Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Tankers burn in the Middle East despite hopes for de-escalation

In the Strait of Hormuz, tankers are still ablaze, oil spills are washing ashore and drones and missiles strike infrastructure across the region, despite expectations of a de-escalation reflected in falling oil prices. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported on Wednesday another incident involving a tanker in the Strait ​of Hormuz, while Iran said an oil tanker caught fire after hitting a naval mine.

Pope-mania boosts Peru tourist industry as pilgrims fill hotels and shop for souvenirs

Hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops in Peru are preparing for a surge in visitors as Pope Leo ​arrives on Wednesday in the country that he once called home. Around 850,000 domestic travelers are expected to see the pope on his six-day visit to Peru, which will include stops ‌in Lima, Cusco, Pucallpa and ​Chiclayo, a city where Leo previously served as bishop. Another 50,000 international visitors are also expected, said Peru's trade and tourism minister Rogers Valencia, adding that flights were fully booked and tourism infrastructure ready.

How Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang got entangled in a China chip and spy scandal

A controversy surrounding Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and the chipmaker's China business has spiraled into a national-security and political storm, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers, the company's board and investors. The fallout has also intensified a long-running debate in Washington over whether the US should allow its most advanced AI chips to be sold to China. Here is a timeline of key developments:

Senior Republican on US Senate banking panel calls on Nvidia CEO Huang to resign

Republican US Senator Kevin Cramer from the Senate Banking Committee has called on Jensen Huang to step down as Nvidia CEO after revelations of the tech executive's ‌affair with a Chinese businesswoman alleged to be a spy for Beijing. "The potential for extortion is so tremendous that something as sensitive as Nvidia chips, I just think he's got to go," Cramer told Politico late on Tuesday.

Threats sent to UK and Irish schools dismissed as hoax

Authorities in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland said a threatening email which was sent to a large number of schools on Wednesday was a hoax originating from outside the United Kingdom. The emails were reported after the evacuation of at least 300 schools in Italy.

Iran attacks shipping navigation systems on Oman's Didamar island, sources say

Iran has attacked ship navigation systems on the Omani island of Didamar in the Strait of Hormuz, three sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed, showing Tehran's ability to target infrastructure used to restore Gulf oil flows. The three sources did not provide a damage assessment and Reuters could not determine independently if any navigation systems were destroyed in the attacks that Tehran had claimed on Tuesday.

COP31 leaders try out new sales pitch for climate action: do it for the economy

Leaders at the COP31 summit in Turkey are trying out a new sales pitch for climate action that is tailored to the times: ‌do it to bolster the economy and bring down the cost of living. The message, being repeated in the hallways and on the plenary stage of the annual UN conference, reflects efforts by organizers to capture the attention of governments wrestling with crises that have pushed global warming down the list of priorities.

Note listing four left-wing figures found at home of Trappes suspect, French prosecutors say

Investigators found a sticky note with the names and mobile phone numbers of four public figures linked to the left during a search of a the suspect of an ‌October shooting in a Paris suburb, France’s anti-terrorism prosecution office said on Wednesday. The suspect, referred to by prosecutors as Kevin T, 39, was formally placed under investigation on charges including murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy says progress in peace talks hinges on US approach to Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Kyiv hoped to achieve concrete results in talks on resolving the war with Russia this year, but that much depended on how the United States approached Moscow. Zelenskiy was speaking alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin after two days of US-led talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Abu Dhabi.

Nvidia faces deepening scrutiny over China chip ties, CEO affair

Nvidia shed about $430 billion in market value over two sessions as new reports deepened questions about CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with a Chinese businesswoman alleged to be a spy for Beijing. The controversy escalated on several fronts on Tuesday as allegations emerged that Huang's relationship with Alice Huang aided at least $7.5 billion in Nvidia chip shipments to China and that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously briefed President Donald Trump on the affair.

Democrats are ready to fight Trump on immigration. But how much can they achieve?

Democratic lawmakers are gearing up to fight President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown when in control of Congress next year, targeting ICE tactics and expanding paths to legal status despite limits on how much they can achieve. Democrats handily won control of both chambers of Congress last week, fueled in ⁠part by voters’ dissatisfaction with Trump’s aggressive ​arrest and deportation campaign. But lawmakers from both parties expect Stephen Miller, the architect of that campaign and Trump's new chief of staff, to go on ⁠driving immigration policy.

Russia, Ukraine reach deal on prisoner swap as US says lack of trust holds back talks

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators agreed to a major prisoner exchange at two days of peace talks in Abu Dhabi that ended on Wednesday, but US mediators said differences remained on major issues, including territory. At their first negotiations in nine months, the two countries agreed in principle to exchange prisoners of war and to determine the numbers on Thursday.

Study suggests not all obesity means ill-health

Only between a quarter and a third of people currently diagnosed with obesity should be considered as in poor health, according to a new study that joins calls to overhaul how the condition is diagnosed. The study, published in Nature ⁠on Wednesday, follows a proposal last year from experts and medical organizations to move obesity diagnosis beyond just body mass index (BMI), based on a person’s weight and height, to include body fat and broader health.

Iran will not allow enriched nuclear material to leave the country, security chief says

Iran will not allow even a single particle of enriched nuclear material to leave the country and there will be consequences in the event of any new US strikes on the Islamic Republic, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei said in televised remarks. Rezaei was speaking to Lebanon's pro-Iranian Al Mayadeen TV after US officials downplayed the need for additional military action against Iran, with analysts noting President Donald ​Trump's more conciliatory tone since the Republicans' defeat in the November 3 midterm elections.

Indonesia's vice president has resigned, aide says, stoking political uncertainty

Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has resigned, an aide said on Wednesday, a move that threatens to split a key political alliance and risks further political uncertainty in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Gibran, the 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo, has come under intense scrutiny from lawmakers following Constitutional Court and Supreme Court rulings last month that his education documents did not meet election requirements.

World leaders ⁠speak at COP31 climate conference

World leaders including Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan set out their climate priorities in speeches at COP31 in Turkey on Wednesday. Below are selected quotes:

Iran tells COP31 it wants compensation for environmental damage from US-Israeli strikes

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told the COP31 climate conference on Wednesday his country wanted compensation for environmental damage caused by US and Israeli strikes, saying the issue related to global efforts to fight climate change. "We expect the global community to establish a genuine and meaningful link between climate commitments in times of peace and responsibility in times of war, to document and assess the environmental damages caused by military aggressions and to develop compensation mechanisms," he said.

Millions of Spaniards stage first general strike in 14 years as anger over ⁠housing leads ​to clashes

A general strike by 4 million Spanish workers — around one-fifth of the total workforce — against the country's housing crisis was mostly peaceful on Wednesday, unions said, though by the evening clashes erupted in some areas of Barcelona and Madrid. Workers endured stormy weather to set up picket lines, with large marches taking place in Madrid, Barcelona and cities across Spain less than three weeks before a snap general election.

Ukraine's path to EU accession narrows as war drags on

When Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, Polish farmer Miroslaw Halej wanted to help refugees who flooded across the border near the village where he lives in eastern Poland. He did so initially by helping distribute food and clothing for them but, as the war ground on, his views began to shift.

Soccer-US pulls men's Under-17 team from World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns

US Soccer has withdrawn its national team from the men's FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns, the federation told players on Wednesday. In a letter sent to players and provided to Reuters, the federation said it was cancelling the team's pre-tournament camp and its participation in the event "in light of current circumstances."

Pope Leo arrives in Peru ⁠for homecoming leg of his Latin American trip

Pope Leo arrived in Peru on Wednesday, an emotional homecoming for the first Peruvian citizen to lead the Catholic Church, after wrapping up a visit to Argentina that drew a record six million people over three days. Leo was all smiles as he emerged from the plane in the port city of Callao to children holding flowers and singing.

Motor racing-Hamilton urges Israel to let Gaza aid in after Rafah visit

Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton said on Wednesday that Israel must allow aid trucks into Gaza, a ⁠day after he visited the Rafah border crossing in Egypt. Hamilton, a seven-times world champion, arrived in El Arish on Tuesday, where he was briefed on how aid is ⁠prepared and coordinated before it is sent into Gaza, as he toured the Rafah crossing and the Egyptian Red Crescent's aid warehouses.

Myanmar lobbies US to invest in its rare earths sector, dominated by China

Myanmar's military-led government is urging the United States to beef up re-engagement efforts and rapidly boost investment in the war-torn nation's rare earths mines, a critical sector now dominated by influential giant neighbour China. The US State Department outlined a plan to expand influence and potentially gain access to Myanmar's rare-earth deposits in a strategy document released last week, after months of secretive talks with Myanmar officials.

Chilean mother reunites with children taken under Pinochet dictatorship

Nearly 40 years after three of her children were forcibly taken from her in Chile, Teresita Padilla embraced two of them again on Wednesday, back in the country where they were born. The reunion was the latest victory for activists ‌who use DNA testing and meticulous document-hunting to uncover thousands of child thefts and irregular adoptions during the ‌dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles, drones; group denies targeting Mecca

Saudi air defences intercepted Houthi missiles and drones launched towards Riyadh, Mecca and other regions on Wednesday, as hostilities between the Iran-aligned group and the kingdom worsen. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Yemeni group said it had intercepted and destroyed ​three cruise missiles headed to the Riyadh region, two drones aimed at Mecca and southern areas and two missiles pointed towards the west.