World News Roundup: Huawei CFO house arrest; U.S. warship in disputed South China Sea

Argentine political twist could provide balm for troubled markets

Argentine markets rattled during recent months by rising political uncertainty, could get a reprieve after the populist ex-leader seen as challenger No. 1 in this year's presidential elections said she would instead run on someone else's ticket. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner – a former president who has an ardent support base but is unloved by global investors – surprised locals and international observers alike on Saturday by saying she would run as vice president alongside former cabinet chief, Alberto Fernandez, a veteran political operator who has both backed and criticized her in the past.

Huawei CFO house arrest contrasts with Canadians detained in China

Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou described her house arrest in Vancouver as "restricted to a limited space" even as she spent her past six months in a six-bedroom, multi-million dollar Canadian home. Meng, 47, has access to top lawyers, moves around relatively freely in Vancouver, albeit with restrictions, and her comments drew immediate comparison between her life in house arrest versus the two Canadians detained in solitary confinement in China for a similar length of time.

U.S. warship sails in disputed South China Sea amid trade tensions

The U.S. military said one of its warships sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal claimed by China in the South China Sea on Sunday, angering Beijing at a time of tense ties between the world's two biggest economies. The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Taiwan.

Britain prepares for new spying law after Salisbury poisoning

Britain is preparing to bring in a new spying law and is considering updating treason legislation to counter the threat from hostile states in the wake of the nerve agent poisoning in Salisbury last year, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday. Javid said the moves were necessary to cover "real gaps" in existing laws, saying it was important that Britain had the powers to address threats for when it leaves the European Union.

Algeria's army chief says elections are best way out of crisis

Elections are the best way to overcome Algeria's political crisis and avoid a constitutional vacuum, the country's army chief said on state television. Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaed Salah on Monday also urged speeding up the formation of a committee to supervise the election, without mentioning a date for the vote.

As U.S.-Iran tension simmers, rocket fired near Iraq's U.S. Embassy

A rocket was fired into the Iraqi capital Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and diplomatic missions, on Sunday night, falling near the U.S. Embassy but causing no casualties, the Iraqi military said. The attack came two weeks after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Iraqi leaders during a surprise visit to Baghdad that if they failed to keep in check Iran-backed militias, which are expanding their power in Iraq and now form part of its security apparatus, the United States would respond with force.

Is Britain's Hunt going for PM May's job?: "We have to see what happens"

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt declined to say on Monday whether he would run for Prime Minister Theresa May's job, adding that the focus had to be on delivering Brexit. When asked by reporters in Geneva if he would confirm he was going to run to succeed May, he said: "We have to see what happens and they'll be a time to discuss all those decisions that people make but right now the focus that people want from me and from everyone else in the Conservative Party is to get on and deliver Brexit."

UK ministers to consider merits of indicative Brexit votes

Senior ministers will consider the merits of whether lawmakers should hold indicative votes on Brexit options when Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet meets on Tuesday, her spokesman said. May is due to bring a European Union Withdrawal Agreement Bill before parliament in the week beginning June 3, but the spokesman said on Monday he was unable to say when details of this would be published.

Britain tells Iran: Do not provoke the United States or Trump will retaliate

Britain told Iran on Monday not to underestimate the resolve of the United States, warning that if American interests were attacked then the administration of President Donald Trump would retaliate. "I would say to the Iranians: Do not underestimate the resolve on the U.S. side," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told reporters on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

Swedish prosecutor requests Assange's detention over rape allegation

The Swedish prosecutor heading an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange filed a request with a local court on Monday for him to be detained in absentia. If granted, the court order would be the first step in a process to have Assange extradited from Britain, where he is serving a 50-week sentence for skipping bail.