Reuters World News Summary

A video of a statement by Farideh Moradkhani, an engineer whose late father was a prominent opposition figure married to Khamenei's sister, was being widely shared online after what activist news agency HRANA said was her arrest on Nov. 23. BBC says Chinese police assaulted one of its journalists at Shanghai protest The BBC said on Sunday that Chinese police assaulted and detained one of its journalists covering a protest in Shanghai, before later releasing him after several hours.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Kyiv mayor trades verbal jabs with Ukraine president and allies

The mayor of Kyiv, former professional boxer Vitali Klitschko, traded rhetorical punches on Sunday with Ukraine's president and his allies over how to help residents withstand power cuts, deriding their disputes as "senseless" amid Russia's military campaign. Klitschko said 430 "warming centres" were helping residents cope with the effects of Russian attacks on power stations and more than 100 more were planned in case of extreme conditions. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy noted last week there were a lot of complaints about measures adopted in the capital.

Clashes in Shanghai as COVID protests flare across China

Hundreds of demonstrators and police clashed in Shanghai on Sunday night as protests over China's stringent COVID restrictions flared for a third day and spread to several cities in the wake of a deadly fire in the country's far west. The wave of civil disobedience is unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago, as frustration mounts over his signature zero-COVID policy nearly three years into the pandemic. The COVID measures are also exacting a heavy toll on the world's second-largest economy.

Niece of Iran's Supreme Leader urges world to cut ties with Tehran - online video

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's niece, a well known rights activist, has called on foreign governments to cut all ties with Tehran over its violent crackdown on popular unrest kindled by the death in police custody of a young woman. A video of a statement by Farideh Moradkhani, an engineer whose late father was a prominent opposition figure married to Khamenei's sister, was being widely shared online after what activist news agency HRANA said was her arrest on Nov. 23.

BBC says Chinese police assaulted one of its journalists at Shanghai protest

The BBC said on Sunday that Chinese police assaulted and detained one of its journalists covering a protest in Shanghai, before later releasing him after several hours. "The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai," a spokesperson for the British public service broadcaster said in a statement.

Landslide kills at least seven on Italy's Ischia island

At least seven people, including a newborn baby and two children, were killed on the southern Italian holiday island of Ischia after a landslide caused by torrential rain devastated a small town, an official said on Sunday. Five people were still missing, Naples prefect Claudio Palomba told a news conference. Dozens of emergency workers rushed to the island while rescue divers searched the waters off the coast, he said.

Blank sheets of paper become symbol of defiance in China protests

Chinese protesters have turned to blank sheets of paper to express their anger over COVID-19 restrictions in a rare, widespread outpouring of public dissent that has gone beyond social media to some of China's streets and top universities. Images and videos circulated online showed students at universities in cities including Nanjing and Beijing holding up blank sheets of paper in silent protest, a tactic used in part to evade censorship or arrest.

UK Prime Minister Sunak vows to maintain military aid to Ukraine

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to promise on Monday to maintain or increase military aid to Ukraine next year, and to confront international competitors "not with grand rhetoric but with robust pragmatism". British government support for Ukraine has remained unchanged, despite turmoil in recent months as Boris Johnson was succeeded as prime minister by Liz Truss and then Sunak.

Ukraine nuclear boss says he sees signs Russia may leave occupied plant

The head of Ukraine's state-run nuclear energy firm said on Sunday there were signs that Russian forces might be preparing to leave the vast Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which they seized in March soon after their invasion. Such a move would be a major battlefield change in the partially-occupied southeastern Zaporizhzhia region where the front line has hardly shifted for months. Repeated shelling around the plant has spurred fears of a nuclear catastrophe.

Belgium-Morocco World Cup match triggers riots in Brussels, dozen people detained

Belgian police detained a dozen people and made one arrest on Sunday after Morocco's victory over Belgium in the World Cup match in Qatar triggered riots in Brussels with a car and some electric scooters set on fire. The riots took place in several places across the Belgian capital where dozens of soccer fans, some draped in Moroccan flags, clashed with riot police with water cannons and tear gas.

Canada to boost defence, cyber security in Indo-Pacific policy, focus on 'disruptive' China

Canada launched its long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy on Sunday, outlining C$2.3 billion ($1.7 billion) in spending to boost military and cyber security in the region and vowed to deal with a "disruptive" China while working with it on climate change and trade issues. The plan detailed in a 26-page document said Canada will tighten foreign investment rules to protect intellectual property and prevent Chinese state-owned enterprises from snapping up critical mineral supplies.