World News Roundup: Canadian faces appeal hearing in China drugs case; UAE reopens Syria embassy in boost for Assad

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Bereaved Guatemalan mother hoped son would help family's U.S. entry

Between heavy sobs, Catarina Alonzo explained that when her husband left Guatemala to try to reach the United States, they hoped taking their 8-year-old son would make it easier for the pair to get in. Instead, the boy fell ill and died. Detained on the U.S. border, Felipe Gomez Alonzo died late on Christmas Eve in a New Mexico hospital a few weeks after setting off with his father, becoming the second Guatemalan child to die this month while in U.S. custody.

Let down by U.S., Syrian Kurdish leaders look to Russia and Assad

Alarmed by a U.S. decision to leave Syria, Kurdish leaders who run much of the north are urging Russia and its ally Damascus to send forces to shield the border from the threat of a Turkish offensive. Their call for a return of Syrian government forces to the border, which Kurdish fighters have held for years, points to the depth of their crisis in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw forces.

Canadian faces appeal hearing in China drugs case: state media

A Chinese court will hear the appeal of a Canadian citizen held on drugs charges on Saturday, a government-run news portal said, in a case that could further test the tense relations between Beijing and Ottawa. The two governments have sparred over the fate of two Canadian citizens detained in China on suspicion of endangering state security, and of Canada's arrest of a high-ranking Chinese executive at the request of the United States.

Saudi king taps veteran finance chief as foreign minister to improve image

Saudi Arabia's king put a veteran former finance minister in charge of foreign affairs on Thursday, aiming to improve the kingdom's image after the crisis caused by the killing of a journalist and greater scrutiny of the Yemen war. The Saudi government has come under intense international criticism over the murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

UAE reopens Syria embassy in boost for Assad

The United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus on Thursday, marking a diplomatic boost for President Bashar al-Assad from a U.S.-allied Arab state that once backed rebels fighting him. The UAE said the move aimed to normalize ties and to curb risks of regional interference in "Arab, Syrian affairs" - an apparent reference to non-Arab Iran, whose support for Assad has been critical to his war effort.

Former Macron bodyguard in spotlight over consultancy work

A sacked security aide to French President Emmanuel Macron who was at the center of a scandal that shook the government this summer is under fresh scrutiny over the nature of his recent work as a consultant. The presidency confirmed on Thursday it had written to Alexandre Benalla in the last few days demanding more details of business trips to several African countries and telling him not to claim any links to the government.

Corbyn: Labour bid to force general election matter of 'when not if'

British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn told the Independent newspaper the Labour party's attempt to force a general election by tabling a no-confidence motion was a matter of "when, not if." Corbyn suggested the move would be unavoidable if British Prime Minister Theresa May fails to secure backing for her Brexit policies from parliament.

Scandal involving Brazil president-elect's son clouds inauguration

A lingering financial scandal involving Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro's son has soured his inauguration next week and tarnished the reputation of a far-right maverick who surged to victory on a vow to end years of political horsetrading. Bolsonaro, who spent nearly 30 years in Congress, takes office on Jan. 1 after an electoral win that gave him a mandate to hobble violent drug gangs, cut through red tape to kick-start Brazil's economy and go after the corrupt political class.

Venezuela murder rate dips, partly due to migration: monitoring group

The murder rate in Venezuela, one of the world's highest-crime countries, dipped in 2018 as some criminals apparently joined millions of law-abiding compatriots in leaving the crisis-stricken country, a local crime monitoring group said in a report on Thursday. The South American country is in a fifth year of recession caused by a crash in oil prices and an unraveling socialist economic model. Three million Venezuelans have fled violence, hyperinflation and shortages of basic goods, most since 2015, according to the United Nations.

Dozens protests in eastern Congo city against election exclusion

Dozens of people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Beni marched, barricaded roads and burned tires on Thursday to protest against the electoral commission's decision to exclude its voters from Sunday's presidential election. Congo's electoral commission (CENI) announced on Wednesday that it was cancelling the vote in Beni, its surrounding areas and the nearby city of Butembo due to an ongoing Ebola outbreak and militia violence.

(With inputs from Reuters)