Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Putin expects China's Xi to visit soon, Xi holds his line on Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he was expecting Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a state visit early next year in what would be a public show of solidarity from Beijing as Russia's invasion of Ukraine falters. But an official Chinese readout of a video summit between the two leaders highlighted differences in approach to their developing alliance, making no mention of a visit and stressing that Beijing, which has declined to back or condemn the invasion, would maintain its "objective and fair" stance.

Brazil's Bolsonaro flies to Florida, avoiding Lula handover

President Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States on Friday, 48 hours before his leftist rival President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was set to take office, saying in a teary goodbye speech he had "lost a battle but not the war." Bolsonaro, who has barely spoken since losing the election, has not confirmed where he is going, but plane tracking data suggests he is heading to Florida, where his security staff are already in place.

Marchers in southeast Iran denounce top leader in renewed protests

Demonstrators shouted slogans denouncing Iran's supreme leader in the restive southeast of the country on Friday, while a human rights group said at least 100 detained protesters were facing possible death sentences. There have been demonstrations across the country against the clerical leadership since mid-September after the death in detention of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman arrested for wearing "inappropriate attire" under Iran's strict Islamic dress code for women.

Romanian court extends detention of ex-kickboxer Andrew Tate in rape, human trafficking case

A Romanian court agreed late on Friday to extend the detention of Andrew Tate by 30 days, after the divisive internet personality was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group. The former professional kickboxer and his brother Tristan were detained on Thursday for an initial 24 hours alongside two Romanian suspects, prosecutors from the anti-organised crime unit said after raiding their properties in Bucharest.

COVID travel curbs against Chinese visitors 'discriminatory'- state media

Chinese state-media have railed against the growing number of foreign governments imposing COVID tests on travellers from China, calling the measures "discriminatory." Having kept its borders all but shut for three years, imposing a strict regime of lockdowns and relentless testing, Beijing abruptly reversed course toward living with the virus on Dec. 7, and infections have spread rapidly in recent weeks.

Russia attacks Ukraine along frontline from north to south

Russia shelled Ukrainian towns across a long stretch of the frontline from north to south, Ukrainian officials said on Friday, a day after Moscow fired dozens of missiles in its latest barrage against critical infrastructure. Air attack sirens blared overnight into Friday in the capital Kyiv, and Reuters heard several explosions and the sound of anti-aircraft fire south of the city as Russian forces fired 16 Iranian-made Shahed drones, the officials said.

Aung San Suu Kyi's Myanmar trials end with 7 more years in jail

Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was convicted of five counts of corruption on Friday and jailed for seven more years, an informed source said, wrapping up a marathon of trials condemned internationally as a sham. In a closed-door court session in army-ruled Myanmar, Suu Kyi, 77, who was arrested during a coup in February 2021, was found guilty of offences relating to her lease and use of a helicopter while she was the country's de facto leader, said the source, who has knowledge of her trials.

North Korea fires ballistic missile after unprecedented year of tests

North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea east to the Korean Peninsula on Saturday, the South Korean military said. It is the latest in an unprecedented number of missile tests conducted by North Korea this year.

Kosovo re-opens border crossings after Serbs remove roadblocks

Kosovo opened two border crossings with Serbia in the volatile north on Friday, following three weeks of closure after Serbs set up roadblocks to protest against the government in Pristina in a dispute that has drawn international concern. The reopening of the crossings came a day after Kosovo police said they had reopened the Merdare crossing - the most important for road freight, linking the landlocked state with western European countries - after roadblocks came down on the Serbian side of the border.

U.N. asks World Court to give opinion on Israel's occupation

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly on Friday asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighboring Egypt, controls the enclave's borders.