World News Roundup: French Senate approves bill allowing IVF; U.N. probe into Amazon boss Bezos and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

French Senate approves bill allowing IVF for single women, lesbians

France's Senate voted on Wednesday in favor of a bill that would allow single women and lesbian couples access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF), the first major social reform of President Emmanuel Macron's term. The bill was passed 160-116 in the Senate, where Macron's centrist party is outnumbered by right-wing Republicans.

U.N. experts demand probe into alleged Saudi hack of Amazon boss Bezos

U.N. experts have demanded an immediate investigation by U.S. and other authorities into allegations that Saudi Arabia's crown prince was involved in a plot to hack the phone of Amazon boss and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. The U.N. special rapporteurs, Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said on Wednesday they had information pointing to the "possible involvement" of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the alleged 2018 cyberattack, which preceded alleged threats by the National Enquirer to publish intimate photographs of the billionaire tech tycoon.

Iran tells Europe not to follow U.S. by undermining nuclear pact

Iran's president told European powers on Wednesday not to copy the United States by undermining Tehran's strained nuclear pact with world powers and said Tehran would not seek nuclear weapons whether or not the deal survived. Britain, France, and Germany launched a dispute mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal this month, accusing Iran of violating the deal that has become increasingly frayed since Washington pulled out in 2018 and then reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Zurich police use tear gas, water cannons on World Economic Forum protesters

Swiss police on Wednesday used water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas to subdue demonstrators in Zurich who ignited fireworks and threw bottles as part of a protest targeting the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) conference in Davos. Three people were arrested, one passerby was injured by fireworks and a policeman was hospitalized with unspecified injuries, Zurich police said in a news release after the demonstration broke up mid-evening.

More U.S. troops leave Iraq over potential injuries as Trump downplays brain risk

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he did not consider the brain injuries suffered by 11 U.S. service members in Iran's recent attack on a base in Iraq to be serious, as the American military moved more troops out of the region for potential injuries. In a statement on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said that more troops had been flown out of Iraq to Germany for medical evaluations following Iran's Jan. 8 missile attack on the base where U.S. forces were stationed after announcing the 11 injuries last week.

U.S. Secretary of State cautions nations against taking 'easy money' from China

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on a visit to Jamaica on Wednesday, cautioned nations against taking "easy money" from China, warning it could be counterproductive, in a second attack in as many days against China's economic role in the region. Pompeo has been a vocal critic of Chinese investments across the globe that the United States terms "debt diplomacy," alleging that it leaves poorer nations saddled with too much debt.

Irish PM willing to enter grand coalition with main rival

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said for the first time on Wednesday that he would consider entering an unprecedented coalition government with the country's second-largest party and historic rival Fianna Fail after next month's election. Varadkar's Fine Gael party trails its fellow center-right rival in opinion polls that suggest whichever party finishes on top on Feb. 8 would struggle to form a coalition government with a collection of smaller parties.

China fails to repatriate North Korea workers despite U.N. sanctions: U.S. official

China has failed to send home North Korean workers by a December deadline in violation of United Nations sanctions, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, adding that this was why Washington blacklisted two entities involved in Pyongyang's labor export. A 2017 U.N. Security Council resolution, which China-backed, demanded that all countries repatriate all North Korean workers by Dec. 22 to stop them earning foreign currency for North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

China's Wuhan shuts down transport as global alarm mounts over virus spread

Deaths from China's new flu-like virus rose to 17 on Wednesday, with more than 540 cases confirmed, leading the city at the center of the outbreak to close transportation networks and urge citizens not to leave as fears rose of the contagion spreading. The previously unknown coronavirus strain is believed to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at an animal market in the central city of Wuhan. Cases have been detected as far away as the United States.

Soleimani killing adds dangerous new dimension to Iraq unrest

Iranian-backed Shi'ite factions have exhorted Iraqis to turn out for a "million-strong" march on Friday aimed at whipping up anti-American sentiment as the United States' struggle with Iran plays out on the streets of Baghdad. Those behind the rally have two goals in mind - to pressure Washington to pull its troops out of Iraq, and to eclipse the mass anti-government protests that have challenged their grip on power.