Theresa May takes center stage in British parliament’s box-office show

Here is the latest World News from Reuters.

Theresa May takes center stage in British parliament’s box-office show
LONDON (Reuters) – Theresa May used her first parliamentary grilling as Britain’s new prime minister on Wednesday to taunt the opposition over women’s rights, pointing out that it was her party that had made her the country’s second female leader after Margaret Thatcher.

Yemen explosion kills four soldiers: security forces
ADEN (Reuters) – A blast in the southern Yemeni city of Aden killed four soldiers and wounded six, the city’s security administration said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

Mosul assault in focus two years after Islamic State takeover
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – When Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi pledged in December that Iraq would retake Islamic State’s de facto capital Mosul by the end of 2016, the target was greeted with scepticism by Western allies and officials within his own government.

Syrian rebel group says investigating child beheading video
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Syrian rebel group which has received U.S. military backing said it is investigating the beheading of a young child in Aleppo after video footage circulated showing the boy being killed by a man activists identified as a member of the group.

Syrian rebels say Israel strikes army post near Golan
AMMAN (Reuters) – An air strike believed to have been carried out by an Israeli jet hit a Syrian army post near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday, two Syrian rebel sources said.

Israeli parliament enacts impeachment law, critics say targets Arab MPs
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s parliament on Wednesday passed a law enabling it to impeach deputies for incitement to violence, racism or support for armed struggle against the state, in a move critics said was aimed mainly at Arab legislators.

From Pyongyang with love: North Korea restarts coded spy broadcasts
SEOUL (Reuters) – “Now we’ll begin a mathematics review assignment for members of the 27th expeditionary unit of the distance learning university,” the woman’s voice crackled over the radio.

Germany must expect attacks, possibly from ‘lone wolves’, says minister
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany faces attacks by Islamist “lone wolves” similar to that carried out by a 17-year old refugee who attacked train passengers with an ax on Monday night, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday.

U.S. says its forces will keep operating in South China Sea
BEIJING (Reuters) – U.S. military forces will continue to operate in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson said on Wednesday during a visit to a Chinese naval base.

Indonesia on alert for revenge attacks after most-wanted militant killed
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesian forces are on high alert for reprisal attacks after the country’s most-wanted militant was killed this week, officials said on Wednesday.

Turkey blocks access to WikiLeaks after ruling party email dump
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s Internet watchdog has blocked access to the WikiLeaks website in Turkey, it said, after the whistleblower organization released nearly 300,000 emails from the ruling AK Party.

Prominent journalist killed in car bomb in Kiev
KIEV (Reuters) – A prominent journalist working for the online investigative newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda was killed by a car bomb in central Kiev early on Wednesday morning.

French lawmakers back emergency rule after Nice attack, inquiry sought
PARIS (Reuters) – French lawmakers approved a six-month rollover of emergency rule on Wednesday in the wake of last week’s truck attack on the city of Nice, the third deadly assault in 18 months for which the Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility.

France says west plans strike on Islamic State in Iraq, confirms Libya presence
PARIS (Reuters) – France and the United States are preparing a coordinated strike against Islamic State on the militant group’s stronghold in Mosul, Iraq, French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said.

Czech court jails American Dahlgren for life for murdering relatives
PRAGUE (Reuters) – A Czech court on Wednesday sentenced U.S. citizen Kevin Dahlgren to life in prison for the 2013 murder of a family of four relatives with whom he had been staying.

No retreat from Asia pivot regardless of who wins U.S. presidency: Biden
SYDNEY (Reuters) – United States Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday assured key ally Australia there would be no retreat from Washington’s pivot to the Asia-Pacific region regardless of who wins November’s presidential election.

North Korea says missile test simulated attack on South’s airfields
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea said on Wednesday it had conducted a ballistic missile test that simulated preemptive strikes against South Korean ports and airfields used by the U.S. military, a likely reference to the launches of three missiles on Tuesday.

Magnitude 5.0 quake jolts Japan’s Ibaraki, no tsunami warning
TOKYO (Reuters) – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 hit northeast of Tokyo on Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, but there were no were immediate reports of damage.

Local governor to seek shutdown of Japan’s only operating nuke plant: media
TOKYO (Reuters) – A newly elected local governor will ask Kyushu Electric Power Co for a temporary shutdown of Sendai nuclear plant, Japan’s only operating facility, as early as August, Asahi newspaper said on Wednesday.

Brazil probes Olympics threats after group backs Islamic State
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s intelligence agency said on Tuesday it was investigating all threats to next month’s Rio Olympics after a presumed Brazilian Islamist group pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS) less than three weeks before the Games.

Trump’s ‘politics of fear’ dangerous for U.S., world: German foreign minister
BERLIN (Reuters) – Donald Trump, having clinched the Republican Party’s nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election, threatens U.S. and world security with his “politics of fear and isolation,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Wednesday.

U.S. approves $785 million bomb sale to UAE ally against Islamic State
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of $785 million in bombs to the United Arab Emirates for the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

Palestinian boy killed during clash with Israeli troops in West Bank: Palestinians
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A Palestinian boy was killed on Tuesday during a clash with Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank on the outskirts of Arab East Jerusalem, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Turkey’s Erdogan beats foes for now, but at high cost to stability
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose fate was in the balance as rebel soldiers tried to topple him, has triumphed against his enemies and quickly reasserting his grip on power. But the failed military coup is further polarizing a nation in turmoil.

Kerry says U.S. and Russia plan ‘concrete’ Syria steps
LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday the United States and Russia have planned “concrete steps” for the direction they will take in Syria.

Gunmen kill eight fishermen in popular Mexican surf resort
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Gunmen killed eight fishermen in the popular Mexican surf resort of Puerto Escondido late on Monday, prosecutors said, in a rare shooting for a part of the country that has largely avoided serious gang violence.

Myanmar’s military investigates a ‘war crime’ in an era of reform
MONG YAW, Myanmar (Reuters) – The first and second bodies pulled from the shallow grave in northern Myanmar didn’t belong to Aik Chin’s missing son. Nor, he prayed, did the third, whose face was unrecognizable from a severe beating.

EU’s Tusk tells Britain’s May he wants ‘velvet divorce’ after Brexit vote
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Council head Donald Tusk told Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday that he hoped to bring about a “velvet divorce” after Britain’s historic vote last month to leave the European Union.

As Mosul fight approaches, worries about the day after
WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Dozens of defense and foreign ministers will meet in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday to take stock of the fight against Islamic State, their focus increasingly on a major prize: the militant group’s bastion in Mosul, Iraq.The battle for Mosul is expected to be difficult, but the aftermath could be tougher, Iraqi, United Nations and U.S. officials say. So far, there are no plans, personnel or money to restore basic services and security for residents and as man

Colombia to halt temporary border openings for Venezuela shoppers
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia wants a permanent opening of its border with Venezuela and will not allow further temporary crossings, the foreign minister said, after tens of thousands of Venezuelans streamed in during the weekend to buy items scarce in their own country.

Britain will not start EU divorce this year, government lawyer says
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will not begin its formal divorce from the European Union this year, a government lawyer said on Tuesday at the start of the first legal action prompted by last month’s referendum vote to exit the bloc.

Italy says 2,500 boat migrants rescued, one body recovered
ROME (Reuters) – More than 2,500 migrants were plucked from overcrowded boats off the coast of Libya on Tuesday and one dead body was recovered, Italy’s coast guard said, as people smugglers operating in Libya took advantage of calm seas and warm weather.

Kerry ‘amazed’ at speed of UK leadership handover
LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, whose country is halfway through a presidential campaign that will last most of this year, expressed astonishment on Tuesday at how quickly Britain has just changed leaders.

Syrian rebels capture Islamic State headquarters in Manbij: U.S. military
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S.-backed rebels fighting Islamic State militants in Syria captured a headquarters operation as they pushed into the western part of the town of Manbij over the weekend, the U.S. military said in a statement on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe’s Mugabe says activist pastor funded by foreign states
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday said an activist pastor behind anti-government protests this month was being sponsored by foreign countries set on destabilizing his administration.

Suspected U.S. coalition strikes kill 56 civilians in IS-held Syrian city: monitor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – At least 56 civilians were killed on Tuesday in air strikes north of the besieged Islamic State-held city of Manbij in northern Syria, and residents said they believed the attack was carried out by U.S.-led warplanes, a monitoring group said.

Indonesia ’99 percent’ sure most-wanted militant killed in clash
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia is “99 percent” sure its most-wanted militant, a supporter of Islamic State known as Santoso, has been killed in a clash with security forces, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Three shot dead in central England, police say
LONDON (Reuters) – Three people including a suspected gunman have been shot dead in an incident on Tuesday near a swimming pool in Lincolnshire, central England, police said.