Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

UK Conservative lawmaker Kruger defects to Reform, declares Conservatives 'over'

A leading Conservative politician on Monday became the first sitting member of parliament since last year's election to abandon Britain's main centre-right party for the insurgent anti-immigrant Reform UK, now leading in opinion polls. Speaking at a press conference alongside Reform leader Nigel Farage, Danny Kruger said leaving behind friends was painful, but: "This is my tragic conclusion: the Conservative Party is over, over as a national party, over as the principal opposition."

Russia flexes military muscle with hypersonic missiles and bombers during drills

Russia said on Sunday that it had fired a Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic cruise missile at a target in the Barents Sea and that Sukoi Su-34 supersonic fighter-bombers had carried out strikes as part of joint military exercises with Belarus. Russia's "Zapad", or West, joint strategic exercise with Belarus began on Sept. 12 aiming to improve military command and coordination in the event of an attack on either Russia or Belarus, the defence ministry said.

UK drops case against two men accused of spying for China

British prosecutors said on Monday they were dropping charges of spying for China against two men, including a former researcher for a senior British lawmaker, saying there was not enough evidence to proceed. Former director of the China Research Group think tank Christopher Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, were due to go on trial next month accused of espionage, which they denied.

Freed Belarusian opposition politician who refused deportation is back in prison, report says

Belarusian opposition politician Mikola Statkevich, who refused to be deported to neighbouring Lithuania after being released from prison last week, has been returned to a penal colony, independent news outlet Nasha Niva reported on Monday. "Statkevich has been found in the Hlybokaye prison colony," exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya posted on X, citing the Nasha Niva report which was based on an unidentified source.

S.Korea will check for human rights violations for workers detained in US

South Korea will check with companies whether there were any human rights violations for Korean workers that were detained in the U.S., the presidential spokesperson said on Monday. More than 300 South Korean workers made a dramatic return home on Friday after about a week of detention in a U.S. immigration detention facility.

Rubio urges Qatar to keep helping with Gaza as Israel batters enclave

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday called on Qatar to continue to play a constructive role in resolving the Gaza conflict, speaking in Jerusalem on the same day that Arab leaders were meeting in Doha to respond to an Israeli strike. Qatar, a U.S. ally which has been co-mediating talks between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was angered last week by Israel's attack on its capital, which targeted Hamas leaders who reside there.

Spain calls for Israel, Russia to be banned from international sports competitions

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday said Israel and Russia should be banned from international sports competitions until "barbaric acts" end, referring to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Sanchez said he condemned the violent protests by pro-Palestinian on Sunday in Madrid which disrupted the La Vuelta cycling race and ultimately led to the cancellation of the final leg and the podium ceremony.

Sectarian violence risks dividing Syria despite Sharaa's diplomacy

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has won major diplomatic victories since seizing power nine months ago, but he risks losing the battle that matters most: to hold his deeply divided country together. In Syria's northeast, Kurdish forces are resisting integration into the state after 14 years of civil war, and are demanding a new constitution to recognize their rights. In the southeast, members of the Druze community are openly calling for independence after violent clashes with government forces.

UN Human Rights Council to hold urgent debate on Israeli airstrike on Qatar

The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an urgent debate in Geneva on Tuesday on Israel's September 9 attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, the Council said on Monday. The September 9 airstrike, which Hamas says killed five of its members but not its leadership, has prompted U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states to close ranks, adding to strains in ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, which normalised relations in 2020.

Britain bans Israelis from London defence college over Gaza escalation

Britain has banned Israelis from attending a prestigious London defence studies college due to the escalation of the war in Gaza, the UK's Ministry of Defence said on Monday, prompting an angry response from Israel. While Britain remains a close ally of Israel's, it has recently tried to pressure its government over the conflict, threatening in July to recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel takes steps to relieve suffering in the enclave.

Russia warns Europe: we will go after any state which takes our assets

Russia on Monday warned it would go after any European state that sought to take its assets after reports that the European Union is looking for new ways to leverage hundreds of billions of dollars of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies prohibited transactions with the Russian central bank and finance ministry after President Vladimir Putin sent his army into Ukraine in 2022, and blocked $300-$350 billion of sovereign Russian assets, mostly European, U.S. and British government bonds held in a European securities depository.

US Typhon missile system's presence in Japan sharpens Asia arms race

The United States on Monday showcased its Typhon intermediate-range missile system in Japan for the first time, underscoring Washington and Tokyo's growing willingness to field weapons that Beijing has condemned as destabilising. The land-based launcher, capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles with enough range to strike China's eastern seaboard or parts of Russia from Japan, will feature in the annual Resolute Dragon exercise. The two-week drill involves 20,000 Japanese and U.S. troops, along with warships and missile batteries.

From Gaza to Europe, via jet ski: Muhammad Abu Dakha's daring escape story

It took more than a year, several thousand dollars, ingenuity, setbacks and a jet ski: this is how Muhammad Abu Dakha, a 31-year-old Palestinian, managed to escape from Gaza to reach Europe. He documented his story through videos, photographs and audio files, which he shared with Reuters. Reuters also interviewed him and his travel companions upon their arrival in Italy, and their relatives in the Gaza Strip.

China set to open security forum amid regional tensions

China will attempt to further boost its recent strategic diplomacy and power projection efforts as it hosts its annual security forum this week amid roiling regional tensions. Foreign diplomats and security analysts say they expect Chinese officials will use the Beijing Xiangshan Forum to push President Xi Jinping's vision of the international order he outlined earlier this month, calling for unity against "hegemonism and power politics" - a swipe at the United States.

Turkey court delays ruling on opposition leader amid political crisis

A Turkish court delayed a decision on Monday whether to oust the main opposition leader and annul his party's 2023 congress over alleged irregularities, in a case that has already deepened the country's political crisis. The judge in Ankara adjourned the case concerning the Republican People's Party (CHP) and its chairman, Ozgur Ozel, until October 24.

Explainer-Why South Korea cannot make the same US trade deal as Japan

South Korea's negotiations with the U.S. on a trade deal to lower tariffs have stalled amid concerns over the foreign exchange implications of a $350 billion investment fund, part of an agreement reached with President Donald Trump in July. WHAT HAS JAPAN AGREED TO?

UK summons Russian ambassador over NATO airspace violations

Britain has summoned the Russian ambassador following Russia's violation of NATO airspace last week, the British Foreign Office said on Monday. Poland shot down Russian drones last Wednesday in the first known action of its kind by a member of the Western military alliance during Russia's war in Ukraine. Days later, Romania scrambled jets when a Russian drone breached its airspace.

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