Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. May looks for a way out of Brexit maelstrom as EU says no-deal exit looms

European officials said on Tuesday the prospect of Britain leaving the European Union without a deal in 10 days time was growing as British Prime Minister Theresa May summoned ministers to try to find a Brexit breakthrough. May's proposed withdrawal agreement has been defeated three times by the lower house of the British parliament, which failed on Monday to find a majority of its own for any alternatives. Pope: Church should admit history of abuse of women, male domination

Pope Francis said on Tuesday the Catholic Church had to acknowledge a history of male domination and sexual abuse of women and children and repair its reputation among young people or risk becoming "a museum". But, in a major document in which he mentioned an array of scandals and again admitted significant failings by clergy, he also said the Church "could not agree with everything some feminist groups propose," a clear reference to the Church's ban on a female priesthood. Merkel: Germany, like U.S., thinks Russia has violated nuclear arms treaty

Germany, like the United States, believes that Russia has breached the Cold War-era Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump has said Washington will withdraw from the 1987 INF treaty, this summer unless Moscow ends its alleged violations - an announcement that Merkel said she understood. Russia denies violating the INF treaty. U.S. halts F-35 equipment to Turkey, protests its plans to buy from Russia

The United States has halted delivery of equipment related to the stealthy F-35 fighter aircraft to Turkey, marking the first concrete U.S. step to block delivery of the jet to the NATO ally in light of Ankara's planned purchase of a Russian missile defense system. U.S. officials told their Turkish counterparts they will not receive further shipments of F-35 related equipment needed to prepare for the arrival of the stealthy jet, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters on Monday. What's in a name? Japan puzzles over 'Reiwa', the term for new imperial era

Japanese printers rushed to turn out calendars emblazoned with the new imperial era name on Tuesday as the public tried to make sense of the meaning of "Reiwa" a day after its unveiling gripped the nation. The new era begins on May 1 when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne a day after the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito, brings to an end the 31-year Heisei era. Turkey's AK Party to challenge Istanbul voting results: Hurriyet paper

President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party has decided to lodge objections to local election results in all 39 Istanbul districts, Hurriyet newspaper said on Tuesday, after results showed a narrow lead for the main opposition candidate. The AK Party is on track to lose control of Turkey's two biggest cities, Istanbul and Ankara, in a surprise election setback that may complicate Erdogan's plans to combat recession. Despite being exposed, fake news thrives on social media ahead of India polls

Two weeks after a suicide bombing in Kashmir in February killed 40 Indian policemen, a Facebook user called Avi Dandiya posted a live video in which he played a recording of a call purportedly involving India's home minister, the president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and an unidentified woman. The trio could be heard talking about arousing nationalist sentiment ahead of India's general election, with the BJP president allegedly saying in Hindi: "We agree that for election, we need a war". Israeli troops kill Palestinian man in West Bank clashes: health ministry

A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces on Tuesday during clashes with troops in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said. The Israeli military said troops opened fire after Palestinians threw rocks and explosives at them during an operation southeast of the city of Ramallah. Thai army chief warns against protests after disputed election

Thailand's army chief on Tuesday warned against protests after a disputed election, invoking the revered monarchy and castigating people he said "distort" democracy. His words were the latest in a series of signals from the military and royalist establishment against opposition parties loyal to ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Facebook, Twitter sucked into India-Pakistan information war

Pakistani social media campaigner Hanzala Tayyab leads about 300 ultra-nationalist cyber warriors fighting an internet war with arch-foe India, in a battle that is increasingly sucking in global tech giants such as Twitter and Facebook. Tayyab, 24, spends his days on Facebook and encrypted WhatsApp chatrooms organizing members of his Pakistan Cyber Force group to promote anti-India content and make it go viral, including on Twitter where he has more than 50,000 followers.