Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. China says confident of Central Asia support before Pompeo visit

Attempts to sow discord over Chinese policies in its Xinjiang region will fail, China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to neighboring central Asia. Many Western countries have expressed deep concern at reports China has interned Muslims in its far western region of Xinjiang in harsh conditions, with Pompeo particularly critical. Beijing says it is running a vocational training program to fight extremism. Bavarian leader Soeder quashes talk of German chancellery run

Bavarian leader Markus Soeder has dismissed speculation that he will run for chancellor, a month after giving a speech to Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) that re-ignited debate over who should succeed her as German leader. Soeder, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Merkel's CDU, delighted the CDU congress with a speech that raised hopes he would revive the fortunes of their alliance before Merkel, 65, steps down. Protesters outside U.S. Baghdad embassy condemn air strikes

Thousands of protesters and militia fighters gathered on Tuesday outside the main gate of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad to condemn air strikes on bases belonging to an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq. U.S. forces carried out air strikes on Sunday against the Kataib Hezbollah militia in response to the killing of a U.S. civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. Thousands trapped on Australian beaches by dangerous bushfires

Thousands swarmed to beaches on Australia's east coast on Tuesday to escape fierce wildfires bearing down on several seaside towns, as the government readied naval vessels and military helicopters to aid firefighting and evacuations. Government officials called for Australian military support and assistance from U.S. and Canadian fire crews as authorities confirmed two people had died overnight, taking to 11 the total deaths in wildfires since the beginning of October. Putin and Zelenskiy agree to work on new prisoner swap

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy have agreed to begin work immediately on a new prisoner swap, Ukraine's presidential office said. Putin and Zelenskiy agreed in a phone call on Tuesday to draw up a list of Ukrainians, including those held in Russian-annexed Crimea, and Russians held in Ukraine, for an exchange, it said. Exclusive: Hong Kongers support protester demands; minority wants independence from China - Reuters poll

Hong Kong's protest movement is supported by 59% of city residents polled in a survey conducted for Reuters by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, with more than a third of respondents saying they had attended an anti-government demonstration. Supporters of the protests outnumbered opponents by a ratio of nearly two to one, with 30% percent saying they were opposed. Of those polled, 57% said they favored the resignation of Carrie Lam, the city's leader. Lam was a particular target of the anti-government demonstrations that gripped Hong Kong for most of 2019 after she attempted to push through a deeply unpopular extradition bill. India prepares for New Year's Eve with fresh protests against citizenship law

Thousands of Indians are set to ring in the New Year by holding protests against a citizenship law, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to dampen demonstrations that have run for nearly three weeks. India has been rocked by the protests since Dec. 12, when the government passed legislation easing the way for non-Muslim minorities from the neighboring Muslim-majority nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to gain Indian citizenship. Festive cheer in short supply as Hong Kong activists stage New Year protests

Hong Kong protesters made long human chains and marched through shopping malls on New Year's Eve, urging people not to give up the fight for democracy in 2020, while police were out in force across the city to quell any unrest. Authorities have canceled the popular midnight fireworks for the first time in a decade, citing security concerns. A "Symphony of Lights" is planned instead, involving projections on the city's tallest skyscrapers after a countdown to midnight. World rings in the new year amid wildfires, protests

Millions of people began ringing in 2020 with fireworks, dancing and champagne on Wednesday, but Australia's celebrations were overshadowed by deadly wildfires while protests dampened the festive mood in Hong Kong and India. New Zealanders were among the first to welcome the new year, with fireworks lighting up the night sky over Auckland. North Korea's Kim to unveil 'new path' in New Year speech after U.S. misses deadline

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to make a closely watched New Year address on Wednesday which is likely to offer a glimpse of a "new path" he has vowed to take if the United States fails to meet his deadline to soften its stance over denuclearization. The New Year address is expected to touch upon a wide range of issues from foreign affairs and military development to the economy and education.