German Chancellor Angela Merkel expects Britain's new government to "quickly" define its relationship with the European Union after conservative Theresa May becomes prime minister on Wednesday.

Venezuela's embattled government said Monday it would take over operations at facilities where US consumer goods giant Kimberly-Clark just shut down, citing unworkable economic conditions.

"We are going to sign, at the workers' request... to authorize immediate occupation of the workplace known as Kimberly-Clark de Venezuela... by its workers," Labor Minister Oswaldo Vera said at the facility's plant in the central city of Maracay.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter reiterated Washington's support for "courageous" Afghan security forces Tuesday, days after the United States and NATO pledged to keep thousands of troops in the troubled country.

A US inmate at a Michigan courthouse shot and killed two court officers and wounded a sheriff's deputy Monday during a struggle to escape before responding officers returned fire and killed him, officials said.

The sheriff's deputy and a civilian, who was shot in the arm at the Berrien County Courthouse, were taken to a hospital where they are in stable condition, Sheriff Paul Bailey said.

The White House sharply criticized Monday renewed heavy fighting in South Sudan's capital city Juba that has pushed thousands of people to flee.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the return to violence in South Sudan. It must stop," National Security Advisor Susan Rice said in a statement.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended his plan to give Syrian refugees Turkish citizenship in comments published Monday, arguing the country has ample space after a backlash against the suggestion.

South Sudan's president ordered a ceasefire Monday after a new day of heavy fighting in the capital Juba that sent thousands of people fleeing and threatened a return to civil war.

Theresa May will on Wednesday become the prime minister who leads Britain's into Brexit talks after her only rival in the race to succeed David Cameron pulled out unexpectedly.

Two South African brothers arrested on terrorism charges were plotting to blow up the US embassy in Pretoria and Jewish institutions, and planned to join the so-called Islamic State, police said Monday.

Mexico's president hit back Sunday at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's claim that if elected, he would make Mexico build a wall along its US border.

The bombastic billionaire has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and insulted Mexican immigrants by calling them rapists, criminals and drug dealers.