Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. UK PM candidate Gove admits taking cocaine

Michael Gove, a leading contender to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May, said he had used cocaine and has "deep regrets" about taking the drug on several occasions. The Daily Mail on Friday quoted Gove as saying he had taken the drug at social gatherings when he was a young journalist Venezuela's Guaido says no plans for further talks in Norway

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Friday that the opposition does not currently plan to join a new round of talks in Norway with representatives of President Nicolas Maduro, after mediation efforts collapsed last month without a deal. Talks seeking a political accord for the crisis-stricken nation fell apart on May 29, as opposition delegates repeated calls for President Nicolas Maduro to step down and allow a transitional government to organize a new presidential vote. U.S. starts 'unwinding' Turkey from F-35 program over Russia defense deal

The United States on Friday raised the stakes in its standoff with Turkey over Ankara's deal to acquire a Russian air defense system, laying out a plan to remove the NATO ally from the F-35 fighter jet program that includes immediately halting any new training for Turkish pilots on the advanced aircraft. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan sent a letter to his Turkish counterpart, seen by Reuters on Friday, that outlined how Turkey would be pulled out the program -- unless Ankara changes course. China's Xi calls Donald Trump his friend

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called U.S. President Donald Trump his friend and said he believed the United States was not interested in rupturing economic ties with China. Speaking in the Russian city of St Petersburg at an economic forum, Xi said there were strong trade and investment connections between China and the United States. 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. U.S. and Russia trade blame over near collision in East Asian waters

Russia and the United States blamed each other for a near collision between their warships in East Asian waters on Friday with both countries accusing one another of dangerous and unprofessional behavior. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Washington would lodge a formal diplomatic protest to Russia, while a senior Russian parliamentarian said such episodes could easily escalate tensions, which he said were already balanced "on a razor's edge". Nicaragua amnesty law sparks fear of whitewash over protest crackdown

Nicaragua's government on Friday proposed an amnesty law that would free prisoners detained in protests against President Daniel Ortega, but which opponents fear will also limit scope to investigate the state for its crackdown on demonstrators. Demonstrations erupted in April 2018, when Ortega tried to cut welfare benefits, and gradually spread into a broader protest movement against the president's rule in Nicaragua. 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 its 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 stands by China, criticizes U.S., in trade, Huawei disputes

Aggressive U.S. tactics such as a campaign against Chinese telecoms firm Huawei will lead to trade wars - and possibly real wars - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, in a show of solidarity with China alongside its leader Xi Jinping. In some of his strongest words on the subject, Putin accused Washington of "unbridled economic egoism", singling out U.S. efforts to thwart a Russian gas pipeline to Europe and a U.S. campaign to persuade countries to bar Huawei, the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker, from supplying network gear. Canada says Cuba will have a role to play in Venezuela's return to democracy

Cuba will have a role to play in Venezuela's return to democracy, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday, even though Ottawa and Havana disagree on whether President Nicolas Maduro should stay in office. Freeland made her remarks in a televised Toronto news conference after meeting Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. Cuba is a strong ally of Maduro, whom most western nations want to step down in favor of opposition leader Juan Guaido.