Reuters World News Summary

In a wide-ranging interview with Reuters on Monday, Yoon urged China, North Korea's closest ally, to fulfil its responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and said not doing do so would lead to an influx of military assets to the region. Haiti still needs foreign strike force to confront gangs, official says The international community should send a strike force to Haiti to confront gangs even though police have ended a blockade of a fuel terminal that caused a humanitarian crisis, Haiti's ambassador to the United States said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Analysis-At Qatar World Cup, Mideast tensions spill into stadiums

The first World Cup in the Middle East has become a showcase for the political tensions crisscrossing one of the world's most volatile regions and the ambiguous role often played by host nation Qatar in its crises. Iran's matches have been the most politically charged as fans voice support for protesters who have been boldly challenging the clerical leadership at home. They have also proved diplomatically sensitive for Qatar which has good ties to Tehran.

Russia will not halt strikes until it runs out of missiles, Ukraine's Zelenskiy says

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Ukrainians to expect another brutal week of cold and darkness ahead, predicting more Russian attacks on infrastructure that would not cease until Moscow ran out of missiles. Russia has been carrying out massive missile bombardments on Ukraine's energy infrastructure roughly weekly since early October, with each barrage having greater impact than the last as damage accumulates and a frigid winter sets in.

Exclusive-U.S., Russia have used 'deconfliction' line once so far during Ukraine war -source

A communications line created between the militaries of the United States and Russia at the start of Moscow's war against Ukraine has been used only once so far, a U.S. official told Reuters. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the United States initiated a call through the "deconfliction" line to communicate its concerns about Russian military operations near critical infrastructure in Ukraine.

Exclusive-South Korea's Yoon says China can change North Korea's behaviour if it wants

China not only has the responsibility but the capability to influence North Korea's behaviour, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said, calling on Beijing to dissuade Pyongyang from pursuing banned development of nuclear weapons and missiles. In a wide-ranging interview with Reuters on Monday, Yoon urged China, North Korea's closest ally, to fulfil its responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and said not doing do so would lead to an influx of military assets to the region.

Haiti still needs foreign strike force to confront gangs, official says

The international community should send a strike force to Haiti to confront gangs even though police have ended a blockade of a fuel terminal that caused a humanitarian crisis, Haiti's ambassador to the United States said on Monday. The U.N. Security Council in October discussed sending troops to confront gangs, but those proposals have received little attention since police took back control of the Varreux terminal in November.

Ukrainian couple describe months under ground amid Russian attacks

Viktor and Ludmila Syabro, 68 and 61 respectively, first started living underground at least seven months ago as Russian assaults shattered their eastern Ukrainian hometown of Siversk.

The wisdom of the couple's choice seemed clear in July, when they told Reuters a missile struck the house, but they were already in the basement.

Iran's future on U.N. women's rights body to be decided Dec. 14

A U.S. push for Iran to be removed from a U.N. women's equality and empowerment body will be voted on Dec. 14, diplomats said on Monday as Washington lobbies for Tehran to be punished over its denial of women's rights and brutal crackdown on protests. The United States on Monday circulated a draft resolution on the move, seen by Reuters, that also denounces Iran's policies as "flagrantly contrary to the human rights of women and girls and to the mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women."

China protests highlight Xi's COVID policy dilemma - to walk it back or not

The rare street protests that erupted in cities across China over the weekend were a referendum against President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and the strongest public defiance during his political career, China analysts said. Not since the protests of Tiananmen Square in 1989 have so many Chinese risked arrest and other repercussions to take to the streets over a single issue.

Exclusive-U.S. weighs sending 100-mile strike weapon to Ukraine -sources

The Pentagon is considering a Boeing proposal to supply Ukraine with cheap, small precision bombs fitted onto abundantly available rockets, allowing Kyiv to strike far behind Russian lines as the West struggles to meet demand for more arms. U.S. and allied military inventories are shrinking, and Ukraine faces an increasing need for more sophisticated weapons as the war drags on. Boeing's proposed system, dubbed Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), is one of about a half-dozen plans for getting new munitions into production for Ukraine and America's Eastern European allies, industry sources said.

Venezuelan political talks set to enter challenging phase -opposition delegate

Talks between the Venezuelan government and the country's opposition, which resumed over the weekend, are set to enter a crucial stage, the head of dialogue for Venezuela's opposition said on Monday, as the political rivals seek to end a prolonged economic crisis. "Now is when negotiations get tough," Gerardo Blyde, who leads the team of negotiators for Venezuela's opposition, said in an interview with local radio station Circuitos Exitos.