Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Norwegian police arrest person after multiple stabbings in Sarpsborg

Police in Sarpsborg, in southern Norway, told people to stay in doors after three people were stabbed in several locations in the town late Tuesday, with two of the victims sustaining critical injuries. The police said it had arrested one person, but couldn't be certain whether there were more people involved in the attack, which motives were not clear immediately.

Mexico proposes to U.S. extending ban on land border crossings

Mexico proposed to the United States extending a ban on non-essential travel by land over their shared border for another 30 days considering the development of the coronavirus pandemic, Mexico's foreign ministry said on Twitter on Tuesday. The measure would be in place until August 21, under the same terms agreed when they were first implemented on March 21, the ministry added.

UK plans recommending masks in all public places, the Telegraph reports

The United Kingdom could soon recommend face coverings in all public places including offices and other workplaces, the Telegraph reported on Tuesday, a day after the government said masks will be made mandatory in shops from July 24. Officials have started private talks with groups representing major employers as ministers prepare a "road map" to avoid a second wave of COVID-19, the report added.

Erdogan, Trump agree to work more closely in Libya to ensure stability: Turkish presidency

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed in a phone call to work more closely in Libya to ensure lasting stability in the country, the Turkish presidency said on Tuesday. Turkey supports the internationally recognised Government of National Accord in Libya, which is fighting against the eastern-based Libyan National Army, backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia. Ankara has previously said the United States needs to play a more active role in Libya.

EU Commission seeks input on tackling fake news, ensuring fair polls

The European Commission will on Wednesday seek input from the public and civic bodies on how to combat fake news and ensure free and fair elections, a move that could lead to new rules targeting social platforms such as Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google. Social media has come under fire on both sides of the Atlantic for carrying political ads that contain false or misleading claims ahead of elections, with the upcoming U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3 a key focus.

Trump says he signed executive order ending preferential treatment for Hong Kong

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he signed legislation and an executive order to hold China "accountable" for the national security law it imposed on Hong Kong. At a Rose Garden news conference, Trump said he is ending Hong Kong's preferential treatment as a punishment against China for what he called its "oppressive" actions against the people of Hong Kong.

Tunisia's moderate Islamist party Ennahda to withdraw confidence from government

Tunisia's moderate Islamist party Ennahda, the biggest party in the country's parliament, decided on early Wednesday to withdraw confidence from the government, a senior official in Ennahda told Reuters. Ennahdha's move would deepen the political crisis in the country amid a dispute with Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfkah, whom Ennahdha says has lost credibility due to an alleged conflict of interest.

Canada tweaks rules to help foreign students enroll amid COVID-19 restrictions

Canada on Tuesday said it would make it easier for foreign students to study online from abroad and to qualify for a work permit after graduation amid strict border closures to curb the spread of COVID-19. The changes come after Canada ramped up approvals of new study permits for foreign students in May, even though the country's borders remain closed to all non-essential travel.

Tokyo to lift coronavirus alert to highest level: Asahi

Tokyo will lift its alert level for coronavirus infections to the highest of four levels on Wednesday, the Asahi newspaper reported, after a recent spike in cases to record levels in the Japanese capital. Daily coronavirus cases exceeded 200 in four of the last six days, touching an all-time high of 243 cases last Friday as testing among workers in the metropolis's red-light districts turned up infections among young people in their 20s and 30s.

BHP faces first step in $6.3 billion UK claim over Brazil dam failure

More than 200,000 Brazilian people and groups will next week kick off a 5 billion-pound ($6.3 billion) lawsuit against Anglo-Australian miner BHP in Britain over a 2015 dam failure that led to Brazil's worst environmental disaster. The group claim, one of the largest in British legal history, has been brought on behalf of Brazilian individuals, businesses, churches, organisations, municipalities and indigenous people and will open in Manchester on July 22.