World News Roundup: Boxer Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president in 2022; Exclusive-Malaysia's Najib may seek re-election to parliament despite conviction and more

Pacquiao accepted the nomination of his political allies during the national assembly of the faction he leads in the ruling PDP-Laban Party, days after a rival faction nominated Duterte's long-time aide, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, as its presidential candidate. Exclusive-Malaysia's Najib may seek re-election to parliament despite conviction Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has not ruled out seeking re-election to parliament within the next two years, he told Reuters in an interview, despite a corruption conviction that would block him from running.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Boxer Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president in 2022

Boxing star Manny Pacquiao said on Sunday he will run for president of the Philippines next year, after railing against corruption in government and what he calls President Rodrigo Duterte's cozy relationship with China. Pacquiao accepted the nomination of his political allies during the national assembly of the faction he leads in the ruling PDP-Laban Party, days after a rival faction nominated Duterte's long-time aide, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, as its presidential candidate.

Exclusive-Malaysia's Najib may seek re-election to parliament despite conviction

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has not ruled out seeking re-election to parliament within the next two years, he told Reuters in an interview, despite a corruption conviction that would block him from running. Najib's graft-tainted party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), clinched the premiership last month after it was ousted from power three years ago over a multi-billion-dollar scandal. Opponents had expressed fears that party leaders facing criminal charges could secure leniency once back in control.

Taiwan threatens to take China to WTO in new spat over fruit

Taiwan threatened to take China to the World Trade Organization on Sunday after Beijing said it would suspend sugar apple and wax apple imports from the island on pest concerns, in the latest spat between the two over fruit. Relations between Taipei and Beijing, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, are at their lowest in decades, with China increasing political and military pressure to get the island to accept its sovereignty.

Hong Kong's first 'patriots-only' election kicks off

Fewer than 5,000 Hong Kong people from mostly pro-establishment circles began voting on Sunday for candidates to an election committee, vetted as loyal to Beijing, who will pick the city's next China-backed leader and some of its legislature. Pro-democracy candidates are nearly absent from Hong Kong's first election since Beijing overhauled the city's electoral system to ensure that "only patriots" rule China's freest city.

Macron to hold call with U.S. President Biden -French government spokesman

French President Emmanuel Macron will have a call with U.S. President Joe Biden in the next few days, the French government spokesman said on Sunday, amid a diplomatic crisis triggered by Australia's cancellation of the submarine contract with Paris. France said on Friday it was recalling its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra over a trilateral security deal also involving Britain which sank the multi-billion dollar order for French submarines.

World leaders return to U.N. with focus on pandemic, climate

World leaders are returning to the United Nations in New York this week with a focus on boosting efforts to fight both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, which last year forced them to send video statements for the annual gathering. As the coronavirus still rages amid an inequitable vaccine rollout, about a third of the 193 U.N. states are planning to again send videos, but presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers for the remainder are due to travel to the United States.

Pro-Putin party poised to win Russian election after Navalny clampdown

Russians voted on Sunday in the final stretch of a three-day parliamentary election that the ruling party is expected to win after a sweeping crackdown that crushed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's movement and barred opponents from running. The expected win by the ruling United Russia party will be used by the Kremlin as proof of support for President Vladimir Putin despite malaise over years of faltering living standards.

Australia defends its handling of French submarine deal

Australia defended its scrapping of a deal for French submarines on Sunday, saying the government had raised concerns to Paris for months, as a new deal with the United States and Britain continued to fuel a multinational diplomatic crisis. "I don't regret the decision to put Australia's national interest first," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Greek PM says climate crisis is with us and cost of ignoring it 'unimaginable'

Mediterranean nations must lead the way in addressing climate change, the Greek prime minister said, warning that the cost of doing nothing was unimaginable, with mankind possibly struggling to survive beyond the turn of the next century. Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Spain were ravaged by wildfires and record high temperatures this summer, with scientists warning the region had turned into a "wildfire hotspot". Germany, Turkey and China were pounded with devastating floods.

Merkel aide warns against protracted coalition talks as TV debate nears

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff called on political parties to agree quickly on who should succeed her after next Sunday's election and avoid the kind of protracted coalition talks that followed the last vote four years ago. The leading candidates for chancellor face off in a final primetime television debate on Sunday evening.

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