out in the coming week how it plans to shape its relationship with the European Union upon leaving the bloc, Prime Minister Theresa May said in an interview broadcast on Sunday. Since taking office in July, May and her Brexit minister David Davis have given little detail about what Britain's future relationship with the EU will look like, saying only they want it to involve curbs on immigration and a good deal on trade.

To Iranian eyes, Kurdish unrest spells Saudi incitement

A decision by a Kurdish opposition group to take up arms against Iranian authorities has senior officials in Tehran worrying that Saudi Arabia is seeking to undermine its stability in a deepening of their regional rivalry. Riyadh denies the charge. But tension between the two countries is surging, with Saudi Arabia and Iran supporting opposite sides in wars in Syria and Yemen and rival political parties in Iraq and Lebanon. The contest has largely hewed along sectarian lines as mainly Shi'ite Iran and Saudi Arabia, a predominantly Sunni country, vie for influence.

Turkey to invest $3.4 billion in rebuilding southeast, PM quoted as saying

Turkey will invest 10 billion lira ($3.4 billion) in rebuilding areas in the largely Kurdish southeast that have been damaged by heavy fighting between militants and the state, the Daily Sabah newspaper quoted the prime minister as saying on Sunday. Turkey's southeast has been hit by waves of violence following the collapse of a 2-1/2-year ceasefire between the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the state last year.

Philippines worried, says more Chinese boats spotted at disputed shoal

The Philippines expressed "grave concern" on Sunday and demanded an explanation from China's ambassador over what it said was an increasing number of Chinese boats near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. A Philippines air force plane flew over the rocky outcrop on Saturday and spotted more boats than usual in a flotilla China has maintained since seizing the shoal after a tense standoff in 2012, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

Germany's Merkel upbeat on improving ties with Erdogan after meeting

German Chancellor Angela Merkel struck an upbeat tone after meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the G20 summit, and said she expected progress on two thorny issues that have marred German and European ties with Ankara. Both Germany and the EU, which depend on Ankara to keep a lid on the movement of migrants to the bloc, are trying to ease tensions with Turkey after criticizing Erdogan's crackdown on opponents following the failed coup in July.

Pope proclaims 'dispenser of mercy' Mother Teresa a saint

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, known as the "saint of the gutters" during her life, was declared a saint of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Francis on Sunday, fast-tracked to canonization just 19 years after her death. Tens of thousands of pilgrims packed St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for a service to honor the tiny nun, who worked among the world's neediest in the slums of the Indian city now called Kolkata and become one of the most recognizable faces of the 20th century.

China's Xi at G20 says world economy at risk, warns against protectionism

The global economy is being threatened by rising protectionism and risks from highly leveraged financial markets, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the open of a two-day summit of leaders from G20 nations. His warning on Sunday followed bilateral talks with Barack Obama that the U.S. president described as "extremely productive," but which failed to bring both sides closer on thornier topics such as tensions in the South China Sea.

09/04/2016 8:57