World News Roundup: Airlines avoid parts of Iran-controlled airspace; NATO aims to make space new frontier

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

'Unholy alliance'? SE Asian authorities accused of trading exiled activists

Three Thai policemen approached Vietnamese refugee Nguyen Van Chung at his home in Bangkok in January and asked him whether he was in touch with another Vietnamese man, Truong Duy Nhat, who had fled to Thailand. Chung said no, he had never met Nhat, a writer and critic of Vietnam's communist government who previously had spent two years in prison for "abusing democratic freedoms". He only knew of Nhat from his Facebook posts.

Uzbek chief prosecutor sacked over graft probe: report

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has sacked Prosecutor General Otabek Murodov after he was targeted in a corruption probe, news website Gazeta.uz quoted Mirziyoyev as saying on Friday. Last week, the Uzbek authorities announced that the former head of state security, Ikhtiyor Abdullayev, was also being investigated for alleged corruption.

Airlines avoid parts of Iran-controlled airspace after U.S. regulator's order

Some global airlines are re-routing flights to avoid Iran-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, they said on Friday after the U.S. aviation regulator barred its carriers from the area until further notice. Thursday's emergency order from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) came after Iran shot down a high-altitude U.S. drone with a surface-to-air missile, sparking concerns about a threat to the safety of commercial airlines.

Exclusive: NATO aims to make space new frontier in defence

NATO aims to recognize space as a domain of warfare this year, four senior diplomats said, partly to show U.S. President Donald Trump that the alliance is relevant and adapting to new threats after he signed off on the creation of a U.S. Space Force. The decision, set to be taken at a Dec. 3-4 leaders summit in London that Trump is due to attend, would formally acknowledge that battles can be waged not only on land, in the air, at sea and on computer networks, but also in space.

Trump warned Tehran a U.S. attack was imminent, called for talks: Iranian officials

Iranian officials told Reuters on Friday that Tehran had received a message from U.S. President Donald Trump warning that a U.S. attack on Iran was imminent but said he was against war and wanted talks on a range of issues. News of the message, delivered through Oman overnight, came shortly after the New York Times said Trump had approved military strikes against Iran on Friday over the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone but called them off at the last minute.

Exclusive: After the bruising election, Indonesia to vet public servants to identify Islamists

Indonesia plans to tighten vetting of senior public servants amid fears that hardline Islamist ideology has permeated high levels of government, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and a senior official involved in the plan. Indonesia is officially secular, but there has been a rise in politicians demanding a larger role for Islam in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, with some groups calling for an Islamic state.

The fate of 24 arrested Hong Kong protesters hangs in balance as anger turns on the police

Hong Kong protesters have managed to pull off an unlikely victory, forcing the city's Beijing-appointed leader to suspend an extradition bill that would have allowed individuals to be sent to China for trial. But the victory has come at an uncertain cost for 24 people arrested during the largely peaceful demonstrations, with the government saying those at the frontline, charging at police with umbrellas, for instance, would be shown no clemency.

Chinese and North Korean leaders agree to strengthen bilateral ties: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that amid "serious and complicated" international affairs, developing North Korea and China's relationship is good for both countries and regional peace, North Korean state media said on Friday. The two leaders, meeting in a summit in Pyongyang since Thursday, agreed to have close strategic communication and deepen cooperation in various fields, KCNA said.

Georgian president accuses Russian 'fifth column' of stirring unrest

Georgia's president called Russia "an enemy and occupier" and suggested Moscow had helped trigger protests that rocked Tbilisi, but the Kremlin on Friday blamed radical Georgian politicians for what it called "an anti-Russian provocation". The strong statement from President Salome Zurabishvili followed violent scenes in the Georgian capital, where police late on Thursday used tear gas and fired rubber bullets to stop crowds angered by the visit of a Russian lawmaker from storming the parliament building.

Russian hermit seeks peace in remote Siberia

Viktor, 62, turned his back on society 16 years ago and moved to the remote forest wilderness of Russian Siberia where he lives in seclusion in a wooden hut, studying the Bible and foraging for food. Grey-bearded, enigmatic and with a huge tattoo of Christ across his back, the former barge operator refuses to disclose his surname. The hut he built himself sits on the banks of the Yenisei River which carves through Siberia.