Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

U.S. and Iran set to clash at U.N. nuclear watchdog

The United States will use an emergency meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's board on Wednesday to raise pressure on Iran over breaches of its nuclear deal, but diplomats expect no concrete action as parties to the deal consider their next move. In the past two weeks Iran has breached two limits central to the deal, which aimed to extended the time Iran would need to obtain enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon, if it chose to, to a year from around 2-3 months.

Exclusive: Western countries rebuke China at U.N. for detention of Uighurs

Nearly two dozen countries have called on China to halt its mass detention of ethnic Uighurs in the Xinjiang region, the first such joint move on the issue at the U.N. Human Rights Council, according to diplomats and a letter seen by Reuters. U.N. experts and activists say at least 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims are held in detention centers in the remote western region. China describes them as training centers helping to stamp out extremism and give people new skills.

Northern Irish same-sex marriage intervention complicates devolution talks

The British parliament's decision to bypass politicians in Northern Ireland and legislate on same-sex marriage could deepen a stalemate in the region at the heart of Britain's struggle to leave the European Union, a senior lawmaker warned on Thursday. British lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to compel the government to legalize same-sex marriage and also extend abortion rights in Northern Ireland if the local assembly, which collapsed in 2017, has not resumed by Oct. 21.

Macron turns his sights on France's town halls for power base

After dynamiting France's mainstream parties, President Emmanuel Macron is turning his mind to re-election and the need to make inroads in the last bastion of the old establishment: his country's 35,000 town halls. Municipal elections are still eight months away, but Macron is already plotting a course to conquer cities big and small, with a candidate for the biggest prize of all - Paris - to be picked by his party later on Wednesday.

Merkel says she is fine and 'working through' shaking after third bout

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "working through" a bout of shaking that first occurred in mid-June and struck for the third time on Wednesday, though she insisted she was fine and that "just as it happened one day, so it will disappear." Merkel earlier shook back and forth as she stood outside and looked uncomfortable as she watched a military ceremony marking the arrival of visiting Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne, who stood by her side.

UK's May says whoever wins Conservative battle will be an excellent PM

Whoever wins the race to become Conservative Party leader will make an excellent prime minister, outgoing British leader Theresa May said in parliament on Wednesday. Boris Johnson is the frontrunner to succeed May in the contest with his successor as foreign minister Jeremy Hunt. They will inherit a parliament in which the Conservative Party does not have a majority. May has governed with the support of a small Northern Irish Party.

British ambassador to Washington quits after spat over leaked memos

Britain's ambassador to Washington resigned on Wednesday after Donald Trump labeled him "stupid" and "wacky" following the release of confidential memos from the envoy in which he branded the U.S. president's administration inept. Memos from Kim Darroch were leaked to a British Sunday newspaper, infuriating Trump who lunched a stinging Twitter attack on both the envoy and British Prime Minister Theresa May who had given him her full support.

From Iron Lady to lame duck: Hong Kong leader's departure seen as mere matter of time

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam's apologies and explanations for a doomed extradition bill have failed to quell political tension and her departure is now seen by many in the Chinese-ruled city as merely a matter of time in a drawn-out, long goodbye. On Tuesday, Lam described the bill, which would have allowed people in Hong Kong, with its cherished rule of law, to be sent to mainland China for trial and pave the way for assets to be confiscated, as "dead".

Von der Leyen courts EU lawmakers in bid to become Commission chief

Germany's Ursula von der Leyen made her pitch to European lawmakers on Wednesday to be the next head of the EU executive, promising to focus on promoting the rule of law, digitalization, competitiveness and the fight against climate change. The conservative German defense minister has to win over EU deputies who are annoyed that national leaders opted to nominate her rather than one of the lead candidates from the biggest political groupings in the new parliament after May's election.

Exclusive: New Kurdish PM says priority is stronger Baghdad ties, rather than independence

Two years after a failed independence bid plunged Iraq's Kurdistan Region into months of instability, the new regional prime minister said his priority was strengthening ties with Baghdad, signaling dreams of self-rule should be put on hold. Masrour Barzani, sworn in as regional prime minister on Wednesday, told Reuters in an exclusive interview that under his leadership, the Kurdistan Regional Government's focus would be to establish a "strong and constructive" relationship with Baghdad, leaving the question of independence aside for now.

Also Read: Iran says U.S. made "huge" mistake by exiting 2015 nuclear deal