Reuters World News Summary

After McCarrick report, pope vows to 'uproot evil' of clerical sexual abuse Pope Francis, in his first public comment after the release of an explosive report on the Vatican's mishandling of the case of ex-U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, on Wednesday again vowed to put an end to sexual abuse in the Church.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Cuba reopens Havana airport ahead of tourism high season

Havana airport will open to regular commercial flights on Sunday after being closed for seven and a half months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cuban state-run media said late on Tuesday citing Cuba's Institute of Civil Aeronautics. The move comes on time for what is traditionally the Caribbean island nation's high tourist season from November to March although the pandemic is expected to reduce the flow of visitors. Thousands flee Ethiopia conflict, anti-Tigray protests planned

Ethiopian refugees were flowing into Sudan on Wednesday as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's federal troops battled well-armed local forces in Tigray and protests against the northern region's leaders were planned around the vast nation. With outsiders barred and communications down, it was unclear how Abiy's week-long offensive against regional rulers the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was progressing. China urges U.S. to stop increasing ties with Taiwan

China urged the United States on Wednesday to stop boosting ties with Taiwan, after Washington and Taipei announced they would hold economic talks this month that Taiwan's government described as a "major milestone" in relations. China considers democratically-ruled Taiwan its own territory with no right to formal ties with other countries, and has watched with growing alarm stepped up U.S. support for the island, including new arms sales and visits to Taipei by senior U.S. officials. After McCarrick report, pope vows to 'uproot evil' of clerical sexual abuse

Pope Francis, in his first public comment after the release of an explosive report on the Vatican's mishandling of the case of ex-U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, on Wednesday again vowed to put an end to sexual abuse in the Church. "Yesterday, the report about the painful case of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was published. I renew my closeness to the victims of every abuse and the commitment of the Church to uproot this evil," Francis said at his weekly general audience. Thousands of Armenians demand prime minister quit over ceasefire

Thousands of Armenian demonstrators, chanting "Nikol is a traitor", demanded Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resign on Wednesday over a ceasefire that secured territorial advances for Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh after six weeks of fighting. The ceasefire, announced on Tuesday, ended the worst fighting in the region in decades, and has been celebrated as a victory in Azerbaijan. Pashinyan has called it a disaster but said he had no choice but to sign it to stave off a defeat. France says Remembrance Day blast in Saudi city Jeddah wounds several, condemns 'cowardly attack'

A bomb attack on a World War One remembrance ceremony in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah wounded several people on Wednesday, France said, urging its citizens living in the conservative kingdom to exercise maximum vigilance. France's Foreign Ministry said the attack had taken place at a ceremony in the Red Sea port city involving foreign embassies, and that an explosive device had been used. A Greek official told Reuters four people had been wounded. Russia says its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is 92% effective

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim trial results, the country's sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday, as Moscow rushes to keep pace with Western drugmakers in the race for a shot. Russia's results are only the second from a late-stage human trial, following on swiftly from data released on Monday by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, which said their shot was also more than 90% effective. Ex French President Hollande asks Macron: 'How are you doing? Is it not too hard right now?'

Former French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday asked his successor Emmanuel Macron how he was doing in the face of crises ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to Islamist attacks. "How are you doing? Is it not too hard right now?" Hollande asked Macron as they exchanged greetings at the tribute to soldiers killed during World War One at the Arc de Triomphe on the Paris Champs Elysees. Trudeau says Canada will not bow to China's 'coercive diplomacy'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday that his country would not cave in to pressure from China over the case of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou who was arrested in Canada on a U.S. warrant almost two years ago. The case has caused a diplomatic chill between Canada and China, which soon after Meng's arrest detained two Canadian citizens, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, on espionage charges. Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers to resign as Beijing moves to quash opposition

Hong Kong's pro-democracy opposition lawmakers said on Wednesday they will resign in protest against the dismissal of four of their colleagues from the city assembly after Beijing gave local authorities new powers to further curb dissent. The Chinese parliament adopted a resolution earlier in the day allowing the city's executive to expel legislators deemed to be advocating Hong Kong independence, colluding with foreign forces or threatening national security, without having to go through the courts.