World News Roundup: British PM Johnson bids for election as opponents seek to stop no-deal Brexit

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ramaphosa says South Africa must quell attacks on foreigners as summit starts

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told officials and business leaders on Wednesday that he was committed to quelling attacks on foreigners that have threatened to cast a cloud over an economic forum aimed at boosting intra-African trade. Police have arrested dozens of people and confirmed several deaths after riots in Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria in recent days, when roving groups attacked shops mainly owned by migrants from the rest of Africa.

British PM Johnson bids for election as opponents seek to stop no-deal Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will try to call a snap election on Wednesday after lawmakers seeking to prevent him from taking Britain out of the European Union without a divorce deal dealt him a humbling parliamentary defeat. Parliament's move leaves Brexit up in the air, with possible outcomes ranging from a turbulent no-deal exit to abandoning the whole endeavor - both outcomes would be unacceptable to swathes of the United Kingdom's voters.

Argentine farmers favoring safe-bet soy over corn as policy outlook darkens

Argentine farmers, anxious about an increasingly murky political outlook and economic turmoil, are turning toward soy over more expensive corn to cut costs, a shift that could impact next season's harvest in one of the world's top grain exporters. Farmers said a volatile economic situation in Argentina and the likelihood of a new administration at the end of the year, after President Mauricio Macri was hammered in primary elections, meant soybeans looked a less risky bet than corn.

Hong Kong leader withdraws extradition bill, but some say too little too late

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday withdrew an extradition bill that triggered months of often violent protests so the Chinese-ruled city can move forward from a "highly vulnerable and dangerous" place and find solutions. Her televised announcement came after Reuters reports on Friday and Monday revealing that Beijing had thwarted an earlier proposal from Lam to withdraw the bill and that she had said privately that she would resign if she could, according to an audio recording obtained by Reuters.

Recovery on Bahamas begins as Hurricane Dorian heads for Florida, Carolinas

Debris extended for miles and floods covered much of the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, in what the archipelago's prime minister called one of the worst disasters to ever strike the island nation. Emergency workers struggled to reach victims as search and rescue operations continued into Wednesday ands the scope of the damage and humanitarian crisis unfolded.

Afghan government has concerns about U.S.-Taliban peace deal

The Afghan government has concerns about the draft peace agreement reached between U.S. and Taliban negotiators and wants further clarification, President Ashraf Ghani's main spokesman said on Wednesday. The deal, which would see around 5,000 U.S. troops withdrawn and five bases closed in exchange for guarantees that Afghanistan would not be used as a base for militant attacks on America, was presented to Ghani this week by the special U.S. envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad.

No trade mechanism until Iran passes terrorism financing laws: French diplomat

A European trade mechanism to barter humanitarian and food goods with Iran will not work until Tehran sets up a mirror company and meets international standards against money-laundering and terrorism financing, a French diplomatic source said. Britain, France and Germany, parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran along with the United States, China and Russia, are determined to show they can compensate for last year's U.S. withdrawal, salvage trade promised to Iran under the accord and still prevent Tehran developing a nuclear bomb capability.

Politics as 'marriage therapy'? Norway TV debates strike harmonious chord

No butting in or talking over your opponent and try to see things from their perspective - those are the ground rules adopted by two political shows in Norway that aim to buck a global trend towards ever more bitter polarization of opinions. As politicians in the United States, Britain and many other countries adopt increasingly confrontational poses and appear to shun compromise, Norway is trialing new ways to debate political issues ahead of its local elections on Sept. 9.

Iran to release seven crew members of detained British tanker

Iran will free seven crew members of the detained British-flagged tanker Stena Impero, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday, although the vessel's owner said it had yet to receive any official confirmation of the release date. The Swedish-owned Stena Impero was detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on July 19 in the Strait of Hormuz waterway for alleged marine violations, two weeks after Britain detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar. That vessel was released in August.

Malaysia had plan to use Chinese money to bail out 1MDB, court hears

Malaysia's former leader Najib Razak approved a plan to bail out troubled state fund 1MDB by offering stakes in several big infrastructure projects to Chinese firms in 2016, a former aide told a court on Wednesday. Najib, who was voted out of power last year amid public anger over alleged graft at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), is on trial for allegedly receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from the state fund he set up in 2009.

Also Read: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffers major defeat in Parliament as rebels seize control of Brexit agenda. (AP) TIRTIR TIR

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)