World News Roundup: Hong Kong reopens after weekend of clashes, protests; Kim invited Trump to Pyongyang

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Hong Kong reopens after weekend of clashes, protests

Hong Kong's businesses and metro stations reopened as usual on Monday after a chaotic Sunday when police fired water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters who blocked roads and threw petrol bombs outside government headquarters. On Sunday what began as a mostly peaceful protest earlier in the day spiraled into violence in some of the Chinese territory's busiest shopping and tourist districts.

East Libyan forces carry out air strike on central city, widening front

Eastern Libyan forces on Monday mounted an airstrike on the central city of Sirte held by the internationally recognized government, an official and residents said, widening a conflict engulfing the capital Tripoli. Khalifa Haftar's eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) force has been trying since April to take Tripoli, which is held by the internationally recognized government, with a ground campaign supported by airstrikes.

Zimbabwe doctors protest over union leader's disappearance

Hundreds of Zimbabwean doctors protested in central Harare on Monday over the disappearance of the leader of their union, but riot police blocked them from marching to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's office. Peter Magombeyi, president of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), was one of the organizers of an ongoing strike to demand higher wages for state doctors because of soaring living costs before he disappeared on Saturday night.

North Korea leader Kim invited Trump to Pyongyang in letter: report

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Pyongyang in a letter sent in August amid stalled denuclearisation talks, a South Korean newspaper reported on Monday, citing diplomatic sources. Kim, in the letter sent in the third week of August, spoke of his "willingness" for a third summit and extended an invitation for Trump to visit the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, the Joongang Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unidentified source.

Spain's acting PM Sanchez rejects center-right's conditions for backing him: source

Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected conditions set out by center-right leader Albert Rivera to back him in a vote to form a government, a Socialist party source said on Monday. Rivera said earlier he would encourage a fellow right-wing leader to jointly abstain to facilitate Sanchez's bid to form a government, some five months after inconclusive elections, provided the Socialist acting prime minister fulfilled a series of demands.

Iran seizes vessel in Gulf for allegedly smuggling diesel fuel: ISNA

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized a vessel in the Gulf for allegedly smuggling 250,000 liters of diesel fuel to the United Arab Emirates, Iran's semi-official Students News agency ISNA reported on Monday. "It was detained near Iran's Greater Tunb island in the Persian Gulf...the crew has been handed over to legal authorities in the southern Hormozgan province," ISNA said, without elaborating on the nationalities of the crewmen.

Biggest oil price surge since 1991 as 'locked and loaded' U.S. points finger at Iran for attack

An attack on Saudi Arabia that shut 5% of global crude output caused the biggest surge in oil prices since 1991 after U.S. officials blamed Iran and President Donald Trump said Washington was "locked and loaded" to retaliate. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls Yemen's capital claimed responsibility for the attack, which damaged the world's biggest crude oil processing plant. Iran denied blame and said it was ready for "full-fledged war".

Exclusive: Germany wants to cap next EU budget at 1%, seeks more funds for climate and migration

Germany wants to cap the European Union's next budget for 2021-27 at 1% of the continent's economy, a scenario that would still see Berlin contribute some 10 billion euros more every year, according to a document seen by Reuters. "We will conduct the MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework or the long-term EU budget) negotiations on the basis of 1% of the EU27 GNI," read the document, which Germany is presenting to its EU peers during ministerial talks in Brussels on Monday.

Soloman Islands breaks ties with Taiwan after Chinese 'dollar diplomacy'

The Solomon Islands' government has cut official ties with Taiwan in a new blow to President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking re-election in January amid rising tension with China. Taiwan now has formal relations with only 16 countries worldwide, but China claims Taiwan as its territory and says it has no right to formal ties with any nation.

British PM 'cautious' ahead of Brexit talks with EU's Juncker

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was feeling "cautious" as he went into talks on a Brexit deal with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday, as rhetoric from both men over the weekend suggested their positions remain far apart. With less than seven weeks until Britain is due to leave the European Union, Johnson has yet to reach an agreement with Brussels on how to manage the separation between the world's fifth-largest economy and its biggest trading partner.