Reuters World News Summary

In October, the late-night host traveled to Kyiv to interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the safest part of the city — a subway platform 300 feet (90 meters) below ground. Kabul hotel attack ends as three gunmen killed; two foreigners injured Armed men opened fire on Monday inside a hotel in central Kabul popular with Chinese nationals in an attack that ended when at least three gunmen were killed by security forces, the Taliban-run administration said.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Peru's new leader offers early election after four die in protests

Peru's new president offered lawmakers a plan to bring elections forward by two years on Monday, after the ouster of her predecessor last week sparked protests that have left at least four dead. President Dina Boluarte, previously the vice president, was sworn in last week after former President Pedro Castillo was removed by Congress and arrested for trying to dissolve the legislature while preventing an impeachment vote against him.

Iran carries out second execution linked to wave of popular protests

The Islamic Republic on Monday hanged a man in public who state media said had been convicted of killing two members of the security forces, the second execution in less than a week of people involved in protests against Iran's ruling theocracy.

Nationwide unrest erupted three months ago after the death while in detention of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code laws.

Lockerbie bombing suspect appears briefly in U.S. court

A Libyan intelligence operative suspected of making the bomb that blew up Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing 270 people, appeared in a federal court in Washington on Monday, ahead of being formally charged. Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi appeared in a U.S. courtroom nearly 34 years after a bomb on board the Boeing 747, which was flying from London to New York City, killed all 259 people on board and 11 on the ground.

Cuban Coast Guard rescues would-be migrants adrift off of Havana

A makeshift boat loaded with Cubans drifted just off Havana's seaside drive on Monday before those aboard were rescued by the Cuban Coast Guard as hundreds of spectators looked on. A passerby who said he helped police bring on shore two men who had jumped ship as the coast guard arrived, told Reuters the migrants said they had left from a town just west of Havana, but their motor had quickly failed.

Fighting rages in east Ukraine, G7 considers more air defence for Kyiv

Russian missiles, artillery and drones hammered targets in eastern and southern Ukraine, Ukraine's General Staff said on Monday as global economic powers pledged to beef up Kyiv's military capabilities with a focus on air defences. The Group of Seven promised to "meet Ukraine's urgent requirements" after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed to the virtual G7 meeting for modern tanks, artillery firepower and long-range weapons against Russia's devastating invasion, which began almost 10 months ago.

EU strikes deal with Hungary over Ukraine aid, tax plan, recovery funds

European Union governments on Monday struck a deal with Hungary that sorts out financial aid for Ukraine in 2023 and Budapest's approval for a global minimum corporate tax in exchange for the EU showing some flexibility about EU funds for Hungary. The complex deal, which came after months of wrangling between EU institutions, governments and Hungary, means Ukraine will get 18 billion euros from the EU budget next year in stable and predictable financing that will allow Kyiv to plan ahead.

David Letterman interviews Ukraine's Zelenskiy in underground subway

U.S. talkshow host David Letterman has done many interviews in his life - but never one quite like this. In October, the late-night host traveled to Kyiv to interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the safest part of the city — a subway platform 300 feet (90 meters) below ground.

Kabul hotel attack ends as three gunmen killed; two foreigners injured

Armed men opened fire on Monday inside a hotel in central Kabul popular with Chinese nationals in an attack that ended when at least three gunmen were killed by security forces, the Taliban-run administration said. Two foreigners were injured while trying to escape by jumping from the hotel balcony, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter.

Chile battles to combat forest fires amid threat to residents

Chile is battling to control the spread of several wildfires that have already destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of woodlands and are putting local communities at risk. Central regions including the Santiago metropolitan area, Valparaiso, O'Higgins and Maule are on red alert, with nine active fires currently being fought, data from the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) showed on Monday.

Queues form at fever clinics as China wrestles with COVID surge

People queued outside fever clinics at Chinese hospitals for COVID-19 checks on Monday, a new sign of the rapid spread of symptoms after authorities began dismantling an apparatus they used to surveil residents and curtail movement. Three years into the pandemic, China is now acting to align with a world that has largely reopened to live with COVID, after unprecedented protests that became a de-facto referendum against a "zero-COVID" policy championed by President Xi Jinping.