Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

South Korea summons Ukraine envoy in protest over North Korean POW transfer

South Korea's foreign ministry summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador on Monday to protest against Kyiv's disclosure of the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, and demanded an official explanation and apology. The ministry said it had called in acting ambassador Andrii Vieshkin and expressed strong regret that Ukrainian ​President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made the disclosure at the United Nations General Assembly, despite what Seoul said was a clear agreement between the two countries to keep the matter confidential.

German security agencies face dilemma after victories for far right and far left

This month's victories for ​far-right and far-left parties in German state elections have intensified official debate over whether security authorities can restrict secret information that might be passed on to Russia or criminal groups. The far-right ‌Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, ​which came close to winning an absolute majority in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, and the far-left Left Party, which came first in the capital Berlin on September 20, could both pose risks, senior figures in the ruling coalition say.

Florida pastor accused of role in Haitian president's assassination goes on trial

A Haitian American pastor accused by US prosecutors of helping orchestrate the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise so he could take over the Caribbean nation's leadership is due to stand trial in Miami on Monday. Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to kill or kidnap Moise and could face life in prison if convicted.

Child and two women die on migrant dinghy off French coast

Three migrants including a 10-year-old child died while trying to cross the Channel from France to Britain on an overcrowded inflatable dinghy on Monday, ‌French authorities said. France's maritime police force said it received a distress call from a boat carrying 105 people. Initial information suggested the two women and child were crushed on the dinghy, the local prefecture said. All other passengers were rescued.

Protesters demand Spanish government limit evictions after pensioner forced out

Protesters camped outside the Madrid regional government's headquarters for a third day on Monday to object to the eviction of an octogenarian and demand stronger protection for tenants in the face of a housing shortage and soaring rents. Protests boiled over last week after police evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal on a stretcher from her Madrid home of more than seven decades because of an eviction order secured by the investment fund that bought her apartment.

Germany vows support for ICC as Trump escalates pressure on court

Germany on Monday vowed continued support for the International Criminal Court, ahead of a trip by its foreign minister to the Hague-based court that is currently in the US administration's crosshairs. US President Donald Trump has long opposed the ICC and recently urged countries to leave the "evil" court immediately.

Far-right Le Pen and hard-left Melenchon seen reaching French presidential run-off, poll shows

French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and far-left contender Jean-Luc Melenchon are seen reaching a run-off vote in next year's presidential election ‌in each of five scenarios polled, according to a survey published on Monday. The results of the poll suggest that French voters may face a contest between extremes in the election, set for next April and May, with centrists falling behind at a time of rising prices, a sluggish economy and geopolitical instability.

Explainer-Why has the drive to verify India's billion voters put poll body under scrutiny

India's drive to verify the eligibility of roughly a billion voters has put the Election Commission of India (ECI) under severe public scrutiny, with opposition parties alleging the manipulation of voter rolls and ‌exclusion of millions. A report published last week by the Indian Express newspaper alleged there were internal divisions within the poll body over the lists and registration procedures, stoking further concerns about its neutrality.

Signal faults and communication problems caused Indonesia's deadly train collision, investigators say

Indonesian investigators found signal and communication problems were the main cause of a deadly train collision near the capital Jakarta which killed 16 in April, a report from the Transportation Safety Committee showed. The evening collision between a commuter train and a long-distance train happened on April 27 in Bekasi, just outside Jakarta, killing 16 people and injuring 107, said the report, which was published on the committee's website. It was not clear when the report was first released.

South Korean military: 'Highly likely' North Korean mine injured soldiers in DMZ

South Korea's military said on Monday that it was "highly likely" that the blasts that seriously injured two South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) at the border on September 21 were caused by a North Korean mine. A South Korean military team was conducting a reconnaissance operation inside the western sector of the 4-km-wide DMZ border area separating the two Koreas when a landmine blast injured three heavily armed soldiers, two of them seriously.

Sweden faces political deadlock after Andersson gives up attempt to form government

Attempts to form a new government in Sweden hit the buffers on Monday after Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson said she was unable to secure enough support, despite the centre-left bloc winning a narrow majority in this month's election. "I can ⁠conclude that there is currently no possibility ​for me to form a government," Andersson said at a press conference, saying she had lost the support of Sweden's Left Party.

Brazil's Lula widens first-round lead; runoff ⁠with Bolsonaro stays tight, BTG/Nexus poll shows

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro remain statistically tied in a simulated runoff ahead of next month's election, while the leftist incumbent widened his lead in first-round voting intentions, a BTG Pactual/Nexus poll showed on Monday. In a potential runoff, Lula would receive 46% of voter support, compared with 44% for the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, the poll said.

Ethiopian pro-government forces claim capture of strategic Tigray town

Ethiopia's military and allied militiamen captured the strategic town of Alamata south of Tigray's capital, a pro-government militia said on Monday, turning the tables after an opposition offensive launched from the region last week. Video posted by the pro-government Tigrai Peace Force ⁠on its Facebook page showed soldiers marching through the streets, waving Ethiopian flags. Reuters could not immediately verify the video.

Thai court dismisses petition challenging legality of 2026 election

Thailand's Constitutional Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the legality of February's general election, ruling that the ballot papers used did not violate voter secrecy. Nearly 38 million Thais voted in the February 8 election, which was won decisively by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's Bhumjaithai Party, allowing it to form a coalition government controlling more than 290 of the 500 seats in parliament.

Macron invokes Europe’s Judeo-Christian foundation as Leo visits

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Europe was built on a "Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian foundation", invoking the continent's religious heritage in ​a speech alongside Pope Leo. The remarks were notable from the leader of a constitutionally secular state, in a country that regularly agonises over national identity, religion and the place of faith in public life. Leo's tour has received an enthusiastic public reception.

Lebanon hopes for new staff-level agreement with IMF

Lebanon hopes for a new staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber has said, adding that a full IMF program still required Beirut to pass a final law to address losses from its financial crisis. Lebanon first signed ⁠a staff-level agreement with the IMF in April 2022, more than two years after its financial system imploded following decades of profligate spending and corruption in the ruling elite. But it was slow to implement the promised changes.

China, US agree tariff cuts on $60 billion of goods including agriculture, household items

China and the United States have agreed to cut tariffs imposed on $60 billion worth of goods imported from each other, on an array of products ranging from US corn to cosmetics, and from Chinese household appliances to toys. Under the US-China Board of Trade, both countries have each recommended $30 billion of trade in non-sensitive goods for more favourable tariff treatment, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement on Sunday.

What is known about arrests at US airbase in Britain

British police ⁠have arrested ​five men nL1N45K06I near an airbase used by the US for strikes on Iran. Below is what is known so far about the incident at RAF Fairford:

Analysis-Trump and Xi's 'stalemate' summit was a glitzy gift to China

President Donald Trump hoped his pomp-filled summit with Xi Jinping in Washington last week would showcase the strength of his personal relationship with the Chinese leader. Instead, the limited outcomes showed just how far apart Washington and Beijing remain on key issues, and reinforced a view among analysts that Xi sees little reason to grant Trump major political victories ahead of November's midterm elections.

Ukrainian forces advance in key eastern battlefield, senior commander says

Ukraine's military has recaptured more territory from Russian forces in the north of the Donetsk region, a senior military commander said on Monday, in an operation aimed at complicating Moscow's assault on Ukraine's key eastern strongholds. Ukraine's Third Army Corps recaptured an area of 51 square kilometres (20 square miles), said Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi, who has commanded operations in the area since last month.

Spanish government representative in Ceuta quits over border rush fallout

Spain's representative in its North African enclave of Ceuta resigned on Monday, citing personal reasons after weeks of intense scrutiny over the handling of a border rush involving the ⁠arrival of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco. The crisis erupted in late July, when more than 72,000 migrants reached Ceuta, overwhelming reception facilities and intensifying debate over migration policy at one of the European Union's two land borders in Africa.

Mexico's Pacific coast braces for Hurricane Polo's life-threatening landfall

Mexican authorities urged residents of Baja California Sur to prepare for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Polo on Monday, warning of life-threatening winds and flash floods. Restaurant and store owners in the coastal cities of Loreto and Ciudad Constitucion boarded up doors and windows overnight ⁠to protect their businesses, as worsening weather conditions were expected to hamper preparations later in the day.

At least 33 people killed in western Myanmar airstrike, rebel group and aid ⁠worker say

Dozens of people were killed in a Myanmar military airstrike on Monday near a market in the country's war-torn Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh, according to a rebel group that controls the area and a local aid worker. At least 33 people have died and 36 were injured in the airstrike in the town of Kyauktaw in Rakhine state, according to the Arakan Army, a rebel group fighting the military.

Pope Leo urges concessions for peace as Ukraine war drags on

Pope Leo said on Monday that negotiators seeking to end war in Europe must be willing to sacrifice some positions to achieve peace, as efforts to end Russia's bloody war in Ukraine continue to fail. The first US pope, speaking to European leaders in Metz, home of Robert Schuman, a founding father of the European Union, lamented that "war has returned, even to Europe: a new senseless slaughter, ‌claiming countless civilian lives every day".

South Korea summons Ukraine envoy in protest over North Korean POW transfer

South Korea's ‌foreign ministry summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador on Monday to protest against Kyiv's disclosure of the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, and demanded an official explanation and apology. The ministry said it had called in acting ambassador Andrii Vieshkin and expressed strong regret that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made the disclosure ​at the United Nations General Assembly, despite what Seoul said was a clear agreement between the two countries to keep the matter confidential.