World News Roundup: Russia says Zircon hypersonic missile hit target in latest test; Trial of 47 Hong Kong democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion adjourned till March and more

The polarized run-off vote will set the political tone in the Andean country for the years ahead, with the two candidates pushing wildly different visions for the future of the world's top copper-producing nation. Prime Minister Johnson's flagship policy meets reality in one English city When Britain left the European Union on Jan. 31 last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his top ministers travelled to Sunderland for a special cabinet meeting and hailed "a new chapter in the United Kingdom's story." The post-industrial city, in northeast England, holds a special significance for Johnson and his fellow Brexit campaigners.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia says Zircon hypersonic missile hit target in latest test

Russia said on Monday it had carried out another successful test launch of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, hailed by President Vladimir Putin as part of a new generation of unrivalled arms systems. The missile was fired from the Admiral Gorshkov warship in the White Sea and hit a naval target more than 400 km (250 miles) away, the defence ministry said, in its second test in a fortnight.

Trial of 47 Hong Kong democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion adjourned till March

A closely monitored national security trial involving 47 Hong Kong democracy campaigners charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, most of whom have been in custody since March, has been adjourned till March next year, a judge ruled on Monday. Magistrate Peter Law adjourned the next hearing till March 4, after making directions for the translation of nearly 10,000 pages of documentary evidence by year end. Hong Kong laws bar media from publishing most details of pre-trial proceedings.

Leftist Chile presidential candidate leads new polls as run-off vote looms

Chilean leftist candidate Gabriel Boric was leading conservative Jose Antonio Kast in the latest polls released on Sunday ahead of the second round of the presidential election on Dec. 19. The polarized run-off vote will set the political tone in the Andean country for the years ahead, with the two candidates pushing wildly different visions for the future of the world's top copper-producing nation.

Prime Minister Johnson's flagship policy meets reality in one English city

When Britain left the European Union on Jan. 31 last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his top ministers travelled to Sunderland for a special cabinet meeting and hailed "a new chapter in the United Kingdom's story." The post-industrial city, in northeast England, holds a special significance for Johnson and his fellow Brexit campaigners. It became known as "Brexit city" when it was the first region to fall to the "Leave" side in a 2016 referendum, with support of nearly two thirds of Sunderland voters.

Exclusive-Chinese province targets journalists, foreign students with planned new surveillance system

Security officials in one of China's largest provinces have commissioned a surveillance system they say they want to use to track journalists and international students among other "suspicious people", documents reviewed by Reuters showed. A July 29 tender document published on the Henan provincial government’s procurement website - reported in the media for the first time - details plans for a system that can compile individual files on such persons of interest coming to Henan using 3,000 facial recognition cameras that connect to various national and regional databases.

Japan, Israel bar foreigners as WHO flags global risk from Omicron

The Omicron variant of coronavirus carries a "very high" global risk of surges, the WHO warned on Monday, as more countries reported cases, prompting border closures and reviving worries about the economic recovery from a two-year pandemic. Scientists have said it could take weeks to understand the severity of Omicron, which was first identified in southern Africa. Its emergence has caused a strong global reaction, with countries imposing travel curbs and other restrictions, worried that it could spread fast even in vaccinated populations.

West asks whether Iran is serious or stalling as nuclear talks set to resume

Iran and world powers will meet in Vienna on Monday to try to salvage their 2015 nuclear deal but with Tehran sticking to its tough stance and Western powers increasingly frustrated, hopes of a breakthrough appear slim. Diplomats say time is running low to resurrect the pact, which then-U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018, angering Iran and dismaying the other powers involved - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

Prince Charles travels to Barbados to celebrate the creation of a republic

Britain's Prince Charles flew to Barbados as the Caribbean nation prepared for a celebration on Monday marking the founding of a republic and the removal of the queen as sovereign, cutting imperial ties some 400 years after English ships first arrived. Barbados won independence from Britain in 1966 but has retained Queen Elizabeth as its official sovereign. She will be replaced with a Barbadian president in an inauguration ceremony to be held when the country celebrates independence on Tuesday.

Honduras set for woman president as leftist Castro storms towards victory

Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro headed for a landslide win in Sunday's election, declaring victory as supporters danced outside her offices to celebrate the left's return to power 12 years after her husband was ousted in a coup.

The election, set to give Honduras its first female president, seemed to have run smoothly, a contrast to four years ago when a close outcome led to a contested result and deadly protests after widespread allegations of irregularities.

Omicron poses very high global risk, world must prepare -WHO

The heavily mutated Omicron coronavirus variant is likely to spread internationally and poses a very high risk of infection surges that could have "severe consequences" in some places, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. No Omicron-linked deaths had yet been reported, though further research was needed to assess its potential to resist vaccines and immunity induced by previous infections, it added.

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