World News Roundup: Asia-Pacific leaders push for freer trade after Trump; UK will likely follow the U.S. in cutting Afghanistan troops, minister says and more

Europe aims for cooperation with U.S. against pandemic under Biden: Germany Europe hopes for a closer cooperation with the U.S. in tackling the coronavirus pandemic and the global distribution of a vaccine once U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Asia-Pacific leaders push for freer trade after Trump

Asia-Pacific leaders called on Thursday for open and multilateral trade to support a global economy battered by the novel coronavirus, and some hoped for more engagement with the United States under a Joe Biden administration. Chinese President Xi Jinping, among the leaders at a virtual meeting of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, rejected protectionism and said globalisation was "irreversible", a day before U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to join in the gathering.

UK will likely follow the U.S. in cutting Afghanistan troops, minister says

Britain will likely follow the United States in reducing troop levels in Afghanistan but it will continue to work with its government and the U.S. to protect the country's security, Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday. The Pentagon said on Tuesday President Donald Trump would sharply reduce the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by mid-January.

Ethiopian government says rebels have committed 'atrocities' during two-week Tigray conflict

Ethiopia's government on Thursday said rebels have committed "serious crimes" after conflict broke out this month in the northern Tigray region, as U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's foreign policy adviser called for greater protection of civilians. The conflict has killed hundreds, sent 30,000 refugees into neighbouring Sudan, and called into question whether Africa's youngest leader Abiy Ahmed can hold together the fractious ethnic groups in Africa's second most populous nation ahead of national elections next year.

Australian special forces allegedly killed 39 unarmed Afghans: report

Australian special forces allegedly killed 39 unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan, with senior commandos reportedly forcing junior soldiers to kill defenceless captives in order to "blood" them for combat, a four year investigation found. Australia said on Thursday that 19 current and former soldiers will be referred for potential criminal prosecution for allegedly killing the 39 Afghan locals.

'Strategic Compass': EU considers military doctrine, new tank development

The European Union aims to draw up a master military strategy document to define future threats, goals and ambitions in defence while focusing on six new areas of joint weapons development including tanks, officials and diplomats said. The EU's "Strategic Compass", the closest thing the EU could have to a military doctrine and akin to NATO's "Strategic Concept" that sets out alliance goals, is the latest step in accelerating efforts to deepen EU defence cooperation.

Pompeo visits Israeli settlement in occupied West Bank, in parting gift to Netanyahu

Mike Pompeo on Thursday paid the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state to an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, in a parting show of solidarity with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the outgoing Trump administration. Palestinians accused Pompeo, who planned to follow up the visit to the Psagot settlement near Jerusalem with a trip to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights later in the day, of helping Israel cement its hold on West Bank land they seek for a state.

Europe aims for cooperation with U.S. against pandemic under Biden: Germany

Europe hopes for a closer cooperation with the U.S. in tackling the coronavirus pandemic and the global distribution of a vaccine once U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday. Europe and the United States should also coordinate more closely in the fight against climate change, Maas said ahead of the first meeting with his European Union counterparts since the U.S. election.

Trump should quit and 'not be embarrassing', Czech president says

Donald Trump would be wiser to acknowledge losing the U.S. presidential election and quit, Czech President Milos Zeman, an early Trump supporter, said on Thursday. Zeman, one of the few European politicians who backed Trump before his 2016 election victory but who made no such endorsement this year, told news website www.parlamentnilisty.cz that while it was possible to demand recounts and go to court, Trump should take a different route.

Thai PM threatens to use all laws against protesters

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha threatened on Thursday to use all laws possible against protesters, as demonstrations escalate for his removal and for reforms to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Activists voiced concern that this could mean the resumption of prosecutions under some of the world's harshest royal insult laws.

Peru's youth has taken down a president. Now they want more

Grace Yarango is only 18 and she's already helped take down a president. Now she - and many other of Peru's millennials and Generation Z youth - have their eyes on bigger prizes: changes to the constitution and reforming a widely reviled Congress. Peru's younger generation - dubbed the 'bicentennials' in reference to the 200-year anniversary of Peruvian independence next year - were at the heart of recent protests that led to the resignation of the country's interim president on Sunday.