Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
Trump and Kim one year on: A "beautiful letter", stalled diplomacy
A year after President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un met for the first time, they appear committed to a personal bond upon which hopes for peace seem to rest despite a stalemate in efforts to get Kim to abandon his nuclear weapons. Trump and Kim agreed at the first U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, easing fears of war between their countries.
Russian police detain more than 200 at Moscow journalist protest
Russian police said they had detained more than 200 people on Wednesday, including opposition politician Alexei Navalny, at a protest in Moscow calling for punishment for police officers involved in the alleged framing of a journalist. Police abruptly dropped drug charges a day earlier against investigative journalist Ivan Golunov, a rare U-turn by the authorities in the face of anger from his supporters who said he was targeted over his reporting.
Turkey says U.S. letter on F-35s not in line with spirit of alliance
Turkey on Wednesday criticized a letter from Washington on Ankara's eventual removal from the F-35 fighter jet program, saying the language used did not suit the spirit of alliance between the two NATO allies. Writing to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar last week, U.S. acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan outlined how Turkey would be pulled out of the F-35 program unless Ankara changes course from its plans to purchase the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
With Oct. 31 Brexit pledge, Boris Johnson bids for UK leadership
Boris Johnson kicked off his campaign to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday with a commitment to lead Britain out of the European Union on Oct. 31, warning his divided Conservative Party "delay means defeat". Johnson, 54, favorite for the top job nearly three years since he led the referendum campaign to leave the EU, praised the strength of the British economy, promised to deliver Brexit by the end of October and tackle despair across the country.
Philippines denounces Chinese fishing boat for collision
The Philippines on Wednesday denounced the crew of a Chinese fishing boat that collided with a Philippine vessel and left 22 Filipino fishermen abandoned in the disputed South China Sea. The collision took place near the Reed Bank on Sunday, the defense ministry said, adding that a Vietnamese fishing boat rescued all the fishermen. "We denounce the actions of the Chinese fishing vessel for immediately leaving the incident scene, abandoning the 22 Filipino crewmen to the mercy of the elements," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.
Hong Kong police fire rubber bullets as extradition bill protests turn to chaos
Hong Kong police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators who threw plastic bottles on Wednesday as protests against an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial descended into violent chaos. Tens of thousands of protesters had gathered peacefully outside the Chinese-ruled city's legislature before tempers flared, some charging police with umbrellas.
Iran to ask Japan's Abe to mediate over U.S. oil sanctions: officials
Iran will ask Japan to mediate between Tehran and Washington to ease oil sanctions imposed by the United States, Iranian officials said on Wednesday, as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the country for a two-day visit. Abe, the first Japanese leader to visit Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution, landed in Tehran as a brewing confrontation between Iran and the United States stokes fear of another military conflict in the crisis-ridden Middle East.
Swedish Appeals Court overturns bombing plot conviction
A Swedish appeals court on Wednesday overturned a seven-year sentence handed down to an Uzbek man by a lower court for plotting to carry out a bombing in the name of Islamic State. While the Svea Appeals Court freed David Idrisson, a 46-year old Uzbek citizen who has lived in Sweden since 2008, over the charge of preparing an attack, it upheld his conviction for financing terrorism.
Exclusive: Asylum seekers returned to Mexico rarely win bids to wait in U.S.
Over two hours on June 1, a Honduran teenager named Tania pleaded with a U.S. official not to be returned to Mexico. Immigration authorities had allowed her mother and younger sisters into the United States two months earlier to pursue claims for asylum in U.S. immigration court. But they sent Tania back to Tijuana on her own, with no money and no place to stay.
Expectations low for Trump-Xi talks, preparations limited
With under three weeks to go before proposed talks between the Chinese and U.S. leaders, expectations for progress toward ending the trade war are low and sources say there has been little preparation for a meeting even as the health of the world economy is at stake. President Donald Trump says he wants to meet with President Xi Jinping at the June 28-29 G20 summit in Osaka, Japan and will decide on whether to extend tariffs to almost all Chinese imports after that.
