World News Roundup: Former Turkish PM breaks ties with Erdogan

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Brexit: DUP would insist Northern Ireland chooses what EU laws to implement

Northern Ireland's largest political party on Friday said it would reject the imposition of EU regulations on the region under any British EU exit deal unless the local parliament was given the power to choose which laws to implement. "The only different arrangements that we will accept for Northern Ireland are those where the Assembly has total scrutiny of any EU legislation," Democratic Unionist Party spokesman Sammy Wilson told BBC radio. "In those situations, we will consider adopting appropriate legislation if we believe it is to the advantage of the industry in Northern Ireland."

Pakistani PM: India's crackdown on Kashmir will spur global Muslim extremism

India's crackdown on protests and dissent in Kashmir will drive more of the world's Muslims into extremism, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said during a fiery speech on Friday, in the part of the disputed territory administered by Pakistan. "I want to tell India that, by detaining thousands of people, you are pushing people into extremism," Khan said at a rally in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir.

New Zealand's PM Ardern acts to tighten gun laws further, six months after attack

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern introduced a new bill to parliament on Friday that aims to further tighten gun laws, as the country marks six months since the mass shooting in Christchurch that killed 51 Muslim worshippers. This is New Zealand's second set of gun reforms after weak firearm laws were identified as a key reason why a suspected white supremacist was able to own semi-automatic weapons that he used to kill people gathered at two mosques for Friday prayers on March 15.

European powers concerned by Netanyahu annexation plans

Five major European nations said they were deeply concerned about Israel's announcement of its intention to annex areas of the West Bank. "This would, if implemented, constitute a serious breach of international law," the German Foreign Ministry said on Friday on Twitter https://twitter.com/GermanyDiplo/status/1172479728856510466.

Britain's move to join U.S. Gulf mission frustrates European plans

Britain's decision to join a U.S.-led naval mission in the Gulf has delayed European efforts to set up a maritime force to ensure safe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz separate from American patrols, EU diplomats say. Britain and France proposed a European-led maritime force in July that was to be independent of the United States. They won support from Denmark, Italy and Spain, who were wary of an American mission for fear of making U.S.-Iranian tensions worse.

U.S. destroyer sails in disputed South China Sea amid trade talks

A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Friday, the U.S. military said, a move likely to anger Beijing. The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-Chinese relationship, which include an escalating trade war, American sanctions on China's military and U.S. relations with Taiwan.

Hong Kong leader to prioritize housing, livelihoods to appease protesters

Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has promised to prioritize housing and people’s livelihoods to appease deep-rooted discontent about the way the Asian financial hub has been governed, as protesters gear up for fresh demonstrations. Lam, who said she caused "unforgivable havoc" by igniting the political crisis and would quit if she had a choice, said in a Facebook post late on Thursday her government would increase the supply of housing with more policies to be announced.

Investigation dropped into Leave.EU's Brexit spending

Leave.EU, a Brexit campaign group led by Arron Banks, will not face any further criminal investigation into the spending return it submitted after the European Union referendum, police said on Friday. Police had submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service to investigate whether further action was needed.

Russia fired officials who let alleged CIA mole flee country - Ifax

Russia fired officials who allowed a former Kremlin employee and alleged CIA informant to flee the country, the Interfax news agency reported on Friday. U.S. media reports, confirmed to Reuters by two sources, have said a CIA informant in the Russian government was extracted and brought to the United States in 2017.

Former Turkish PM breaks ties with Erdogan, ruling AK Party

Turkey's former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, once President Tayyip Erdogan's closest ally, said on Friday he resigned from the ruling AK Party and again criticized its ability to govern, though he did not immediately launch a new party as expected. "The AK Party, which has fallen under the control of a small team, no longer has the ability to be a solution to our country's problems," Davutoglu told a press conference in Ankara.

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