World News Roundup: Four million Venezuelans have fled crisis; Brexit case against Johnson

Four million Venezuelans have fled crisis: U.N.

Four million Venezuelan refugees and migrants have fled an economic and political crisis in their homeland, all but 700,000 of them since the end of 2015, U.N. aid agencies said on Friday. The "alarming" figure highlights the urgent need to support host countries, mainly in Latin America - led by Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina - the U.N. refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a joint statement issued in Geneva.

Exclusive: U.S. will not accept more Turkish F-35 pilots over Russia defenses - sources

The United States has decided to stop accepting any additional Turkish pilots who planned to come to the United States to train on F-35 fighter jets, U.S. officials say, in a clear sign of the escalating dispute over Ankara's plans to purchase Russian air defenses. The two NATO allies have sparred publicly for months over Turkey's order for Russia's S-400 air defense system, which Washington says poses a threat to the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 stealthy fighters, which Turkey also plans to buy.

More women in the EU leadership? Don't expect too much

When the men who run the European Union pick its new leaders this year, they might finally appoint a few more women. But don't expect a radical change any time soon. The EU has opened talks to name the people who will run its key institutions for the next five years. The top post at the European Central Bank, picked every eight years, comes vacant this year too.

Judges throw out Brexit case against UK PM candidate Johnson

Judges at London's High Court on Friday threw out an attempt to prosecute Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to succeed Theresa May as prime minister, for allegedly lying about Brexit. Last month, a judge said Johnson must appear in court over allegations he lied about Brexit by claiming during the 2016 referendum that Britain would be 350 million pounds a week better off outside the EU.

'You all go' - thousands of Algerians demonstrate for political reforms

With banners reading "You all go" and "We need new figures", thousands of protesters gathered in the Algerian capital on Friday for what has become a regular demonstration demanding the removal of the ruling elite. After 20 years in power, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika quit on April 2 under pressure from protesters and the army, but protests have continued, seeking political reforms and the removal of all officials belonging to the old guard.

U.S.-Mexico migration talks continue as Trump returns to Washington

U.S.-Mexico migration talks were set to resume on Friday as Mexican officials continue their push to reach an agreement that would avert U.S. tariffs set to take effect next week. Vice President Mike Pence said progress has been made after two days of talks but gave no specifics. He said President Donald Trump, who returns from a week-long trip to Europe on Friday afternoon, would have final say on any deal.

End of May, Britain's PM steps down as Conservative leader

British Prime Minister Theresa May steps down as leader of the governing Conservatives on Friday, officially triggering a contest to replace her that could see her party embrace a tougher stance on Brexit. May announced she would step down last month after failing to deliver Britain's departure from the European Union on time, deepening a political crisis in a divided country struggling to move on from a 2016 referendum on Brexit.

U.S. and Russia blame each other for near collision in East China Sea

Russia and the United States blamed each other for a near collision between their warships in the East China Sea on Friday with both countries accusing one another of dangerous and unprofessional behavior. Russia's Pacific Fleet said that the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, had come within just 50 meters (165 feet) of the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov which had been forced to take emergency action to avoid a collision, Russian news agencies reported.

Iran rejects French call for wider talks beyond nuclear deal: state TV

Iran rejected French calls for wider international talks over its nuclear and military ambitions, saying on Friday it would only discuss it existing 2015 atomic pact with world powers, state TV reported. French President Emmanuel Macron had said a day earlier that Paris and Washington both wanted to stop Tehran getting nuclear arms and new talks should focus on curbing its ballistic missiles program and on other issues.

Putin says U.S. push for dominance is a recipe for trade and real wars

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that U.S. efforts to foist its dominance on other countries was a recipe for trade and real wars. Putin, speaking at an economic forum in St Petersburg, complained about what he called unfair competition and protectionism.