World News Roundup: U.S imposes new sanction on Russia; migrants' asylum claims; Brexit deal

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

North Korea postponed meeting with Pompeo because 'they weren't ready': Haley

North Korean officials postponed a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that had been scheduled for this week because they were not ready, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters on Thursday. "North Korea said they needed to postpone it for whatever reason," she said. "Secretary Pompeo was ready to come. We continue to stand ready to talk but I don't think that there was some major issue. I have talked with the administration and basically what we're looking at is they postponed it because they weren't ready."

Frail Mikhail Gorbachev warns against return to the Cold War

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, warned on Thursday against rising tensions between Russia and the United States and said there should be no return to the Cold War. The frail 87-year-old was physically helped by aides to a cinema hall to watch the premiere in Russia of a new documentary about his life, his Soviet reforms in the 1980s and his arms control drive that helped end the Cold War.

After 1.3 billion euro makeover, French aircraft carrier returns to sea

Dressed in a khaki uniform and helmet, a pilot jumps into a Rafale fighter jet under the watchful gaze of France's armed forces minister, Florence Parly, as the deck of the Charles de Gaulle carrier prepares for its first activity in 18 months. Europe's only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the 260-metre-long (850-ft) vessel, which carries 1,700 personnel and whose tonnage is equal to four Eiffel Towers, is due to be deployed in early February in the Indian Ocean, according to military sources.

U.S. imposes new sanctions on Russia for Crimea, investments

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on two Ukrainians, a Russian officer and nine entities for Moscow's annexation of Crimea and profiting from the occupation, the U.S. Treasury said. One of the entities sanctioned - the Limited Liability Company Southern Project - was linked to Bank Rossiya and Russian businessman Yuri Kovulchuk, the Treasury Department said.

U.N. approval for some North Korea aid in limbo as U.S. deliberates

Several requests by humanitarian groups for U.N. approval to ship goods to North Korea for aid projects have been in limbo for months because the United States repeatedly asked for more time to consider them, according to documents seen by Reuters on Thursday. The U.N. Security Council has unanimously boosted sanctions on North Korea since 2006 to choke off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Under the measures, aid groups can ask for exemptions to send humanitarian assistance to the impoverished, isolated Asian state.

Center-right set to remain top in EU parliament: poll analysis

The European People's Party will remain the biggest group in the European Parliament come elections in May, giving the center-right EPP's lead candidate Manfred Weber a shot at succeeding Jean-Claude Juncker as EU chief executive, according to a Reuters analysis of polls. Weber, who leads the EPP in the EU legislature, easily won a party congress ballot to be its "Spitzenkandidat", or official nominee to be president of the European Commission -- although many EU member state leaders say they will not be bound by May's election results in choosing Juncker's successor.

U.S. ambassador expects 'frank' exchanges in China dialogue on Friday

A "frank" exchange of views can be expected in top-level diplomatic and security talks between the United States and China on Friday, including on issues such as human rights and the South China Sea, the U.S. ambassador to China said. Terry Branstad told reporters at the State Department on Thursday that the United States would seek progress on priority issues, including North Korea, and that there would also be discussions on strategic security and how "to avoid mistakes or accidents that can happen in the military arena."

Exclusive: Khashoggi murder further complicates 'Arab NATO' plan - U.S. sources

President Donald Trump's strategy to contain Iranian power in the Middle East by forging Arab allies into a U.S.-backed security alliance was in trouble even before the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Now, three U.S. sources said, the plan faces fresh complications. Khashoggi's murder on Oct. 2 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has drawn international outrage against Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with Turkish officials and some U.S. lawmakers accusing the kingdom's de facto ruler of ordering the killing.

UK PM May dives into diplomacy in bid to clinch Brexit deal

Prime Minister Theresa May steps up attempts to court European support for a Brexit deal on Thursday as negotiations on securing a smooth British divorce from the world's biggest trading bloc enter their final stages. She will meet three other EU leaders in Brussels at a NATO dinner on Thursday and have lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday.

Trump administration moves to curb migrants' asylum claims

The Trump administration unveiled new rules on Thursday to sharply limit migrant asylum claims by barring individuals who cross the U.S. southern border illegally from seeking asylum. Immigrant advocates denounced the move, saying it violated existing U.S. law that allows people fleeing persecution and violence in their home countries to apply for asylum regardless of whether they enter illegally or not.

(With inputs from Reuters)