Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Turkey and Russia to discuss removal of Kurdish militia from Syrian towns

Turkey and Russia will discuss the removal of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from the northern Syrian towns of Manbij and Kobani during talks in Sochi next week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday. Turkey paused its military offensive into northeastern Syria after President Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday, in talks with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, a five-day ceasefire to allow the YPG to withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara aims to establish near its border.

Bangladesh to move Rohingya to flood-prone island next month

Bangladesh will start relocating Rohingya Muslims to a flood-prone island off its coast next month as several thousand refugees have agreed to move, a government official said on Sunday. Dhaka wants to move 100,000 refugees to Bhasan Char – a Bay of Bengal island hours by boat from the mainland – to ease overcrowding in its camps at Cox’s Bazar, home to more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims who have fled neighboring Myanmar.

Lebanon protesters keep pressure on government as reform deadline nears

Protesters in Lebanon returned to the streets early on Sunday, keeping pressure on Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri as a self-imposed deadline to deliver a package of badly needed reforms for the country's crumbling economy drew near. Anti-government protests that have swept the country since Thursday have pulled together all segments of Lebanese society in an unusually unified call for the downfall of a political elite that protesters blame for plunging the economy into crisis.

Indonesia's Widodo faces test on reform credentials in second term

Indonesian President Joko Widodo was sworn in on Sunday for a second five-year term leading the world's third-biggest democracy, after an election dominated by economic issues but also the growing influence of conservative Islam. Widodo, 58, has pledged to cut red tape and keep building infrastructure to underpin growth in southeast Asia's largest economy, but also made improving education a top priority to encourage investment and create jobs for a youthful population of 260 million people.

UK PM sends unsigned letter to EU asking for Brexit delay

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent an unsigned letter to the European Union on Saturday requesting a delay to Brexit but he also sent another message in which he stated he did not want the extension, a government source said. Johnson was compelled by a law, passed by opponents last month, to ask the bloc for an extension to the current Brexit deadline of Oct. 31 until Jan. 31 after lawmakers thwarted his attempt to pass his EU divorce deal earlier on Saturday.

Anti-separatists rally in Barcelona after pro-independence unrest

One of the most prominent figures against independence for the Spanish region of Catalonia staged a counter-protest on Sunday after a week of separatist unrest and called for an end to the violence. Albert Rivera, head of the pro-unionist Ciudadanos party, told hundreds of flag-waving supporters that Spain's acting Socialist government was not doing enough to end the chaos sparked by the jailing of separatist leaders.

Petrol bombs and tear gas scar Hong Kong streets as police, protesters clash

Hong Kong riot police and protesters exchanged tear gas and petrol bombs as an illegal anti-government march that attracted tens of thousands descended into chaos, with hundreds of shops trashed and Chinese banks and metro stations targeted. After two weeks of relative calm, the major rally showed that the pro-democracy campaign has not lost support and that hardcore protesters will continue to clash with police.

Canada's Trudeau, main rival trade attacks as campaign grinds to conclusion

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing the loss of his Parliamentary majority in an election next week, traded attacks with his main rival on Saturday as a bad-tempered campaign entered its last few days. Trudeau came to power in 2015 promising "sunny ways" and a new way of doing politics but saw his popularity drop earlier this year amid an ethics scandal. Images of him in blackface emerged last month, further hurting his Liberal Party ahead of the Oct. 21 election.

Pentagon chief in Afghanistan as U.S. looks to kickstart Taliban talks

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrived in Afghanistan on Sunday in a bid to bring talks with the Taliban back on track after President Donald Trump abruptly broke off negotiations last month seeking to end the United States' longest war. Esper's trip to Kabul comes amid questions about the United States' commitments to allies after a sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops from northeastern Syria and Trump's long-time desire to get out of foreign engagements.

India, Pakistan trade barbs over deadly Kashmir clash

India and Pakistan blamed one another for cross-border shelling in the disputed Kashmir region which killed and injured soldiers and civilians on both sides and made it one of the deadliest days since New Delhi revoked Kashmir's special status in August. India said there was heavy shelling by Pakistan across the border in northern Kashmir's Tangdhar region late on Saturday night, killing two Indian soldiers and one civilian.