World News Roundup: Italy and Poland want 'new spring' in Europe; New Brazil govt riven by divisions, policy confusion

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

North Korea's Kim says to work for 'welcomed' result in second Trump summit: Xinhua

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to make a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump achieve a result that would be welcomed by the international community, China's Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday after Kim visited Beijing. Kim said he hoped relevant sides would take North Korea's "reasonable concerns" seriously and actively respond to them to promote a comprehensive resolution to the Korean peninsula issue, China's official news agency said.

U.S., Israel air concerns over China telecom companies: U.S. official

U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton raised U.S. concerns about the use of Chinese telecommunications equipment in sensitive sectors during a weekend meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. "We are all concerned about theft of intellectual property and Chinese telecoms companies that are being used by China for intelligence-gathering purposes," said a senior administration official who was briefed on the talks.

Erdogan threats against Kurds will not stop Syria withdrawal, Pompeo says

The U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria will not be scuppered despite Turkish threats against Washington's Kurdish allies there, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, promising to ensure that the Kurds would still be protected. Pompeo met leaders in Iraq's capital and its semi-autonomous Kurdistan region on Wednesday, aiming to reassure them about Washington's plans following President Donald Trump's surprise announcement last month of an abrupt withdrawal from Syria.

Iran says U.S. citizen White arrested, confirming earlier reports

Iran confirmed on Wednesday it had arrested an American, confirming U.S. media reports about a case that risks further worsening relations with Washington. The New York Times reported on Monday that Michael White, a 46-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, was arrested while visiting Iran and had been held since July on unspecified charges.

Italy and Poland want 'new spring' in Europe: Salvini

Italy and Poland should join forces to reshape Europe, Italy's far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday during a visit to Warsaw to drum up support for a eurosceptic alliance to contest May elections to the European Parliament. The eurosceptic governments in Rome and Warsaw are both keen to repatriate some EU powers from Brussels to national capitals and hope like-minded parties will do well in the May elections, which will follow Britain's planned exit from the bloc in March.

New Brazil government riven by divisions, policy confusion

Brazil's new far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has stumbled out of the gate with infighting, policy flip-flops and confusion in his one-week-old government, raising concern among investors about his ability to carry out pressing fiscal reforms. Divisions have quickly emerged between his political and economic teams over plans to overhaul a messy tax code and costly pension system to bring a high budget deficit under control.

Congo braces for election results after commission meets overnight

Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission met all night and into Wednesday morning ahead of an announcement of results from the presidential election that could come later in the day. Riot police were deployed in front of the commission headquarters in the capital Kinshasa and along the city's main boulevard, as Congo braced for possible violence amid accusations of vote fraud and suspicions that the government was negotiating a power-sharing deal with one opposition candidate.

Australia makes arrest over suspicious embassy, consulate parcels: police

Australian police said on Thursday a 48-year-old man was arrested as part of an investigation into suspicious packages sent to embassies and consulates across the country. More than a dozen foreign offices received suspicious packages on Wednesday. Police have so far recovered 29 of the parcels but are yet to determine the exact composition of the material in them.

Britain's May suffers parliament defeat as Brexit debate resumes

British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered an early defeat to her Brexit plans on Wednesday when parliament demanded the government come up with a plan-B within days if she loses a vote on her deal to leave the European Union. With less than three months before Britain is due to quit the EU, parliament began a five-day battle over May's Brexit plan with a show of force - undermining her preferred timetable if lawmakers vote down her blueprint next Tuesday.

Venezuela's defense minister asked Maduro to resign: Washington Post

Venezuela's defense minister told socialist President Nicolas Maduro to step down last month, and said he would offer his own resignation if he did not, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing an anonymous U.S. intelligence official. Both Maduro and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez are still in office. Maduro is set to be sworn in for a second six-year term on Thursday, though several countries in the region have warned him not to take office, calling his May 2018 re-election vote a sham.