Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Von der Leyen faces crucial vote in quest to lead EU executive

Germany's Ursula von der Leyen faces a make-or-break vote on Tuesday in her quest to be the European Commission's first female leader, and a raft of promises made the previous day may help her win over skeptical European Union socialist and liberal lawmakers. To appease them, von der Leyen pledged more ambitious carbon dioxide emissions targets, a more growth-oriented fiscal policy and taxing big tech companies.

Trump administration erects another barrier to immigrants seeking U.S. asylum

The Trump administration on Monday unveiled a new rule to bar almost all immigrants from applying for asylum at the southern border, requiring them to first pursue safe haven in a third country through which they had traveled on the way to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security, in a statement issued with the Department of Justice, said the rule would set a "new bar" for immigrants "by placing further restrictions or limitations on eligibility for aliens who seek asylum in the United States."

Pompeo hopes U.S., North Korea can be 'more creative' in nuclear talks

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he hoped both North Korea and the United States could "be a little more creative" as the two sides push to restart talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear program. Pompeo did not say when the negotiations would begin.

Trial begins with high stakes for U.S.-Turkey ties, ex-Trump adviser Flynn

In a court case that could further strain American relations with Turkey and weigh on the sentencing of former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn, a criminal trial began on Monday involving a former Iranian-American business partner of Flynn. Bijan Rafiekian's trial in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, turns on whether he conspired to lobby on Turkey's behalf to try to persuade the U.S. government to extradite Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Turkey for a failed coup in July 2016.

Turkey's Erdogan says Russian S-400s will be fully deployed by April 2020

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the Russian S-400 missile defence system, parts of which have been delivered to Turkey over the past four days, would be fully deployed in April 2020. Turkey's purchase of the Russian system has raised tensions with its NATO allies, particularly the United States, which has warned Turkey that it will respond with sanctions.

U.N. concerned by U.S. curbs on Iranian foreign minister while in New York

The United Nations told the United States it is concerned by tight travel restrictions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during his visit to New York this week, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said on Monday. Zarif arrived in New York on Sunday after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed off on the visit amid heightened tensions between the two countries. But Zarif is only allowed to travel between the United Nations, the Iranian U.N. mission, the Iranian U.N. ambassador's residence and New York's John F. Kennedy airport, a U.S. State Department official said.

Hong Kong leader says protesters in latest clashes can be called 'rioters'

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Monday protesters who clashed with police on the weekend were rioters, a legally loaded term in the city, and she supported the police in upholding the law and seeking perpetrators. Lam made the comments at a hospital where she visited three police officers injured in violent disturbances on Sunday between police and demonstrators angry about an extradition bill.

France's Macron pledges to relaunch Serbia-Kosovo dialogue

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday he would to help relaunch talks to normalize ties between Serbia and Kosovo in the next few weeks. After meeting his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, Macron said he would invite delegations from the two countries to Paris along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Nuclear deal parties not ready to launch dispute mechanism against Iran, prefer more diplomacy: EU

The remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal do not see Tehran's breaches as significant and do not intend for now to trigger the pact's dispute mechanism, preferring more diplomacy to ease the crisis, the EU foreign policy chief said on Monday. She spoke at the end of an European Union foreign ministers meeting after Britain said there was only a "small window" of time to salvage the deal, while Iran warned it would ramp up uranium enrichment if the EU failed to do more to that end.

Saudi vice minister of defense says met with U.N. envoy to Yemen

Saudi vice minister of defense Khalid bin Salman stressed Saudi support for a political solution in Yemen in a meeting with U.N. special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on Monday. The vice minister said in a tweet that he met with the special envoy to "emphasize our commitment to the wellbeing of the Yemeni people, and the need to end Iran's interference in Yemen. I also stressed our support for a political solution, and the need for the Houthis to implement their signed agreements, including Stockholm."