World News Roundup: Putin says Russia will make new missiles, warns of arms race

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

South Korean lawmaker sparks outrage after scolding nominee for not having baby

A South Korean lawmaker came under fire this week after he scolded a female nominee to the country's antitrust body for not having a child to fulfill her duty to the nation. Jeong Kab-Yoon, a veteran member of the conservative opposition Liberty Party Korea, made the controversial remarks at a confirmation hearing on Monday for Joh Sung-Wook, an unmarried economics professor.

Solomon Islands to sever ties with Taiwan, shift alliance to Beijing

The Solomon Islands intends to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan and align itself with Beijing, the leader of a high-level government team representing the South Pacific archipelago has said. The switch, which still needs to be formalized, would be a prize for China in its bid to peel away allies from what it considers a wayward province with no right to state-to-state ties. Only 17 countries now recognize Taiwan.

British PM Johnson kicks off election campaign as parliament blocks no-deal Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on Thursday kicking off what is in effect an election campaign, casting an alliance of opposition parties trying to block a 'no-deal' Brexit as defeatists surrendering to the European Union. As the United Kingdom spins towards an election, Brexit remains up in the air more than three years after Britons voted to leave the bloc in a 2016 referendum. Options range from a turbulent 'no-deal' exit to abandoning the whole endeavor.

Netanyahu opposes Iran talks after Trump moots meeting Rouhani

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged world powers on Thursday not to open a dialogue with Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump said he may meet his Iranian counterpart to resolve a crisis over Tehran's nuclear program and sanctions against it. "This is not the time to hold talks with Iran. This is the time to increase the pressure on Iran," Netanyahu told reporters at Ben Gurion Airport before boarding a flight to London.

Catalan leader warns against guilty verdict in separatists' trial

The head of Catalonia's government said on Thursday that a guilty verdict for Catalan leaders on trial over their role in the region's failed independence bid would further fuel separatists' efforts to break away from Spain. Catalonia's independence drive has overshadowed Spanish politics for years, triggering Spain's biggest crisis in decades in 2017, and helped bring about inconclusive national elections in April.

Turkey plans to return one million Syrians, warns of new migrant wave in Europe

Turkey plans to resettle 1 million refugees in northern Syria and may reopen the route for migrants into Europe if it does not receive adequate international support for the plan, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday. Turkey, which hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, controls parts of northern Syria where it says 350,000 Syrians have already returned. It is setting up a "safe zone" with the United States in the northeast where Erdogan said many more could be moved.

Putin says Russia will make new missiles, warns of arms race

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would produce missiles that were banned under a landmark Cold-War era nuclear pact that ended last month, but that Moscow would not deploy them unless the United States did so first. Speaking at an economic forum in Russia's the Far East, Putin said Moscow had urged the United States to de-escalate a spiraling arms race between the former Cold War foes, but that Washington had not responded.

Hong Kong leader says China 'respects and supports' withdrawal of extradition bill

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Thursday that China "understands, respects and supports" her government's move to formally withdraw an extradition bill, part of measures she hoped would help the city "move forward" from months of unrest. In a press conference, Lam was repeatedly questioned on why it took her so long to withdraw the bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China despite increasingly violent protests, but she skirted the questions.

Most Germans expect Merkel coalition to last to 2021, poll shows

Almost three-quarters of Germans expect the ruling coalition government to last until the end of the current legislative period in 2021 and believe it would be good for Chancellor Angela Merkel to serve until then, a poll showed on Thursday. The survey by pollster Forschungsgruppe Wahlen (FGW) for ZDF showed that 72% of the 1,270 voters questioned from Monday to Wednesday believed the coalition would last until 2021, up from 60% in June.

Singapore leader in waiting seen as 'cut from same cloth' as Lee family

Mild-mannered, studious and seen as "cut from the same cloth" like his predecessors, Singapore Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will face the daunting task of reshaping a struggling economy if, as expected, he becomes the wealthy city-state's next leader. Singapore started its countdown to the next general election on Wednesday, after the government said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had formed a panel to review electoral boundaries, an initial step toward calling a vote.

Also Read: FACTBOX-Hurdles in way of 5-Star/PD coalition government in Italy

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)