Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. U.S. backs India's right to defend itself after Kashmir attack

The United States has told India it supports its right to defend itself against cross-border attacks, the government said on Saturday, as New Delhi considers retaliation against a car bombing in disputed Kashmir claimed by Pakistan-based militants. Tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have risen again after New Delhi, incensed by the deadliest attack in Kashmir in decades, demanded that Pakistan act against the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group behind the bombing. Nigerian presidential election postponed, all sides appeal for calm

Nigeria's president and the leading opposition candidate urged people to remain calm after a national election scheduled for Saturday was postponed by a week just five hours before polls were due to open. The chairman of the electoral commission said it was no longer feasible to hold free and fair elections on Saturday due to logistical problems, but he did not elaborate. India's semi high-speed train breaks down a day after its launch

India's first locally built semi high-speed train broke down early on Saturday on its way back to New Delhi from Varanasi in northern Uttar Pradesh, a day after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Vande Bharat Express can run up to a maximum speed of 160 km/hour. Albanian protesters try to break into government building

Albanian opposition supporters broke a police cordon on Saturday after throwing petrol bombs and flares and began trying to smash the doors of the building that houses the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama, in a protest calling for him to step down. A security officer appealed for calm as some protesters tried to dismantle scaffolding that protects an illuminated canopy - a piece of artwork dear to Rama. Former U.S. Cardinal McCarrick defrocked for sex crimes

Former U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has been expelled from the Roman Catholic priesthood after he was found guilty of sexual crimes against minors and adults, the Vatican said on Saturday. Pope Francis has decided that the ruling, which followed an appeal by the man who was a power-broker as Archbishop of Washington, D.C. from 2001 to 2006, was now final. Baring Vostok's Calvey tells Russian court he will cooperate with investigation

Michael Calvey, the U.S. founder of one of Russia's biggest private equity firms, told a Russian court on Saturday he would cooperate with an investigation into alleged financial misconduct and comply with terms if put under house arrest. Calvey, a senior partner at Baring Vostok, was detained on Thursday along with some other executives after investigators accused him and others of embezzling 2.5 billion roubles ($37.73 million). U.S. tells European Union to recognize Guaido as Venezuela president

The European Union must recognize Venezuelan congress leader Juan Guaido as the president of the South American country, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday, pressing not just individual European governments but the bloc as a whole. In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, Pence said Guaido, who has declared himself interim leader and has won U.S. and international support to replace Nicolas Maduro, deserved that "the rest of the world" recognize him, and called Maduro a dictator who must step down. Last Islamic State holdout on verge of defeat in east Syria

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will capture Islamic State's last enclave in eastern Syria "in a very short time", the battle commander said on Saturday. The victory will bring the jihadist group, whose self-proclaimed caliphate once stretched across swathes of Syria and Iraq, to the brink of total territorial defeat. Iran asks Pakistan to move against attackers, warns Saudi

Iran urged neighbouring Pakistan on Saturday to crack down on militants who killed 27 of its Revolutionary Guards in an attack near the border or expect military action by Tehran "to punish the terrorists", state media reported. Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari also warned Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that they could face "retaliatory measures" for supporting militant Sunni groups that have attacked Iran's security forces. Riyadh and the UAE deny this. Pence chastises EU, rejects Merkel's call to work with Russia

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence rebuked European powers over Iran and Venezuela on Saturday in a renewed attack on Washington's traditional allies, rejecting a call by Germany's chancellor to include Russia in global cooperation efforts. Describing the results of Donald Trump's presidency as "remarkable" and "extraordinary", Pence told senior European and Asian officials the EU should follow the United States in quitting the Iran nuclear deal and recognizing the head of Venezuela's congress, Juan Guaido, as the country's president.