Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Iran says calm has been restored after fuel price hike unrest

Protests in Iran triggered by petrol price hikes last week have subsided, an Iranian judiciary spokesman said on Tuesday, a day after the elite Revolutionary Guards warned of "decisive" action if anti-government protests do not cease. Social media videos posted in defiance of an Internet block showed protests continued in several cities on Monday night, however, and a heavy presence of security forces in streets. The images posted on social media could not be verified by Reuters. Hong Kong campus holdouts desperately seek escape routes

Anti-government protesters holed up in a Hong Kong university were frantically searching for escape routes on Tuesday after more than two days of clashes with police and dramatic breakouts by rope and motorcycle. About 100 protesters were trapped in the Polytechnic University a day after students, some tired and fearful of police storming the campus, tried again and again to flee, only to be beaten back by police firing rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas. Brazilian judge orders arrest of former Paraguayan President Cartes

A Brazilian judge has issued an arrest warrant for former Paraguayan President vin a new phase of the "Car Wash" probe, targeting black-market money dealers, according to a Justice statement on Tuesday. The warrant against Cartes, who was president of Paraguay from 2013 to 2018, is already in the red notice of Interpol, the court added. Interpol describes a red notice as a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. U.N. troubled by Trump pardons of officers accused of war crimes

A decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to pardon two army officers accused of war crimes and restore the rank of a third sends a disturbing signal to militaries, a U.N. rights spokesman said on Tuesday, adding he was "very concerned" at the move. The White House decision last week involves officers accused of war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the alleged killings of civilians. Trump has previously acknowledged that pardons would be controversial but said they were justified because they had been treated "unfairly". U.S. backs Israel on settlements, angering Palestinians and clouding peace process

The United States on Monday effectively backed Israel's right to build Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank by abandoning its four-decade-old position that they were "inconsistent with international law," a stance that may make Israeli-Palestinian peace even more elusive. The announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was a victory for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is struggling to remain in power after two inconclusive Israeli elections this year, and a defeat for the Palestinians. Poland eyes further court overhaul and a strong state

Poland's prime minister set out plans on Tuesday to strengthen the state's role in the economy and deepen an overhaul of the justice system that has put Warsaw on a collision course with its European Union partners. Mateusz Morawiecki told parliament the governing Law and Justice party (PiS) would continue increasing the share of Polish capital in the ownership of domestic companies and promised more welfare spending. British PM Johnson will probably win this uninspiring election, Farage says

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will probably win the Dec. 12 election with a small majority but the campaign has so far been uninspiring with a host of unrealistic promises on both sides, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said on Tuesday. "The one prediction I am going to make is that it is going to be a low turnout unless parties like us can inspire people to go out and vote for change," Farage told supporters in Peterborough, a cathedral city in eastern England. Turkey will repatriate most IS detainees by year-end: minister

Turkey will have repatriated most of its Islamic State detainees to their home countries by the end of the year, the interior minister told Reuters on Tuesday of the process that began last week. Turkish authorities started repatriating the jihadists on Nov. 11. Ankara says it has captured 287 militants in northeast Syria, where Turkish troops launched an assault against the Kurdish YPG militia last month, and has hundreds more suspects in detention. U.S., Australian hostages freed by Afghan Taliban in swap

The Afghan Taliban released American and Australian university professors held hostage for more than three years on Tuesday, Afghan government officials said, completing a delayed prisoner swap and raising hopes for a revival of peace talks. American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks were kidnapped in August 2016 from outside the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul where both worked as professors. They were freed in return for the release of three Taliban commanders under a swap that had been long delayed, the officials said. U.S., South Korea break off defense cost talks amid backlash over Trump demand

South Korean and U.S. officials broke off talks on Tuesday aimed at settling the cost burden for Seoul of hosting the U.S. military, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said, amid a public backlash over a U.S. demand for a sharp increase in the bill. Officials had resumed a planned two-day negotiation on Monday, trying to narrow a $4 billion gap in what they believe South Korea should contribute for the cost of stationing U.S. troops in the country for next year.

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