Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Hong Kong marchers target malls in third day of Christmas protests

Hundreds of protesters marched through festive Hong Kong shopping malls on Thursday, aiming to disrupt business in the Asian financial hub for a third day over the Christmas holidays, with riot police deployed in the event of unrest. The "shopping protests" have targeted malls across the Chinese-ruled city since Christmas Eve, turning violent at times with police firing tear gas to disperse demonstrators in bustling commercial areas filled with shoppers and tourists. Netanyahu faces party leadership challenge ahead of March election

Israel's embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a fresh challenge to his power on Thursday as his Likud party held leadership primaries in the run-up to a national election, the country's third in under a year. Netanyahu, head of Likud for the past 14 years, is widely expected to retain the right-wing party's leadership. China sails carrier group through Taiwan Strait as election nears

China has sailed its new aircraft carrier into the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's defense ministry said on Thursday, as a presidential election campaigning was in full swing on the island amid heighten tension with Beijing. Democratic Taiwan is claimed by China as a wayward province and is the Communist Party's most sensitive and important territorial issue. China has threatened to attack if Taiwan moves toward formal independence. 'I'm still scared' - Asia remembers tsunami that killed 230,000

Communities across Asia commemorated the more than 230,000 victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami on Thursday, the 15th anniversary of one of the world's most deadly disasters. On the morning after Christmas Day in 2004, a 9.1 magnitude quake off northern Sumatra island triggered a tsunami with waves as high as 17.4 meters (57 feet) that swept over vulnerable coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and nine other countries. Russian authorities raid Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's Moscow office

Russian authorities raided the Moscow headquarters of opposition politician Alexei Navalny on Thursday, using power tools to gain entry before dragging Navalny out by force and confiscating technical equipment such as laptops. Navalny and his allies said the raid on his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) was carried out by the Federal Bailiffs Service and was connected to his refusal to delete a video investigation which leveled graft allegations against Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and billionaire businessman Alisher Usmanov. Another caravan of Mexican migrants - but heading south of border for Christmas

Poor Central American migrants who form caravans to fend off predatory gangs as they cross Mexico's interior en route to the United States have made global headlines and drawn the ire of President Donald Trump. But last week in the Texan border city of Laredo a caravan of about 1,500 families made up of Mexican migrants and Americans of Mexican origin set out in the opposite direction - for their Christmas holidays. Britain rescues at least 15 suspected migrants off Kent - TV

British border and coastguards rescued at least 15 suspected migrants on Thursday off the Kent coast in southeastern England, Sky News reported. Sky News said it had witnessed the people being brought into the port of Dover by border force officials. Turkey to send troops to Libya at Tripoli's request - Erdogan

Turkey will send troops to Libya at the request of Tripoli as soon as next month, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, putting the north African country's conflict at the center of wider regional frictions. Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) has been fending off a months-long offensive by General Khalifa Haftar's forces in eastern Libya, which have been supported by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. China, Russia, Iran to hold joint naval drills starting Friday

China, Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, China's defense ministry said on Thursday，amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and the United States. China will send the Xining, a guided missile destroyer, to the drills, which will last until Monday, and are meant to deepen cooperation between the three countries' navies, ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a monthly news briefing. Iraqi president says he would rather quit than name PM rejected by protesters

Iraqi President Barham Salih refused on Thursday to designate the nominee of an Iran-backed parliamentary bloc for prime minister, saying he would rather resign than appoint someone to the position who would be rejected by protesters. Salih said in a statement that because the constitution does not give him the right to reject nominees for the premiership, he was ready to submit his resignation to parliament.