World News Roundup: Russia tells U.S. to stop stoking tensions; Egypt's ex-prez Mursi buried in Cairo and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Merkel: Will only lift Russia sanctions if Ukraine's sovereignty restored

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that western sanctions against Russia would not be lifted unless Ukraine's sovereignty was restored. Merkel said she and visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had discussed the Minsk peace agreement, adding: "As long as there is no progress on this front, the sanctions cannot be lifted and the sanctions related to Crimea can only be lifted if Crimea returns to Ukraine."

Myanmar official says runaway monk 'incited hatred' against Suu Kyi

A Myanmar official on Tuesday told a court that a nationalist Buddhist monk, Wirathu, who has evaded arrest on sedition charges, "incited hatred" against leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her government. Police issued an arrest warrant for Wirathu last month but he has not been detained and has taunted authorities on social media.

Iran says it won't wage war, Russia tells U.S. to stop stoking tensions

President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday Iran would not wage war against any nation, while Russia told the United States it should drop what it called provocative plans to deploy more troops to the Middle East. Fears of a confrontation between Iran and the United States have mounted since Washington blamed its long-time foe for Thursday's attacks on two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.

Johnson gets new boost in race to become UK prime minister

Boris Johnson got a fresh boost in the race to become Britain's prime minister on Tuesday when a another former rival in the race backed him to lead the country out of its Brexit crisis. Hours before the six contenders were due to be whittled down by the party's lawmakers, Andrea Leadsom declared her support for Johnson, the clear favorite.

Hong Kong leader signals end to extradition bill but refuses to quit

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday signaled the end of a controversial extradition bill that she promoted and then postponed after some of the most violent protests since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. In a closely watched press conference, Lam apologized for the turmoil but refused to say the bill would be "withdrawn", only that it wouldn't be re-introduced during her time in office if public fears persist.

Yemen's Houthis to allow U.N. to inspect ships in Hodeidah: sources

Yemen's Houthi movement and the United Nations have agreed on a mechanism to inspect ships docking at Hodeidah following the group's withdrawal from three Red Sea ports under a U.N.-sponsored deal, a Houthi official and a U.N. source said. The Houthis' unilateral pullout last month from the ports of Saleef, used for grain, Ras Isa oil terminal and Hodeidah, the main entry point for commercial and aid imports, represented the only progress in implementing the deal reached last December.

Egypt's ex-president Mursi buried in Cairo, Islamists mourn

Egypt's Islamist ex-president Mohamed Mursi was buried in a small family ceremony early on Tuesday a day after he suffered a fatal heart attack in court, his sons said, as supporters posted messages of grief and anger. The first democratically elected head of state in Egypt's modern history, who was deposed by the army in 2013, was laid to rest in Cairo next to the graves of other leaders of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, Abdullah Mohamed Mursi told Reuters. As Myanmar military takes critics to court, some want Suu Kyi to act

As Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi arrived at a Yangon court recently to face charges of defaming Myanmar's military in Facebook posts, the ailing filmmaker was greeted by a crowd of activists dressed in blue, the color of prison uniforms. The charges against Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi - as well as against satirical performers, journalists and a Buddhist monk - have drawn criticism of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, already facing international opprobrium over an army-led campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority that the United Nations said constituted crimes against humanity and possibly genocide. Mexico president floats idea of recall referendum in March 2021

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday proposed holding a recall referendum on his presidency on March 21, 2021, if Congress cannot agree to a constitutional change permitting the vote during mid-term legislative elections. Lopez Obrador took office in December vowing to give the public a chance to vote him out of office halfway through his six year term, but that plan has met resistance in the Senate from opposition lawmakers concerned about its implications. Tanker attacks seen as calibrated but risky Iranian response to U.S. sanctions

If, despite its firm denials, Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf last week and a further four last month, they represent a calibrated yet risky pushback against a U.S. sanctions squeeze, regional experts say. The targeting of six vessels on a major artery for world oil supplies was a vivid reminder of the stakes involved in the standoff pitting Iran against the United States and its regional allies.