World News Roundup: U.S.-sanctioned general to become public face of China's growing military; Russian shelling kills Kherson residents, Zelenskiy denounces 'terrorist attacks' and more

But on Dec. 29, he and his parents, son and two siblings were flying back to Britain after a trip to South Africa when he was stopped from boarding the plane in Istanbul. China to consolidate, boost domestic strategic resources bases - state media China will consolidate and add to its domestic strategic resources bases this year to achieve a rapid buildup in mineral resources, natural resources minister Wang Guanghua said on Sunday, according to state media.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

U.S.-sanctioned general to become public face of China's growing military

General Li Shangfu, named on Sunday as China's new defence minister, is a veteran of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) modernisation effort - a drive that led the United States to sanction him over the acquisition of weapons from Russia. Although his new post within the Chinese system is viewed as largely diplomatic and ceremonial, Li's appointment is being closely watched given his background, regional diplomats say.

Russian shelling kills Kherson residents, Zelenskiy denounces 'terrorist attacks'

Russian shelling killed three civilians in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, denouncing what he called "brutal terrorist attacks" by pro-Moscow units. Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November after nearly eight months of occupation by Russian forces who seized it soon after the start of the large-scale invasion. The area is now under almost constant bombardment from Russian forces on the opposite side of the Dnipro River.

U.S. not negotiating new Venezuela prisoner swap despite appeal, say U.S. officials

The United States is not discussing a prisoner exchange as described in a letter and video appeal addressed to President Joe Biden by an American detained in Venezuela, according to two U.S. officials. Eyvin Hernandez was "quite possibly coerced" into appealing to Biden to swap him and seven other U.S. detainees for Alex Saab, a Colombian-born businessman facing trial in Miami, said one of the U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Mutiny at the BBC: Lineker row causes growing crisis at UK broadcaster

Britain's BBC faced a mounting crisis as a row over football presenter Gary Lineker's criticism of government migration policy led to a presenter mutiny, drew a comment from the prime minister and left the broadcaster's boss defending his position. The BBC was forced to axe much of its sports coverage on Saturday as presenters refused to work in a show of solidarity with Lineker, after the BBC sought to defend its impartiality by taking him off the air due to his comments on social media.

Iran upholds death sentence of Swedish-Iranian Arab dissident

Iran's supreme court has upheld the death sentence handed down to a Swedish Iranian dual national convicted of leading an Arab separatist group accused of attacks including one on a military parade in 2018 that killed 25 people, state media reported on Sunday. Iran said in 2020 that its security forces arrested Sweden-based Habib Farajollah Chaab in Turkey and took him to Tehran, without saying where or how he was captured.

Russia says forces continue attack in Ukraine's Donetsk region

Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday that its forces continued to conduct military operations in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, claiming to have killed more than 220 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours. "In the Donetsk direction... more than 220 Ukrainian servicemen, an infantry fighting vehicle, 3 armoured fighting vehicles, 7 vehicles, as well as a D-30 howitzer were destroyed during the day," the defence ministry said.

French Senate votes for Macron's pension plan, despite new protests

The French Senate on Saturday night adopted President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reform plan in the wake of a seventh day of demonstrations that were not as large as authorities had expected. One hundred and ninety-five members of the upper house of the French Parliament voted for the text, whose key measure is raising the retirement age by two years to 64, while 112 voted against.

'A thin existence': man stranded in Turkey after being refused entry to Britain

Stranded in Turkey since being barred from boarding a flight to Britain more than two months ago, Siyabonga Twala spent his 34th birthday on Saturday away from his son and family in an unfamiliar city. Twala holds South African citizenship, has lived in the UK since 2004 and is father to a British son. But on Dec. 29, he and his parents, son and two siblings were flying back to Britain after a trip to South Africa when he was stopped from boarding the plane in Istanbul.

China to consolidate, boost domestic strategic resources bases - state media

China will consolidate and add to its domestic strategic resources bases this year to achieve a rapid buildup in mineral resources, natural resources minister Wang Guanghua said on Sunday, according to state media. "We will launch a new round of strategic action for mineral prospecting," Wang told reporters on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary meeting.

Iran's behaviour will be under microscope in coming months, say Saudi columnists

Saudi Arabia will watch Iran's behaviour during the two-month window agreed upon to restore relations, Saudi columnists said on Sunday, reflecting continued wariness in the longtime rivalry between the region's Sunni Muslim and Shi'ite powers. The breakthrough on Friday brokered by China, a major trade partner of both countries, followed several rounds of Saudi-Iranian talks held in the region in a bid to contain tensions, at a time of Gulf frustration over what they perceive as gradual U.S. disengagment from the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)