World News Roundup: Parliament approves Iraqi PM's resignation and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Hundreds march in Hong Kong against use of tear gas; city braces for further protests

Hundreds of protesters in Hong Kong, including many families with children, marched on Sunday in protest against police use of tear gas as the Asian financial hub geared up for further anti-government demonstrations following a week of calm. Carrying yellow balloons and waving banners that read "No tear gas, save our children", the protesters streamed through the city's central business district towards government headquarters on the main Hong Kong island.Three marches are planned for Sunday and all have been approved by authorities. On Saturday, secondary school students and retirees joined forces to protest against what they called police brutality and unlawful arrests.

Shootouts in northern Mexico kill 21, pile pressure on president

Clashes between police and suspected cartel gunmen in a northern Mexican town killed 21 people this weekend, authorities said, adding fuel to bilateral tensions sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's vow to designate the drug gangs as terrorists. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is pushing a less confrontational approach to subduing the cartels, repeated on Sunday that he would not accept any intervention from abroad, while doubling down on his strategy of containment.

Ukrainian lawmaker's son killed in attack in Kiev: source

Unknown gunmen opened fire at the car of a local lawmaker in the center of Ukrainian capital of Kiev on Sunday, killing his three-year old son, a police source said. Vyacheslav Sobolev, a businessman and Kiev regional council lawmaker was at wheel of the car when it was attacked, said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.

Death toll from Lampedusa shipwreck rises to 18: Italian coast guard

The bodies of five migrants who died when a boat capsized in rough waters off the southern Lampedusa coast a week ago have been found, Italy's coast guard said on Sunday, bringing the overall death toll to 18. The boat, which survivors said had departed from Libya taking advantage of a respite in bad weather, was believed to carry some 170 people. The Lampedusa coast guard managed to bring safely onshore 147 migrants after the accident on Nov. 23.

Malta's premier says he will step down amid crisis over murdered journalist probe

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, engulfed in crisis over the probe into a murdered journalist, announced on Sunday he planned to step down, saying he would ask his ruling Labour Party to start choosing a new leader for the country next month. Calls for Muscat to quit had intensified after the investigation into the 2017 car bomb killing of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia led to charges on Saturday against a prominent businessman with alleged ties to government ministers and senior officials.

Venezuelan opposition to investigate report of wrongdoing by lawmakers

Venezuela's opposition on Sunday said it will investigate alleged wrongdoing within its ranks after a media outlet reported that a group of opposition lawmakers had unduly advocated for a businessman linked to the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Opposition leader Juan Guaido said he would speak on Sunday about "acts of corruption", hours after website Armando.info reported that the alleged wrongdoing involved legislators from opposition parties First Justice and Popular Will.

British PM vows to strengthen prison sentences after London attack

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday he would strengthen prison sentences, vowing to boost security after an attack in London by a man jailed for terrorism who had been released early. Less than two weeks before Britain heads to the polls, law and order has taken top billing since Usman Khan, wearing a fake suicide vest and wielding knives, killed two people on Friday before being shot dead by police.

Australia says China is holding detained writer in 'unacceptable' conditions

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday a Chinese-born Australian writer was being held by Beijing in "unacceptable" conditions, including daily interrogations while shackled. Yang Hengjun, a former Chinese diplomat turned online journalist and blogger, was formally arrested in August on suspicion of espionage, seven months after he was originally detained in the southern city of Guangzhou.

Parliament approves Iraqi prime minister's resignation

Iraq's parliament voted on Sunday to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi after weeks of violent anti-government protests that have rocked the country. Abdul Mahdi's decision to quit on Friday came after a call by Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for parliament to consider withdrawing its support for Abdul Mahdi's government to stem the violence.

SPD leadership choice threatens Germany's ruling coalition

The future of Germany's ruling coalition looked shaky after the election of new leaders of the Social Democrats (SPD) who are demanding a shift in policies, and several senior conservatives on Sunday ruled out talks to renegotiate a governing agreement. Two strong leftist critics of the coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives - Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken - won a vote for leadership of the Social Democrats on Saturday, possibly putting the country, Europe's largest economy, at a political crossroads.