Reuters World News Summary

Armenia seeks bigger Russian military presence on its territory Armenia would welcome the expansion of a Russian military base on its territory and the redeployment of some Russian forces closer to its border with Azerbaijan after a conflict with its neighbour last year, its defence minister said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. British PM Johnson to plot path out of lockdown on Monday

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce plans on Monday to reopen England's schools and allow people to see family and friends, part of a phased exit from COVID-19 lockdown that is aided by one of the world's fastest vaccine rollouts. With more than 120,000 fatalities, Britain has suffered the world's fifth-highest official death toll from the pandemic and its $3 trillion economy its biggest crash in over 300 years. Beijing official signals Hong Kong electoral reforms to ensure 'patriots' govern

"Loopholes" in Hong Kong's laws must be closed to ensure the city is governed by "patriots", a top Beijing official said on Monday, signalling changes to the Chinese-ruled city's electoral system, potentially as early as next month. Any changes could further limit who could run in a postponed legislative election and may lead to the disqualification of most lower-level district councillors - the majority of them being pro-democracy politicians, sources have told Reuters. Between Biden call and ballot, Netanyahu seeks Iran consensus with rivals

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened cabinet rivals on Monday for their first discussion of Israeli strategy against the Iranian nuclear programme since U.S. President Joe Biden took office pledging to pursue diplomacy with Tehran. Netanyahu's meeting with Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi followed his first phone call with the U.S. leader last week, and came a month before Israel holds another election triggered by coalition infighting. Germany urges EU to prepare sanctions on Russia over Navalny

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday urged his EU counterparts to give the green light to sanctions against Russian officials responsible for jailing Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and cracking down on pro-democracy activists. Berlin's call paves the way for sanctions to be imposed next month in what the 27-member bloc says should be seen as a message to President Vladimir Putin that debate and protest must be allowed in Russia. Rights groups seek Malaysian court order to stop deportation of Myanmar detainees

Rights groups Amnesty International and Asylum Access sought a court order on Monday to prevent Malaysia deporting 1,200 Myanmar nationals, fearing their lives could be put at risk. Officials and refugees say Malaysia is set to deport the Myanmar citizens, including asylum-seekers, on Tuesday on three navy ships sent by Myanmar's military, which seized power in a Feb. 1 coup. Armenia seeks bigger Russian military presence on its territory

Armenia would welcome the expansion of a Russian military base on its territory and the redeployment of some Russian forces closer to its border with Azerbaijan after a conflict with its neighbour last year, its defence minister said on Monday. Ethnic Armenian troops in the Nagorno-Karabakh region ceded swathes of territory in and around the enclave to Azerbaijan in a six-week conflict in 2020 that claimed thousands of lives. Iranian lawmakers criticise Tehran's deal with IAEA on snap inspections

Iranian lawmakers protested on Monday against Tehran's decision to permit “necessary” monitoring by the U.N. nuclear watchdog for up to three months, saying the move broke a law mandating an end to the agency's snap inspections this week. "The government has no right to decide and act arbitrarily," said Mojtaba Zolnour, chairman of the parliament’s national security committee, according to Iranian state media. China calls for reset in Sino-U.S. relations

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said on Monday the United States and China could work together on issues like climate change and the coronavirus pandemic if they repaired their damaged bilateral relationship. Wang, a Chinese state councillor and foreign minister, said Beijing stood ready to reopen constructive dialogue with Washington after relations between the two countries sank to their lowest in decades under former president Donald Trump. Strike shuts Myanmar, anti-coup protesters defy junta warning

A general strike against military rule shut businesses in Myanmar on Monday and huge crowds gathered peacefully despite fears of violence after authorities warned that confrontation could be deadly. Three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop the daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the Feb. 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 'No other option': Deadly India floods bare conflicts from hydropower boom

Growing up in a remote tribal village high in the Indian Himalayas, Kundan Singh loved to play on a field by the sparkling Rishiganga river. The 48-year-old recalls afternoons there competing in sports tournaments, surrounded by forests of pine.