World News Roundup: Hong Kong march; Malta murder suspect twist and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

With memories of Rwanda: The Gambian minister taking on Suu Kyi

The genocide case brought against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - the first of its kind initiated since the 1990s - may not have happened at all but for a scheduling conflict. In May last year, Gambia's foreign minister pulled out at the last minute from the annual conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Bangladesh, sending Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou instead.

South Korean president hears reassurances from senior Chinese diplomat

A senior China diplomat offered conciliatory remarks to South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday amid efforts to repair ties strained by a U.S. anti-missile system, while leveling sharp criticism at the United States for "Cold War" thinking. State Councillor Wang Yi, who is also China's foreign minister, met with Moon on the final day of a two-day visit to Seoul, his first in four years. Relations between the two countries have been strained by South Korea's installation of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in 2017.

Hong Kong gives protesters green light for big march on Sunday

Hong Kong authorities granted protesters permission to march this weekend, organizers said on Thursday, giving the green light to a rally seen as a gauge of the pro-democracy movement's support following its sweeping victory in local elections. The Civil Human Right Front, the group that organized million-strong marches in the China-ruled city in June, said it had received permission from police for a planned Human Rights Day rally on Sunday.

Striking unions battle Macron in pensions showdown

Railway workers, teachers and emergency room medics launched one of the biggest public sector strikes in France for decades on Thursday, determined to force President Emmanuel Macron to abandon plans to overhaul France's generous pension system. Transport networks in Paris and beyond ground to a near halt as unions dug in for a protest that threatens to paralyze France for days and poses the severest challenge to Macron's reform agenda since the "yellow vest" protests erupted.

Malta murder suspect says got tip offs from top official

A wealthy businessman, who is the prime suspect in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, told a Malta court on Thursday he got regular tip-offs about the investigation from the government's ex-chief of staff. Yorgen Fenech, who was charged last week for allegedly being a mastermind in the 2017 killing of Caruana Galizia, appeared in court to seek the removal of the police chief leading the case, saying he was too close to former chief of staff Keith Schembri.

Pirates kidnap 19 crew members from Greek tanker off Nigeria

Pirates have kidnapped 19 crew members from a crude oil tanker off Nigeria in an area where acts of piracy are on the rise, an official with the ship's operator said on Thursday. The loaded vessel, the Nave Constellation, was attacked 77 nautical miles off Bonny Island on Tuesday and 18 Indians and one Turk from the crew were seized, the official said.

EU powers' letter to U.N. on Iran's missiles shows 'miserable incompetence': Zarif

Iran said on Thursday a letter from three European powers to the U.N. Security Council accusing Tehran of having nuclear-capable ballistic missiles showed their "miserable incompetence" in fulfilling their commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal. "Latest E3 letter to UNSG on missiles is a desperate falsehood to cover up their miserable incompetence in fulfilling bare minimum of their own #JCPOA obligations," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted, referring to the deal by its formal acronym. He urged Britain, France and Germany not to bow to "U.S. bullying".

Exclusive: U.S. military completes pullback from northeast Syria, Esper says

The United States has completed its military pullback in northeastern Syria, settling into a more stable posture of about 600 troops in the rest of the country after repositioning and reducing forces, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said. Esper's remarks in an interview with Reuters could signal the end of a period of turbulence and uncertainty surrounding the U.S. military presence in Syria after President Donald Trump's initial withdrawal order in October.

Erdogan says Turkey approved NATO plan, but allies must support it: NTV

Turkey approved a NATO defense plan for the Baltics and Poland after some allies demanded support, President Tayyip Erdogan was cited as saying on Thursday, adding that allies must not abandon Ankara in its fight against terror. Reuters reported last week that Turkey was refusing to back the defense plan until its allies provided support for Ankara's battle against the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria, after a U.S. decision to withdraw support from a separate defense plan for Turkey.

Little wiggle room as Ukraine, Russia leaders meet for crunch Paris talks

Ukrainian and Russian leaders will try to seal a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and agree prisoner swaps when they meet next week but with Kiev politically constrained and Moscow unlikely to bend, prospects for peace remain bleak, diplomats said. Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Vladimir Putin hold their first face-to-face talks on Dec. 9 in Paris overseen by the French and German leaders, more than three years since the countries' heads of state last met. It comes after a slight easing of tensions.