World News Roundup: Attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka; Saudi oil facilities attacked

Warships and wives: debate in Indian election turns increasingly ugly

From jibes over the prime minister's wife to criticism of the main opposition leader's family holiday three decades ago, one trend stands out in this year's general election campaign in India: this time, it's personal. The world's largest democracy, with around 900 million eligible voters, wraps up polling held over six weeks on Sunday. Results will be known on May 23.

Sri Lanka police arrest 23 for targeting Muslims after Easter bombings

Sri Lankan police arrested 23 people on Tuesday in connection with a spate of attacks on Muslim-owned homes and shops in apparent reprisal for the Easter bombings by Islamist militants that killed more than 250 people. Soldiers in armoured vehicles patrolled the towns hit by sectarian violence this week as residents recalled how Muslims had hid in paddy fields to escape mobs carrying rods and swords, incensed over the militant attacks.

Saudi Arabia says oil facilities outside Riyadh attacked

Saudi Arabia said armed drones had struck two oil pumping stations in the kingdom on Tuesday in what it called a "cowardly" act of terrorism two days after Saudi oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The energy minister of the world's largest oil exporter said the attack caused a fire, now contained, and minor damage at one pump station, but did not disrupt oil production or exports of crude and petroleum products.

Despite falling numbers, immigration remains divisive EU issue

Migrant arrivals to Italy have almost dried up, new asylum requests across the European Union have more than halved in three years and at the end of 2018, Hungary's reception centres housed just three refugees. On the face of it, Europe's migrant crisis appears over, but the shockwaves still resound around the continent ahead of this month's European Parliament election, and nationalist politicians are looking to capitalize on the continued tumult.

Senior Conservatives tell May to ditch Brexit talks with Labour

British Prime Minister Theresa May was told by senior members of her own party on Tuesday to abandon talks to find a Brexit compromise with the opposition Labor Party as pressure mounted on her to name a date for standing down. Nearly three years after the United Kingdom voted 52% to 48% to leave the European Union, there is still no agreement among British politicians about when, how or even if the divorce should take place.

Liberians grapple with potential loss of U.S. legal status

As snow blanketed African markets, churches and graves in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in February, members of the Liberian community were praying fervently that this would not be their last winter in the United States. A form of immigration status known as Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) – which had protected the migrants from deportation and allowed them to work legally – was due to expire in March, meaning they would have had to leave the country voluntarily or be deported.

Jailed Catalan separatists can be sworn in as lawmakers: court

Spain's Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed five jailed Catalan separatist leaders to be sworn in as lawmakers next week but said it would not free them or grant them immunity as their trial for their role in an independence bid proceeds. In Spain's general election on April 28 Oriol Junqueras, Josep Rull, Jordi Turull and Jordi Sanchez won seats in the lower house of parliament, and Raul Romeva won an upper chamber seat.

North Korea says ship seizure by the U.S. violates the spirit of Trump-Kim summit

North Korea said on Tuesday the seizure of one of its cargo ships by the United States was an illegal act that violated the spirit of a summit between the two countries' leaders, and demanded the return of the vessel without delay. The North's foreign ministry said in a statement that it rejected U.N. Security Council resolutions against it which the United States cited in impounding the vessel, as a violation of its sovereignty.

U.N. investigators urge nations to snap financial ties with Myanmar military

The world must cut off financial and other support for Myanmar's armed forces, a U.N. fact-finding mission said on Tuesday, repeating a call for top generals to be prosecuted for abuses against the Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar security forces are accused of killings, gang rape and arson during a crackdown that drove more than 730,000 people to flee western Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh after attacks on police posts by Rohingya insurgents in August 2017.

Pompeo tells Russia: we're committed to improving ties

U.S. President Donald Trump is committed to improving relations with Russia, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday during a visit to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. Pompeo told Lavrov that the two countries may not agree on everything, but there was room for cooperation, particularly on counter-terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation.