World News Roundup: Johnson election victory; Tebboune faces tough challenge and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Explainer: Genocide case against Myanmar at the top U.N. court

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was due to leave the Netherlands on Friday after defending her country against accusations of genocide during three days of hearings at the International Court of Justice.

Johnson election victory propels Britain toward swift Brexit

Britain was speeding toward Brexit on Friday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a crushing election victory, ending three years of uncertainty since the country decided to leave the bloc. Exiting the European Union, a goal Johnson has pursued relentlessly since he put himself forward as the face of the victorious "Leave" campaign in a 2016 referendum, is Britain's biggest leap into the unknown since World War Two.

South Korean protesters destroy portraits of U.S. ambassador

Protesters angry over American demands that South Korea pay more for defense destroyed portraits of the U.S. ambassador stuck on blocks of tofu outside the U.S. embassy on Friday after police warned them against staging a more aggressive demonstration. U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris has become a political lightning rod for South Koreans angered by U.S. President Donald Trump's push to get South Korea to pay billions of dollars more toward maintaining the 28,500 American troops stationed there.

'Why is the road broken?' Sightless Hong Kongers live city of protest by sound

In Hong Kong, when the tempo of traffic-light signals accelerates to about 800 ticks a minute, visually impaired residents know they can safely cross the road. But over the past six months of unrest, many streets have lost their beat. Anti-government activists have smashed more than 700 traffic lights since demonstrations erupted in June, significantly altering the soundtrack of daily life for the southern Chinese-ruled city's estimated 174,800 visually impaired people.

In an Indian village, a woman's killing and alleged rape opens caste divides

When the young woman limped toward shopkeeper Ravindra Prakash, pleading for help on a dark and foggy morning in the northern Indian village, her body was so charred that he thought she was a witch. He grabbed a wooden stick and tried to shoo her away. As she came closer, under the dim light of his shop, it took Prakash a few minutes to realize she was from his village, Hindu Nagar, in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

Six bodies retrieved from New Zealand volcanic island, two still missing

A New Zealand military team in gas masks and hazmat suits recovered six bodies on Friday from the volcanic island that fatally erupted earlier this week, as doctors worked to save badly burned survivors. An eight-person bomb disposal squad set off before dawn and spent four hours on White Island, which experts said could erupt again. Senior China diplomat says

U.S. seriously damaged hard-won mutual trust

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said on Friday that the United States had seriously damaged the hard-won mutual trust between the countries by criticizing Beijing over issues such as Hong Kong and the treatment of Muslim Uighurs. "Such behavior is almost paranoid, and is indeed rare in international exchanges, seriously damaging the hard-won foundation of mutual trust between China and the United States, and seriously weakening the United States' international credibility," said State Councillor Wang.

'Seriously, Finland?' Red-faced minister deletes Instagram poll

Finland's finance minister deleted an Instagram post and issued an apology on Friday after criticism by a human rights group that embarrassed the new, women-led government days after it took office. Katri Kulmuni, who became finance minister only this week, had posted an informal poll on whether the government should allow Finnish women with links to Islamic State to return from Syria, or just their children.

Algeria's new president Tebboune faces tough challenge

Algeria's new president faces the country's biggest political crisis in decades, a hostile economic climate and attacks on his legitimacy after winning an election with low turnout opposed by a massive protest movement. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, 74, beat the other four candidates - all also former senior officials - to win the race outright with 58% of the vote, ensuring there will be no second round.

How Boris Johnson’s election gamble paid off

It was a straight forward message: “Get Brexit done.” The mantra of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party during the national election campaign was aimed at harnessing voter frustration at a parliamentary logjam over Britain’s exit from the European Union.

(With inputs from agencies.)