Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Brazil's president accuses actor DiCaprio of financing Amazon fires, offers no evidence

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro claimed on Friday that Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio financed fires being set in the Amazon rainforest, without presenting any evidence, the right-wing leader's latest broadside in casting blame over forest fires that have generated international concern. Bolsonaro appeared to be commenting on social media postings claiming that the environmental organization the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) had paid for images taken by volunteer firefighters that it then supposedly used to solicit donations, including a $500,000 contribution from DiCaprio. Germany's SPD pick new leader with fate of Merkel coalition at stake

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) will on Saturday announce the winner of a party leadership ballot, whose first task will be to decide whether to quit the ruling coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives. The oldest party in Germany is in turmoil after a run of dismal regional and European election results and a six-month long leadership race which has left them trailing in polls. Many members want to leave government and rebuild in opposition. Malta government rejects murder pardon bid by businessman

The Malta government turned down on Friday a request by a prominent businessman for immunity from prosecution in connection with the 2017 killing of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia. Yorgen Fenech was arrested just over a week ago as he tried to leave the Mediterranean island aboard his luxury yacht and is considered to be a person of interest in the investigation. No phones, scripted tweets: How Trump's Afghanistan trip was kept under wraps

Notorious for leaks and chastened by previous security lapses, the White House went to unusual lengths to keep President Donald Trump's Thanksgiving trip to Afghanistan under wraps, devising a cover story for his movements that included posting scripted tweets while he was in the air, administration officials said. On Thursday, Trump dropped in unannounced on troops at Afghanistan's Bagram military air base in his first trip to the country and only his second to a war zone during his presidency. He served soldiers a turkey dinner and posed for selfies, before telling reporters that the United States and Taliban hoped to resume peace talks. London attacker released last year after terrorism offenses, prompting recriminations

The 28-year-old British man who killed two people in a stabbing spree on London Bridge before police shot him dead had been released from prison after a previous conviction for terrorism offenses, prompting recriminations ahead of an election. Wearing a fake suicide vest and wielding knives, Usman Khan went on the rampage on Friday afternoon at a conference on criminal rehabilitation beside London Bridge. He was wrestled to the ground by bystanders and then shot dead by police. Dutch police hunt suspect in Hague stabbings

Dutch police hunted on Saturday for an unidentified suspect who stabbed three youths on a street in the center of The Hague on Friday during one of the busiest shopping evenings of the year. Investigators were keeping "all scenarios open" on the perpetrator's identity and motive, police spokeswoman Marije Kuiper said. Protesters burn tires in southern Iraq in renewed anti-government rage

Protesters burned tires and surrounded a police station in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya on Saturday, a Reuters witness said, pressing their demands for sweeping reform despite the prime minister promising to quit. Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announced his resignation on Friday after a call from Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric for the government to step down to end weeks of deadly unrest. Pensioners and students gather for Hong Kong protest

Secondary-school students and retirees joined forces at a protest in Hong Kong on Saturday, the first of several rallies planned across the China-ruled city a day after police withdrew from a university that had been rocked by a two-week siege. Police in neighboring Guangzhou city have arrested a Belizean citizen for allegedly meddling in Hong Kong affairs, the local Communist party newspaper said. British PM Johnson to Trump: keep out of UK election

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday it would be "best" if U.S. President Donald Trump does not get involved in Britain's election when he visits London for a NATO summit next week. Trump waded into the election in October by saying opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn would be "so bad" for Britain and that Johnson should agree on a pact with Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage. Germany's far-right AfD eyes path to government with new leaders

Hundreds of people rallied on Saturday in protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany in the western German city of Brunswick where the AfD gathered to elect new leaders. Riot police fenced off the Volkswagen Halle sports venue hosting some 550 AfD delegates to keep leftist protesters waving rainbow flags and banners reading "Against the AfD and its incitement" from reaching the building.