Reuters World News Summary

The manifesto is in stark contrast to plans by the Greens to raise taxes on high-income individuals and the rich to fund a transition to a carbon-neutral economy and makes it more difficult for the two parties to form a coalition government after September's election. Iran nuclear deal still possible after hardliner's election, EU says Iran and world powers can still clinch a deal to revive their 2015 nuclear accord after the election victory of a hardline Iranian president but time is running out, the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

French far right irked by election results, southern region in play

France's far right performed worse than predicted in Sunday's regional elections, exit polls showed, leaving victory in the southern battleground of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur and a platform for the 2022 presidential election in the balance. Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National expressed frustration at a record low turnout, as the centre right made its first comeback at the ballot box since a disastrous showing in the 2017 presidential election and President Emmanuel Macron's party finished fifth.

German conservatives appeal to voters with vow not to hike taxes

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives promised to cap the corporate tax rate and not raise wealth and inheritance taxes in an election programme intended to see off the fading challenge of their main Greens rivals, a draft reviewed by Reuters showed on Monday. The manifesto is in stark contrast to plans by the Greens to raise taxes on high-income individuals and the rich to fund a transition to a carbon-neutral economy and makes it more difficult for the two parties to form a coalition government after September's election.

Iran nuclear deal still possible after hardliner's election, EU says

Iran and world powers can still clinch a deal to revive their 2015 nuclear accord after the election victory of a hardline Iranian president but time is running out, the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Sunday. Josep Borrell said an agreement was "very close", and could make the Middle East safer and bring relief to millions of Iranians hit by oil and financial sanctions which the United States reimposed when it left the deal three years ago.

Biden to meet with Afghan President Ghani as violence surges

U.S. President Joe Biden will meet at the White House with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah on Friday to discuss U.S. troop withdrawal amid a surge in fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban across the country. In their first face-to-face meeting, Biden will seek to reassure Ghani and Abdullah of U.S. support for the Afghan people including diplomatic, economic and humanitarian assistance, the White House said in a statement. Biden will also repeat his pledge to ensure that the country never becomes a safe haven for terrorist groups.

Three students dead after Nigeria school kidnapping, says principal

Three children have died following a school kidnapping of 94 students and eight staff in northwest Nigeria this week, the establishment's principal said on Sunday. The army said in a statement it had rescued three teachers and eight students so far, killing one of the kidnappers.

Ethiopians to vote in what government bills as first free election

Ethiopians vote on Monday in national and regional elections that the prime minister has billed as proof of his commitment to democracy after decades of repressive rule in Africa's second-most populous nation. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, 44, oversaw sweeping political and economic reforms after his appointment in 2018 by the ruling coalition. But some rights activists say those gains are being reversed and complain of abuses in a war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, charges the government denies.

New U.S. envoy for North Korea to huddle with S.Koreans, Japanese

The United States' new top envoy for North Korea was scheduled to meet counterparts from South Korea and Japan during a visit to Seoul on Monday, amid an impasse in denuclearisation talks with Pyongyang. U.S. special representative for North Korea Sung Kim is in South Korea for a five-day visit, with no word of any planned efforts to contact the North.

EXPLAINER-Why do France's regional elections matter? Look ahead

Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National party hoped France's regional elections in June would bolster her credentials as a leader fit for power and provide a platform for her 2022 presidential bid. Those hopes hung in the balance on Sunday after a record low turnout across the nation saw the party perform worse than predicted. Voters, as expected, also punished President Emmanuel Macron and his ruling party.

Armenia's acting PM claims victory as party takes early lead in parliamentary election

Armenia's acting prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, claimed victory in a parliamentary election on Sunday after his Civil Contract party took an early lead as votes were counted.

With 30% of results declared, Pashinyan's party had 58.52% of the vote, compared with 18.56% for former President Robert Kocharyan's Armenia Alliance, the RIA news agency reported, citing the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Europeans, U.S. warn Iran nuclear talks won't be open-ended

Western officials warned Tehran on Sunday that negotiations to revive its nuclear deal could not continue indefinitely, after the sides announced a break following the election of a new hardline president in Iran. Negotiations have been ongoing in Vienna since April to work out how Iran and the United States can both return to compliance with the nuclear pact, which Washington abandoned in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, and Iran subsequently violated.

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