Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
'Howdy, Modi!' - Thousands, plus Trump, rally in Texas forIndia's leader
U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi shared a stage and showered each other with praiseon Sunday at a "Howdy, Modi!" rally attended by upward of 50,000people, a rare mass showing for a foreign leader on Americansoil. Trump, calling the gathering a "profoundly historicevent," was greeted with a standing ovation by theIndian-American crowd and his speech was interrupted severaltimes by roars of approval.
Israel's Arab party support pushes Gantz ahead of Netanyahu
Israel's Arab-dominated Joint List party moved on Sunday toback the center-left bloc of Benny Gantz, who is challengingPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing alliance, to forma new government. With final results all but in, neither Gantznor Netanyahu command a majority in parliament, so the ArabList's decision to end its usual policy of withholding supportfor any candidate in the wake of elections could nudge PresidentReuven Rivlin to ask Gantz to form a government.
Pompeo says U.S. mission is to avoid war with Iran butmeasures in place to deter
The United States aims to avoid war with Iran and theadditional troops ordered to be deployed in the Gulf region arefor "deterrence and defense," U.S. Secretary of State MikePompeo said on Sunday. Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Pompeo addedthat he was confident U.S. President Donald Trump would takeaction if such deterrence measures fail and that this was wellunderstood by the Iranian leadership.
Hong Kong police fire tear gas after storming shopping mall
Hong Kong police fired tear gas on Sunday to break uppro-democracy protesters who trashed fittings at a railwaystation and shopping mall, the latest confrontation in more thanthree months of often violent unrest. It was the biggest ofseveral clashes across the Chinese-ruled city, most taking placein or near Mass Transit Railway (MTR) stations, now a familiartarget of attack.
The party will decide our Brexit position, says UK Labour'sCorbyn
British opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said onSunday his party would guide him on how to campaign in a secondBrexit referendum, pledging to offer voters a choice betweenstaying in the European Union and a "credible" deal. At thestart of Labour's annual conference in the English seasideresort of Brighton, Corbyn was under renewed pressure from partymembers and even some of his top team to unequivocally backremaining in the EU in any new vote.
Climate activists hold event to mark vanishing Swiss glacier
Hundreds of climate activists paid their respects to a Swissglacier on Sunday that is due to disappear over the next decade,the victim of a warming environment. The Pizol glacier, now atless than a tenth of a square km, in the Glarus Alps in easternSwitzerland has been retreating as temperatures climb. Locatedabout 2,600 meters (8530 ft) above sea level, the glacier is dueto vanish completely by 2030.
Canada's Trudeau pledges lower taxes, cellphone costs asblackface scandal hits him in polls
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went on the offensiveon Sunday, promising to cut middle-class taxes and slashcellphone costs if re-elected after polls showed he took asignificant hit when photos emerged last week of him inblackface. Trudeau has repeatedly apologized for the images,which jarred with his oft-stated position that he wants toimprove the lot of minorities in Canada and prompted accusationsof hypocrisy.
Iranian maritime official says UK tanker Stena Impero to bereleased soon: Fars news
Stena Impero, the British-flagged tanker detained by Iran onJuly 19, will be released soon, an Iranian maritime officialsaid on Sunday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.The Stena Impero was detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards inthe Strait of Hormuz waterway for alleged marine violations, twoweeks after Britain seized an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar. Thatvessel was released in August.
Indonesia finds design flaw, oversight lapses in 737 MAXcrash: WSJ
Indonesian investigators have found that design andoversight lapses played a key role in the October crash ofBoeing Co's 737 MAX jet that killed all 189 aboard, theWall Street Journal said on Sunday. The draft conclusions,expected to be the first formal government finding of flaws inthe design and U.S. regulatory approval, also identify a stringof pilot errors and maintenance mistakes as causal factors ofthe Lion Air crash, the WSJ https://www.wsj.com/articles/indonesia-to-fault-737-max-design-u-s-oversight-in-lion-air-crash-report-11569185664?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1said.
U.S. Democrat Schiff says Trump's Ukraine call could justifyimpeachment
If an investigation shows that President Donald Trumppressured Ukraine to investigate former Vice President JoeBiden, the U.S. Congress may have no choice but to pursueimpeachment, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiffsaid on Sunday. Trump and his allies, including Secretary ofState Mike Pompeo, on Sunday defended the president's phone call-- reportedly the subject of a complaint made by anas-yet-unnamed whistleblower -- and escalated their attacks onBiden.