Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Iranians march to protest at Revolutionary Guards blacklisting by U.S.

Thousands of Iranians carrying signs reading "I'm a Guard too" and "Down with USA" marched on Friday to protest against the U.S. designation of the elite Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization. State television showed crowds shouting "What's America thinking? Iran is full of Guards" after leaving Friday prayers at Tehran University on their way to a rally in a nearby square. Similar state-sponsored protests were held across Iran, it said. Kim Jong Un consolidates power as North Korea shuffles leadership

In one of the biggest leadership shake-ups in years, North Korea named a new nominal head of state and a new premier, and gave leader Kim Jong Un a new title, state media reported on Friday, moves analysts said solidify Kim's grip on power. In an expected move, Kim Jong Un was re-elected as chairman of the State Affairs Commission at a session of North Korea's rubber-stamp legislature that took place on Thursday, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. ICC judges reject prosecution request to open investigation in Afghanistan

International Criminal Court judges on Friday rejected a request by the court's prosecutor to open an investigation into possible war crimes during the conflict in Afghanistan, citing a lack of evidence and a poor outlook for state cooperation. ICC prosecutors spent a decade examining alleged war crimes by all parties in the conflict in Afghanistan, including the possible role of U.S. personnel in relation to the detention of suspects, before opening a formal examination in November 2017. To spur rural development, China to send millions of students on 'volunteering' trips

China aims to send millions of students to work as volunteers in rural communities and set up entrepreneur organizations, as it renews a push to narrow a yawning gap between rural and urban regions, an official document showed. The drive reflects the ruling Communist Party's desire to raise the status of rural areas, where 577 million people live or which they call home, to avert a risk of social unrest, boost consumption and investment, and rein in growth of big cities. Blackouts threaten death blow to Venezuela's industrial survivors

The latest power outage started another tough week for factory owner Antonello Lorusso in the city of Valencia, once Venezuela's industrial powerhouse. For the past month, unprecedented nationwide blackouts paralyzed the factory and the rest of the country, cutting off power, water and cell service to millions of Venezuelans. Demanding civilian government, thousands defy military curfew in Sudan

Thousands of Sudanese demonstrators camped outside the defense ministry in Khartoum to push for a civilian government, defying a curfew and calling for mass prayers after the military overthrew Omar al-Bashir after 30 years of autocratic rule. Demonstrators who have been holding almost daily anti-Bashir protests rejected the decision to set up a transitional military council to run the country for two years and vowed to continue protests until a civilian government is established. Teenage brides trapped between Islamic State and its victors

Rawan Aboud tried to escape Islamic State after the death of her abusive first husband, a militant killed fighting for the group. She was jailed and forced to marry another fighter. When he died, she finally fled. Now she is interned with fanatic supporters of the violent jihadist group she has sought refuge from since the age of 13. Explainer: Israeli election - with the final count in, who won and who lost?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party has won 36 of the 120 seats in Israel's parliament, according to final results of Tuesday's election, putting him in pole position in negotiations to form a right-wing coalition. Netanyahu is heading toward a record fifth term in office confident of being able to put together a bloc of religious-rightist parties. Top Abraaj executives arrested on U.S. fraud charges

The chief executive and a managing partner of the collapsed Dubai private equity firm Abraaj Capital Ltd have been arrested on U.S. charges that they defrauded their investors, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Abraaj founder and Chief Executive Arif Naqvi was arrested in the United Kingdom last Friday, while managing partner Mustafa Abdel-Wadood was arrested at a New York hotel on Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Griswold said at a hearing in Manhattan federal court. UK parliament very likely to consider new Brexit referendum: Hammond

British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday it was very likely that the idea of a second Brexit referendum would again be put to parliament at some point, although the government remained opposed to any new plebiscite. Hammond also said time would be tight to hold a new referendum before Oct. 31 when Britain is due to leave the European Union.