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Overshadowed by a mushrooming U.S. federal corruption probe into top union officials that has created uncertainty for collective bargaining talks, the contract between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and General Motors Co will expire at midnight on Saturday. This year's talks between the union and GM, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA) were always going to be tough, with thorny issues such as healthcare costs and profit-sharing on the table at a time when sales of U.S. new vehicles are declining.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. The attorney general's office said on Saturday prosecutors would hold to account those who oversaw the widely-panned probe into the abduction and apparent massacre of the trainee teachers by corrupt police working with a violent drug gang. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States was "locked and loaded" for a potential response to the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, after a senior official in his administration said Iran was to blame.

Oil prices surged to six-month highs on Monday while Wall Street futures turned lower and safe haven bets returned after weekend attacks on Saudi Arabia's crude facilities knocked out more than 5% of global oil supply. "Saturday's news of multiple drone attacks on Saudi Arabia Abqaiq petroleum processing facility is set to reverberate through global markets this week," said Ray Attrill, head of forex strategy at National Australia Bank.

United Auto Workers says contract talks with General Motors will resume Monday morning, but the threat of a strike remains. Union spokesman Brian Rothenberg says the negotiations are slated to begin at 10 a.m. Monday. GM's 49,200 UAW members still plan to go on strike nationwide at midnight.

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet next week with the leaders of India and Australia at events in Texas and Ohio to promote trade and investment. Trump will then travel to Wapakoneta, Ohio, where he will be joined by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for a tour of a new, Australian-owned manufacturing facility.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States was "locked and loaded" for a potential response to the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, after a senior official in his administration said Iran was to blame. "There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed!" Trump said on Twitter.

The United Auto Workers union and General Motors Co are set to resume contract talks at 10 a.m. EDT on Monday, hours after the union is set to go on strike, a union spokesman said. The UAW said earlier on Sunday its roughly 48,000 hourly workers at GM facilities would go on strike as of midnight on Sunday after U.S. labor contract talks reached an impasse, the first nationwide strike at GM in 12 years. GM officials said they expect to resume contract talks on Monday morning.

A jailed media magnate and an independent outsider appeared likely to face off in Tunisia's presidential runoff, after a roller coaster first-round race in the country that unleashed the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings. Official preliminary results are expected in the next couple of days from Sunday's voting, in which corruption, unemployment and Islamic extremism were among key campaign issues. A second-round vote is expected by Oct. 13, the electoral commission chief said.

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet next week with the leaders of India and Australia at events in Texas and Ohio to promote trade and investment. Trump will then travel to Wapakoneta, Ohio, where he will be joined by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for a tour of a new, Australian-owned manufacturing facility.

Saturday's attacks knocked out more than half of Saudi oil output, or more than 5% of global supply. "I would expect a rough day for stocks tomorrow since this attack largely came out of the blue," said Nicholas Colas, Co-founder of DataTrek Research. U.S. 10-Year Treasury note futures prices rose 0.2 pct at the start of trading.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he authorized the release of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) if needed in a quantity to be determined because of Saturday's attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities. "Based on the attack on Saudi Arabia, which may have an impact on oil prices, I have authorized the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, if needed, in a to-be-determined amount sufficient to keep the markets well-supplied," Trump said on Twitter.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday the next few days would be key to his chances of securing a Brexit deal, and that an agreement with the European Union was still his aim and still possible. With less than seven weeks remaining until Britain is due to leave the European Union, Johnson has yet to strike a deal with Brussels to manage the unprecedented separation between the world's fifth largest economy and its biggest trading partner. Johnson has pledged to leave the EU with or without a deal on Oct. 31, even though British lawmakers have passed a law which would force him to request a delay beyond that date if he is unable to reach a deal with the EU.

A fire that destroyed a historic synagogue in northeastern Minnesota doesn't appear to have been a hate crime, authorities said Sunday in discussing the arrest of a suspect. Matthew James Amiot, 36, of Duluth, was arrested Friday in the fire last week at the Adas Israel Congregation in downtown Duluth, the city's police chief, Mike Tusken, said at a news conference. Tusken said he has no reason to believe the fire was a hate crime, although the investigation is ongoing.

Britain's exit from the European Union without a divorce agreement would be a disaster and must be ruled out, Europe's biggest business organisation said on Monday, as EU officials warn this worst-case scenario is increasingly likely. After twice postponing the date of leaving the EU, Britain is now set to exit on Oct. 31, but the country's parliament and public are deeply divided over the terms of the divorce. "No deal is a recipe for disaster and should be definitely ruled out.

A commission from the Organization of American States seeking to help broker an end to a political crisis in Nicaragua said on Sunday the government of President Daniel Ortega had barred its entry into the Central American country. In a statement, the OAS said the delegation made up of representatives from the United States, Canada, Argentina, Paraguay and Jamaica had been informed by Nicaragua's migration authorities that it would not be allowed into the country. Nicaragua has been gripped by its worst political crisis since demonstrations broke out against the Ortega government in April 2018 over planned cuts to welfare benefits.

Will impeaching Donald Trump protect the public, deter criminal behavior and promote respect for the rule of law? If so, Democrats have a duty to act.

The United Auto Workers union announced Sunday that its roughly 49,000 workers at General Motors plants in the U.S. would go on strike just before midnight because contentious talks on a new contract had broken down. About 200 plant-level union leaders voted unanimously in favor of a walkout during a meeting Sunday morning in Detroit. Union leaders said the sides were still far apart on several major issues and they apparently weren't swayed by a GM offer to make new products at or near two of the four plants it had been planning to close, according to someone briefed on the matter.

WASHINGTON/DUBAI, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on Saturday that has threatened global oil supplies came from a direction indicating that Iran was behind it, and cruise missiles may have been the weapon of choice, according to a senior U.S. official. The comments added heft to Washington’s accusation that Iran launched the attacks that knocked out more than 5% of global oil supply, instead of the Yemeni Houthi group that claimed it.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs. Apple TV+ premiered its first show at the Tribeca TV Festival on Saturday, flaunting feminist snark, lavish period costumes and a star-studded cast in "Dickinson," a series that sheds a modern light on the life of an iconic American poet. Emily Dickinson, the prolific American poet, is played by Hailee Steinfeld, the pop star whose breakout vocal performance in Pitch Perfect 2 and debut single "Love Myself" made her a teen idol - a casting decision that Apple is likely betting on to draw young, loyal fans to the streaming service.

There have been five confirmed deaths from cholera in Sudan's Blue Nile state since Aug. 28, the health ministry said in a statement. The ministry reported 67 cases of cholera since that date, with 18 of them still receiving treatment in isolation rooms, it added in the statement late Friday. As U.S health officials scramble to identify the root cause of hundreds of severe lung illnesses tied to vaping, one possible culprit identified so far is a line of illicit marijuana vape products sold under the brand names "Dank Vapes" and "Chronic Carts." A study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine found that more than half of patients with the lung illness - 24 of 41 - who were extensively interviewed in Wisconsin and Illinois reported having used the "Dank Vapes" brand.