World News Roundup: Brittney Griner's return reignites debate about prisoner swaps; Nobel awards to take place in Stockholm with full glitz and glamour and more

In a video published on Telegram by the region's Moscow-appointed administration, Andrei Peretonkin, head of the Russian central bank's local branch, said: "For the sake of the convenience of residents and to allow for a smoother integration of the region into the Russian economic space, this week banks in Kherson region began currency exchange operations." Nobel awards to take place in Stockholm with full glitz and glamour Nobel laureates congregated in the Swedish capital Stockholm on Saturday for the first fully in-person award ceremonies complete with a formal banquet since the COVID-19 pandemic that curtailed events in the past two years.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Brittney Griner's return reignites debate about prisoner swaps

Thursday's release of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner in exchange for a convicted Russian arms dealer has resurfaced an old question: Do prisoner swaps do more harm than good? Amid the celebrations following Griner's return some critics, including members of Congress and federal law enforcement, argued such trades only encourage foreign states to target Americans to gain leverage over the United States.

Russian-installed Kherson official says withdrawing hryvnia from circulation in January

The Russian-installed administration of Ukraine's Kherson region said on Saturday that it had begun changing locally circulated Ukrainian hryvnia currency into Russian roubles, with hryvnia circulation in Moscow-controlled areas of the region to end on Jan. 1. In a video published on Telegram by the region's Moscow-appointed administration, Andrei Peretonkin, head of the Russian central bank's local branch, said: "For the sake of the convenience of residents and to allow for a smoother integration of the region into the Russian economic space, this week banks in Kherson region began currency exchange operations."

Nobel awards to take place in Stockholm with full glitz and glamour

Nobel laureates congregated in the Swedish capital Stockholm on Saturday for the first fully in-person award ceremonies complete with a formal banquet since the COVID-19 pandemic that curtailed events in the past two years. The ceremony starts at 1500 GMT and features glamorous formal wear, with the men in white tie and tails and women in flowing gowns and elegant hairdos. Ceremonies in 2020 and 2021 were scaled back and there was no banquet.

One killed, several missing after explosion on island of Jersey

One person was killed and a number of others were missing after an explosion early on Saturday morning at a block of flats on the island of Jersey, off the coast of northern France. "Tragically we have one confirmed fatality," Robin Smith, Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police, said in a video statement. The explosion occurred just before 0400 GMT and the fire has since been extinguished.

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai jailed over five years on fraud charge

Pro-democracy Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Saturday to five years and nine months in prison for fraud, convicted of violating a lease contract for the headquarters of a liberal newspaper he used to run. Lai, 75, was found guilty of two counts of fraud for covering up the operations of a private company, Dico Consultants Ltd, at the headquarters of the now shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, in what was ruled a breach of its land lease.

Tunisians protest against president a week before parliamentary elections

Hundreds of Tunisians protested on Saturday against President Kais Saied a week before elections to a new parliament created by his constitutional changes, accusing him of an undemocratic coup. Saied shut down the previous parliament last year and ruled by decree before rewriting the constitution this year to give the presidency more powers, moves rejected by most political parties.

Police in Germany's Dresden give all-clear after hostage-taking

Police said they had ended a suspected hostage-taking in the eastern German city of Dresden on Saturday, after evacuating a shopping mall in the historic city centre and shutting the famous Striezelmarkt Christmas market. "All-clear! The hostage situation in #Dresden is over!" police said on Twitter, adding that two people who appeared to be unharmed were in its care.

Ukraine gets more U.S. aid as Russia-Iran ties worry West

The United States announced new military aid for Ukraine on Friday and vowed to disrupt Russian ties with Iran, which a British envoy said involved Moscow seeking hundreds of ballistic missiles and offering unprecedented military support in return. Tehran and Moscow have denied Western accusations that Russia is using Iranian drones to attack targets in Ukraine, where officials warned on Friday of a winter-long power deficit after repeated Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure.

China tackles medical supply snags, price gouging amid COVID fears

China said on Saturday it would stop checking truck drivers and ship crew transporting goods domestically for COVID-19, removing a key bottleneck from its supply chain network as a dismantling of the country's zero-COVID policy gathers speed. The country this week made a dramatic pivot toward economic reopening, loosening key parts of the COVID policy in a shift that has been welcomed by a weary public but also is now stoking concerns that infections could spike and cause further disruptions.

Taiwan pledges deeper Japan security cooperation as senior lawmaker visits

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen pledged on Saturday to deepen security cooperation with Japan to ensure freedom in the Indo-Pacific, during a meeting with a senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Although Japan and Chinese-claimed and democratically governed Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic ties, they have close unofficial relations and both share concerns about China, especially its increased military activities near them.