Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Former allies of Turkey's Erdogan plan rival party after Istanbul defeat

Two senior figures in Turkish President’s Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party are planning to launch a rival political group this year, people familiar with the matter said, a move that could further erode support for the country’s long-time leader on the heels of a stinging electoral defeat in Istanbul. Behind the breakaway plans are former deputy prime minister Ali Babacan and former president Abdullah Gul, both founding members of Erdogan's AK Party (AKP), according to two political advisers. Japan PM Abe says hopes for 'new era' in Japan-China relations

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he wanted to elevate ties with China to create a new era for Asia's biggest economies, and invited President to Xi Jinping to Japan next spring. "Around the time of the cherry blossoms next spring, I would like to welcome President Xi as a state guest to Japan, and hope to further elevate ties between Japan and China to the next level," Abe told Xi at the outset of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, west Japan. Iran on course to exceed nuclear pact limit within days: diplomats

Iran is on course to breach a threshold in its nuclear agreement with world powers within days by accumulating more enriched uranium than permitted, although it has not done so yet, diplomats said, citing the latest data from U.N. inspectors. France, one of the European powers caught in the middle in an escalating confrontation between Washington and Tehran, said it would ask U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend some sanctions on Iran to allow negotiations to defuse the crisis. Dutch agency warns of cyber spying ahead of 5G report

The Dutch intelligence agency (AIVD) on Thursday warned of the escalating threat of state-backed cyber espionage, saying the Netherlands was particularly vulnerable as a hub for international business, telecoms and human rights groups. Its report comes as European states, including the Netherlands, assess the safety of their 5G telecommunications networks amid an international row over whether equipment made by China's Huawei could pose a threat to national security. Despite need for Sinai funds, Egypt unlikely to join Kushner plan

A U.S.-proposed $9 billion aid package could tempt Egypt with long-sought financing to transform its strife-torn Sinai peninsula, but analysts say political risks are likely to outweigh any potential financial benefit. Egypt has been struggling to launch infrastructure projects for the development of Sinai, where military and security forces have been battling Islamic State-linked militants. Trump peace plan conference is blip on Israel's radar as political, Iran crises swirl

A U.S.-led conference in Bahrain designed to drum up investment in the Palestinian economy and pave a path to peace with Israel has gone largely unremarked by Israelis preoccupied with a political crisis and their arch-foe Iran. Palestinians, who view the Trump administration as biased towards Israel, boycotted this week's meeting in Manama. Germany's Merkel seen shaking for second time this month

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen shaking as she met President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday, her second such bout within two weeks, but her spokesman said she was fine and she continued with her duties. Merkel, 64, has no history of serious health issues. She was attending a farewell ceremony for Justice Minister Katarina Barley, who is leaving to become a lawmaker in the European Parliament. Fresh protests rock Hong Kong as activists seek a voice at G20

Hong Kong was plunged into chaos again on Thursday as protesters rallied outside the justice secretary's offices, blocking roads and forcing workers to leave in the latest unrest to rock the city over an extradition bill that has now been suspended. Millions have thronged the streets in the past three weeks to demand that the bill, which would allow criminal suspects to be sent to the mainland for trial in courts controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, be scrapped altogether. Macron says he warned Iran's Rouhani about breaking nuclear commitments

French President Emmanuel Macron warned Iran on Thursday not to quit its 2015 nuclear deal or give signals that it intended to do so, and said he would discuss efforts to avoid military escalation with U.S. President Donald Trump. U.S. allies in Europe have been alarmed by an escalation between the United States and Iran in recent weeks, which culminated last week when Trump ordered air strikes only to call them off minutes before impact. Five wounded in suicide bomber attack in Tunisian capital

At least five people were wounded in the Tunisian capital on Thursday when a suicide bomber blew himself up, the government said. The bomber targeted a police patrol in Charles de Gaulle Street in central Tunis. Two police officers and three civilians were wounded, the Interior Ministry said.