Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. 'Just one more push' to get Brexit, Britain's May urges EU

Prime Minister Theresa May urged the European Union on Friday to make "just one more push" to break the Brexit deadlock but proposals from the bloc's chief negotiator fell short of anything that would win over the British parliament. Three weeks before Britain is due to leave the EU, May has failed so far to secure the changes to her divorce deal that she believes would gain the support of lawmakers, who handed the government a defeat of record proportions in January. Algeria halts train and metro services in capital ahead of protests

Algerian authorities halted train and metro services in the capital Algiers on Friday ahead of expected protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Reuters witnesses and residents said. Mass protests now entering their third week have posed the biggest challenge to the ailing octogenarian president, who has ruled for 20 years and is standing again in a forthcoming election. Far-right parties seen nearly doubling seats in EU vote: Bild

Far-right parties are poised to double their seats in the European Parliament election in May, while mainstream conservative and Social Democratic groups face big losses, a new poll released by Germany's Bild newspaper showed. The loss of support for mainstream parties meant they would not be able to form a "grand coalition" in the parliament such as the one ruling Germany, the poll of more than 9,500 people carried out in six countries in late February and early March showed. U.S. accuses Palestinians of manufacturing crisis over tax transfer

The United States accused the Palestinians on Friday of manufacturing a crisis by rejecting the first 2019 monthly tax transfer from Israel because it slashed a portion designated for financial support to families of militants jailed in Israel. The United Nations Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss the issue at the request of Kuwait and Indonesia. U.S President Donald Trump's Middle East peace envoy Jason Greenblatt represented Washington at the meeting. On International Women's Day, Sudan's Bashir orders release of female detainees

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir on International Women's Day on Friday ordered the release of all women arrested in connection with anti-government demonstrations, hours after protesters marched in the two largest cities. Sudan has seen near-daily protests against Bashir since Dec. 19. The demonstrations were triggered by price increases and cash shortages but developed into the most sustained challenge to Bashir since he took power in a military coup three decades ago. Brazil's Bolsonaro will visit on March 19: White House

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will visit the White House on March 19 and is expected to discuss subjects including the situation in Venezuela with U.S. President Donald Trump, the White House said in a statement. Bolsonaro is a far-right former army captain who openly admires Trump. In a phone call after Bolsonaro's election victory in October, they spoke of "a strong commitment to work side by side" on issues affecting their countries. Peru PM resigns as approval for Vizcarra government slips

Peru's Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva has stepped down, the government said on Friday, amid calls for President Martin Vizcarra to shake up his government and revive falling approval ratings. Villanueva, the prime minister for the past year, handed in his letter of resignation to Vizcarra, the president's office said in a statement, confirming media reports earlier on Friday. The statement did not say the resignation was accepted but said Vizcarra thanked Villanueva for his services. Venezuela power flickers after worst blackout in decades

Venezuela's power supply remained patchy on Friday after the worst blackout in decades paralyzed most of the country, exacerbating hardship for millions of people already suffering from hyperinflation and widespread shortages of basic goods. Power went out across the recession-stricken country on Thursday afternoon due to a problem at Venezuela's main hydroelectric plant, the government said, calling the event an act of "sabotage" by ideological adversaries. Baby of Islamic State teenager in UK furor dies: group

The baby of Shamima Begum, a teenager who left London to join the Islamic State group in Syria, has died, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday. Begum, whose two older children had also previously died, was stripped of her British citizenship last month on security grounds after she was discovered in a detention camp in Syria. Women's Day unites activists, Turkish police break up crowd with tear gas

Campaigners for gender equality took to European city streets on Friday to mark International Women's Day with celebrations and protests, while in Turkey police fired tear gas to break up a crowd of several thousand women in Istanbul in the evening. In Spain, hundreds of thousands of women, wearing purple and raising their fists, took to the streets of cities around the country calling for greater gender equality.