Reuters World News Summary

Trump says he expects Saudi Arabia to join UAE-Israel deal U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he expected Saudi Arabia to join the agreement announced last week by Israel and the United Arab Emirates that would lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two states.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. North Korea to set five-year economic plan at congress next year

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that the ruling party will hold a congress next year to decide a new five-year plan, with a party meeting noting serious delays in improving the national economy, state media said on Thursday. The plenary meeting of the ruling Party on Wednesday decided to convene a congress in January to set forth "a correct line of struggle and strategic and tactical policies" after reviewing lessons from the past five years, the official KCNA news agency said. Behind fortress walls, Macron and Merkel to chart Europe's course

Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron meet on Thursday in a medieval island fortress in the Mediterranean to chart the next steps for a partnership that is the driving force behind the European Union. Inside the walls of Fort de Bregancon, traditional summer residence of French leaders, the German chancellor and French president will tackle the most pressing issues on the global agenda. Mali soldiers promise civilian transition after president's ouster

Soldiers who staged a military coup in Mali leading to the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and his government said on Wednesday they plan to form a civilian transitional government that will organise fresh elections. Keita resigned and dissolved parliament late on Tuesday hours after mutinying soldiers detained him at gunpoint, plunging a country already facing a jihadist insurgency and mass protests deeper into crisis. U.S. officially notifies Hong Kong it has ended three agreements: State Department

The U.S. State Department said it notified Hong Kong on Wednesday that Washington has suspended or terminated three bilateral agreements with the semi-autonomous city following China's imposition of a sweeping national security law. The ending of the agreements follows U.S. President Donald Trump's order last month to end Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law to punish China for what he called “oppressive actions” against the former British colony. Belarusian protesters defy Lukashenko, EU announces sanctions

Hundreds of Belarusian protesters gathered in Minsk on Wednesday evening, defying a new order from President Alexander Lukashenko to his police to clear the streets of the capital after a week and a half of rallies against his rule. Holding an emergency summit on the crisis, the European Union rejected Lukashenko's re-election in a disputed vote on Aug. 9 and announced financial sanctions against officials the bloc blames for election fraud and the abuse of protesters. Trump says he expects Saudi Arabia to join UAE-Israel deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he expected Saudi Arabia to join the agreement announced last week by Israel and the United Arab Emirates that would lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two states. "I do," Trump replied when asked at a White House news conference if he expected Saudi Arabia to join the deal. Mexicans slam Trump's idea to tax border crossing cars to fund wall

Mexican officials and border town residents criticized U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday for threatening to levy a tax on cars crossing into the United States to fund his signature border wall. The mayor of Ciudad Juarez, Armando Cabada, slammed Trump's proposed car tax as a political stunt aimed at garnering support ahead of the U.S. election in November. 'Rock bottom' Lebanon must reform for long-term aid: U.S.

There is no more foreign money for a Lebanese leadership that enriches itself and spurns the popular will, a top U.S. official said on Wednesday, saying Lebanon had hit "rock bottom" with its Aug. 4 port explosion and must now enact profound reforms. Undersecretary of State David Hale made the comments a week after visiting Lebanon following the blast that killed more than 172 people, injured 6,000, left 300,000 homeless and destroyed swathes of Beirut https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-security-blast-skyline/gazing-over-wasteland-beirutis-mourn-lost-lady-of-the-world-idUSKCN25F1LZ, compounding a deep financial crisis. Brazil sees early signs coronavirus spread is slowing

The spread of coronavirus in Brazil could be about to slow, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday, amid reports the transmission rate has fallen below the key level and early signs of a gradual decline in the weekly totals of cases and fatalities. The cautious optimism comes despite figures again showing a steady rise in the number of confirmed cases and death toll in the last 24 hours, cementing Brazil's status as the world's second biggest COVID-19 hot spot after the United States. Trump says directing Pompeo to notify U.N. of intent to 'snapback' Iran sanctions

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he is directing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to notify the United Nations Security Council that the United States intends to restore virtually all previously suspended U.N. sanctions on Iran. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Pompeo will likely travel to New York on Thursday to seek a return of all U.N. sanctions on Iran and meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, diplomats and a U.N. official said.