World News Roundup: Runaway schoolgirl who joined IS cannot return to Britain; Lukashenko's son replaces father at helm and more

Myanmar police fire into air to disperse protests as Suu Kyi's lawyer says access denied Police dispersed protesters in Myanmar's two biggest cities on Friday, firing stun grenades, rubber bullets and guns into the air, witnesses said, as the challenge to the army's bid to re-impose its rule showed no sign of slackening.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Runaway schoolgirl who joined IS cannot return to Britain, top court says

A British-born woman who went to Syria as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State should not be allowed to return to Britain to challenge the government taking away her citizenship because she poses a security risk, the UK's Supreme Court ruled on Friday. Shamima Begum left London in 2015 when she was 15 and went to Syria via Turkey with two school friends where she married an IS fighter.

Lukashenko's son replaces father at helm of Belarusian Olympic Committee after ban

Belarus on Friday appointed Viktor Lukashenko, son of President Alexander Lukashenko, to replace his father at the helm of their country's National Olympic Committee after both were banned from attending the Olympic Games. Alexander Lukashenko, who had served as the head of the Belarusian Olympic Committee since 1997, claimed his sixth presidential term in August last year in a vote the opposition says was rigged and marred with violations.

Gunmen abduct 317 schoolgirls in northwest Nigeria as security collapses

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped 317 schoolgirls from the town of Jangebe in northwest Nigeria on Friday, police said, the second such kidnapping in little over a week. A surge in armed militancy has led to a breakdown of security in the north of Africa's most populous country, where school kidnappings are becoming endemic.

No voice, no job: Protests over jailed rapper lay bare young Spaniards' frustrations

Carrying a big speaker at protests that have rocked Barcelona since another rapper was jailed for glorifying terrorism and insulting royalty, Alex Reis hands the microphone attached to it to anyone who wants to make some noise. "I'm not here only for him, but for the right to express ourselves and because there's a lot of discontent about things that must change," said Reis, 25, referring to the nine-month sentence that Pablo Hasel began to serve last week.

U.S. air strikes on Iran-backed militias in Syria kill at least one fighter

U.S. air strikes against Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria killed at least one fighter and wounded several others in what U.S. officials said was a calibrated response to rocket attacks against American personnel in Iraq. The attacks, which took place early on Friday Middle Eastern time, were deliberately limited in scope and designed to show that President Joe Biden's administration will act tough but wants to avoid a major regional escalation, U.S. officials said.

Myanmar police fire into air to disperse protests as Suu Kyi's lawyer says access denied

Police dispersed protesters in Myanmar's two biggest cities on Friday, firing stun grenades, rubber bullets and guns into the air, witnesses said, as the challenge to the army's bid to re-impose its rule showed no sign of slackening. At least one person was wounded in the protests in the main city of Yangon, a witness said, and several people were hurt in the second city of Mandalay.

Asylum-seekers, children among Myanmar deportees from Malaysia: rights groups

At least nine asylum-seekers and two unaccompanied children were among a group of Myanmar nationals deported by Malaysia this week, despite a court order halting the plan, rights groups said on Friday. Malaysia on Tuesday sent 1,086 Myanmar nationals back on three navy ships sent by Myanmar, a move the groups said could endanger the deportees' lives.

Bachelet urges U.S. To find alternatives to mass detention of migrants

United Nations rights boss Michelle Bachelet on Friday welcomed moves by the Biden administration to combat systemic racism and end the family separation policy for migrants, but called for more reforms. "I encourage further measures to tackle remaining issues, such as the massive detention of migrants, through the implementation of alternatives to detention," Bachelet told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva which the United States rejoined as an observer earlier this month.

Retired Italian teacher leaves fortune to hospitals, charities

A retired Italian teacher has bequeathed more than 25 million euros ($30 million) to hospitals and charities, stunning residents of the northern city of Genoa where she lived who had no inkling of her wealth. Marisa Cavanna died in December aged 96. She was described as a reserved woman who never got married and did not attend social events.

Iran threatens to end deal with IAEA over U.S.-led push to criticize it

Iran is threatening to end a deal struck with the U.N. nuclear watchdog last weekend temporarily salvaging much monitoring of its activities if the agency's board endorses a U.S.-led push to criticise Tehran next week, an Iranian position paper shows. Tehran this week scaled back cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, ending extra inspection measures introduced by its 2015 nuclear accord with major powers. It was the latest of many steps retaliating for U.S. sanctions reimposed after the United States pulled out of that agreement in 2018.