World News Summary: Macron says Brexit cannot divide EU; Iran says it has full control of Gulf

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Macron says Brexit cannot divide EU, criticizes Trump's isolationism

President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said preserving European Union unity was more important than forging a close relationship with post-Brexit Britain and hit out at what he called U.S. President Donald Trump's "aggressive" isolationism. Macron, who met Prime Minister Theresa May for talks on Britain's departure from the EU during the summer holiday, said he wanted to reach a Brexit deal by the end of the year and showed no signs of breaking ranks with other EU capitals.

Verdict in case against Reuters journalists in Myanmar postponed to September 3

The verdict in Myanmar's prosecution of two Reuters reporters accused of breaching the country's Official Secrets Act was postponed on Monday until Sept. 3 because the judge overseeing the case is in poor health, a court official said. "The judge is in poor health, so I am here to announce that the verdict is postponed to the third," said Judge Khin Maung Maung, who attended a brief proceeding in the Yangon court, replacing Judge Ye Lwin who has overseen the case until now.

Myanmar generals had 'genocidal intent' against Rohingya, must face justice: U.N.

Myanmar's military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with "genocidal intent" and the commander-in-chief and five generals should be prosecuted for orchestrating the gravest crimes under the law, U.N. investigators said on Monday. The civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi has allowed hate speech to thrive, destroyed documents and failed to protect minorities from crimes against humanity and war crimes by the army in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan state, they said in a report.

Iran says it has full control of Gulf, U.S. Navy does not belong there

Iran has full control of the Gulf and the U.S. Navy does not belong there, the head of the navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, General Alireza Tangsiri, was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying on Monday. Tehran has suggested it could take military action in the Gulf to block other countries' oil exports in retaliation for U.S. sanctions intended to halt its sales of crude. Washington maintains a fleet in the Gulf that protects oil shipping routes.

Putin, Xi to hold talks next month in Russia's Vladivostok - Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during an economic forum in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok next month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. Russia is expecting some Asian leaders and companies to attend to the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok from September 11-13.

Tarnished by bailout, Greek PM eyes reshuffle before election

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is poised to announce a cabinet reshuffle this week to freshen up a government lagging in the polls as the effects of painful bailouts still bite a year before a national election. A meeting of senior figures in his leftist Syriza party later on Monday to launch a process for the selection of a new secretary is likely to pave the way for the reshuffle, which will not be wide-ranging, sources say.

Canada appeals for German backing amid Saudi rights row

The foreign minister of Canada, which is embroiled in a diplomatic row with Saudi Arabia, called for German support on Monday in Ottawa's campaign to promote human rights around the world. The German government, trying to repair its own strained relationship with Riyadh, has been silent on the spat between Canada and Saudi Arabia, drawing criticism from some politicians and rights groups.

U.S. blocks WTO judge reappointment as his term nears an end

The United States told the World Trade Organization on Monday it would block the reappointment of one of the WTO's four remaining appeals judges next month, leaving the bare minimum of three on what is effectively the supreme court of trade. There are normally seven members of the WTO's Appellate Body, but three have already left and Shree Baboo Chekitan Servansing needs to be reappointed for a second term next month.

Turkey's Erdogan to visit Iran on Sept. 7

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will visit Iran on Sept 7, his office said on Monday, on a trip expected to include a three-way summit with Russian and Iranian leaders. The Kremlin said nearly two weeks ago that Russian President Vladimir Putin may take part in a meeting with Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the beginning of September. The three leaders met in April in Ankara, where they discussed developments in Syria.

Russia says sees signs U.S. preparing for possible strike on Syria: agencies

The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Monday it had noticed Washington was building up its military forces in the Middle East in preparation for what Moscow feared was a possible strike on Syrian government forces, Russian news agencies reported. Major-General Igor Konashenkov was quoted by agencies as saying that the USS Ross, a guided-missile destroyer, had entered the Mediterranean on Aug. 25 armed with 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of hitting any target in Syria.

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