World News Roundup: 22 killed as truck carrying migrants crashes; Romero and Pope Paul VI become saints

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Merkel's Bavarian allies brace for bruising in state election

Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies are heading for their worst state election result in more than 60 years in a regional vote on Sunday that is likely to increase tensions within Germany's fragile coalition government. According to the latest polls, the Christian Social Union (CSU) should win around 34 per cent of the vote, losing the absolute majority with which the centre-right party has controlled its southeastern heartland for most of the post-war period.

Twenty-two killed as a truck carrying migrants crashes in Turkey

Twenty-two people, including children, were killed when a truck carrying migrants crashed in the western Turkish province of Izmir on Sunday, the state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. The mangled wreckage of the open-topped truck lay toppled over in a canal, some 20 meters below a highway from which it apparently fell after crashing through a barrier, video and photos published by Anadolu showed.

Slain Salvadoran bishop Romero and Pope Paul VI become saints

Pope Francis on Sunday made saints of two of the most contentious Roman Catholic figures of the 20th century -- murdered Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero and Pope Paul VI, who reigned over one of the Church's most turbulent eras and enshrined its opposition to contraception. In a ceremony before tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, Francis declared the two men saints along with five other lesser-known people who were born in Italy, Germany and Spain in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Former minister calls on UK cabinet to make May change mind on Brexit

Critics of Theresa May's plans to leave the European Union stepped up the pressure on the prime minister on Sunday, with one former minister saying her cabinet team should exert its authority to force her to change course. With less than six months before Brexit day and just days before May heads to Brussels for a summit, former Brexit minister David Davis pressed May to abandon her proposal for leaving the European Union, saying the bloc "has rejected it. The public does not like it. Parliament will not vote for it".

Saudi threatens to retaliate against any sanctions over Khashoggi disappearance

Saudi Arabia rejected threats to punish it over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, saying the kingdom would retaliate against any sanctions with tougher measures, the official state news agency said on Sunday. The comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened "severe punishment" for Riyadh if it turned out Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Saudi authorities and a legal resident of the United States, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Egypt court upholds death sentences for three suspected militants

An Egyptian court on Sunday upheld death sentences for three people for establishing and running a militant group known as Ansar al-Sharia, two judicial sources and state news agency MENA said. The charges included killing at least 10 police officers and attempting to kill more in a series of attacks between August 2013 and May 2014. The court upheld sentences issued in August. The decision can be appealed within 60 days.

Tale of two brothers reflects Syrian rebel unity and divisions

Brothers Abu Eliyas and Abu Yousef have fought at opposite ends of the insurgency against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. One is a member of a rebel group that was once backed by the CIA. The other is a jihadist in an internationally proscribed terrorist movement.

Storm Leslie hits Portugal, leaves thousands without power

At least 300,000 homes were without power on Sunday after tropical storm Leslie hit Portugal's Atlantic coast, bringing with it heavy rain, strong winds and surging seas. Leslie was downgraded from a hurricane before it reached Portugal late on Saturday. Authorities had urged people to stay indoors and keep away from coastal areas.

Turkey renames new U.S. embassy street 'Malcolm X Avenue'

City authorities in Turkey's capital Ankara have renamed the street where the new U.S. embassy is being built 'Malcolm X Avenue' after the U.S. civil rights leader, state media reported. The move coincides with a period of fraught relations between Turkey and the United States and comes after other politically charged name changes to streets in Ankara.

The U.S. wants 'regime change' in Iran: Rouhani

The United States is seeking "regime change" in Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, adding that the current U.S. administration is the most hostile that the Islamic Republic has faced in its four decades. Tensions have increased between Iran and America after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral agreement on Iran's nuclear program in May.