Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia summons senior U.S. diplomat over U.N. visa row

Russia on Tuesday summoned a senior U.S. diplomat in Moscow to protest over what it said was Washington's unacceptable refusal to issue visas to members of a Russian delegation traveling to the United Nations General Assembly. The Kremlin promised a tough response and said Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador in Moscow, had been summoned to the foreign ministry, but Russian news agencies said that Huntsman's deputy had gone instead.

UK PM Johnson: the law is that UK leaves EU on Oct. 31

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that the Supreme Court ruling against him had hindered his attempt to get a Brexit deal but that as the law currently stood, the United Kingdom would leave the European Union on Oct. 31. “As the law currently stands, the UK leaves the EU on October 31st come what may but the exciting thing for us now is to get a good deal," Johnson told reporters in New York.

Brexit crisis deepens as court rules Johnson unlawfully suspended UK parliament

The United Kingdom's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to shut down parliament in the run-up to Brexit was unlawful, a humiliating rebuke that thrusts Britain's exit from the European Union into deeper turmoil. The unanimous and stinging judgment by the court's 11 judges undermines Johnson's already fragile grip on power and gives legislators more scope to oppose his promise to take Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31.

In remote Amazon, indigenous married Catholics spread gospel, pray for priesthood

Just before dawn, Shainkiam Yampik beats a drum carved from a tree trunk at the start of a Roman Catholic prayer service in Wijint, a hamlet of thatched-roof huts in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. Whispering "Jesusan namanguinde," or "the body of Christ" in the tongue of the indigenous Achuar people, Yampik gives communion bread to villagers in a small chapel amid a loud chorus of birds and insects outside.

Trump denies pressuring Ukraine, will not commit to transcript release

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday denied trying to coerce Ukraine into investigating his Democratic rival Joe Biden, but wavered about whether he would release a transcript of a phone call that some Democrats say is grounds for his impeachment. Trump told reporters in New York that he did not pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July phone call to launch a corruption investigation into Biden and his son in return for U.S. military aid.

European powers back U.S. in blaming Iran for Saudi oil attack, urge broader talks

Britain, Germany and France backed the United States and blamed Iran on Monday for an attack on Saudi oil facilities, urging Tehran to agree to new talks with world powers on its nuclear and missile programs and regional security issues. The Europeans issued a joint statement after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron met at the United Nations on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders.

Hong Kong leader says police under extreme pressure; acknowledges 'long road' ahead

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the city's police force, which has been accused of beating activists and using excessive force during protests, is under extreme pressure and acknowledged it will be a "long road" toward healing rifts. Beijing-backed Lam said it was "quite remarkable" there had not been fatalities during three months of protests, and she hoped dialogue would help resolve the political crisis gripping the Asian financial center.

'You have stolen my dreams,' an angry Thunberg tells U.N. climate summit

Teenage activist Greta Thunberg angrily denounced world leaders on Monday for failing to tackle climate change, unleashing the outrage felt by millions of her peers in the heart of the United Nations by demanding: "How dare you?" The Swedish campaigner's brief address electrified the start of a summit aimed at mobilising government and business to break international paralysis over carbon emissions, which hit record highs last year despite decades of warnings from scientists.

Trump asks what a third North Korean summit would yield

U.S. President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in held a summit in New York on Monday to discuss plans to restart U.S.-North Korea talks, as Seoul's spy agency said the negotiations could take place in two to three weeks. Negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programs have stalled since a failed second summit between Trump and its leader Kim Jong Un in February. Pyongyang has said it is willing to restart working-level talks in late September, but no date or location have been set.

With Iran on his mind, Trump to speak before U.N. General Assembly

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to make his case for keeping pressure on Iran on Tuesday at a United Nations General Assembly speech made more dramatic by attacks on Saudi oil facilities that rattled the Middle East and raised concerns about a broader war. It will be Trump's third appearance before world leaders gathered in the green-marbled U.N. chamber in New York and a host of global challenges are on his agenda, from North Korea to China and Venezuela.