Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Hardline leader in Indian state defends "strict" action to quell protests

The chief minister of India's Uttar Pradesh state has rebuffed accusations from rights groups of police abuses during protests against a new citizenship law, crediting his tough stand with restoring calm to the streets. The northern state has seen the most violent turmoil over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's citizenship law, which activists say is discriminatory towards the Muslim community, which makes up some 14% of India's population. Austria's Greens summon party meeting as coalition deal nears

Austria's Greens, who are in coalition talks with conservatives led by Sebastian Kurz, on Saturday summoned a meeting of their party's top decision-making body next week to sign off on a deal, indicating an agreement is close. The Greens' Federal Congress, comprising various groups within the party including its national, local and European lawmakers, must sign off on any coalition deal, and it requires a week's notice to meet. Hong Kong police arrest protesters in shopping mall

Hong Kong police arrested about a dozen protesters and used pepper spray on Saturday to break up a protest in a shopping mall aimed at disrupting retail businesses near the border with mainland China. Demonstrators have been targeting malls across Hong Kong since earlier this week and more than a hundred protesters, many dressed in black with face masks, marched through a mall in Sheung Shui on Saturday, chanting "Go back to China". Australian PM announces compensation for volunteer firefighters

The Australian government announced on Sunday it would compensate volunteer firefighters in the state of New South Wales (NSW), as the country's intense bushfire season rages on. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said payments of up to A$6,000 would be available for eligible firefighters who had spent more than 10 days in the field this fire season. Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker revives plan for Mohammad cartoon contest

Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders on Saturday said he had revived his plan to hold a contest for cartoons caricaturing the Prophet Mohammad, more than a year after cancelling such an event out of fear for attacks in the Netherlands. In a post on Twitter late on Saturday, Wilders called on people to send in their Mohammad cartoons. Italian PM Conte names new ministers, sets policy agenda for 2020

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte named two new ministers on Saturday to replace his education minister who resigned this week and outlined an ambitious agenda for next year including reform of the justice system and state bureaucracy. In a three-hour year-end news conference, Conte accused right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini of "insidious" political behavior and appealed for unity from the fractious coalition backing his own government. Truck bomb kills at least 90 in Mogadishu: international organization

At least 90 people were killed when a bomb-laden truck exploded at a busy checkpoint in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, an international organization working in the country said, in the deadliest attack in more than two years. The dead included many students and two Turkish nationals, Somalia's foreign minister said, adding that dozens were injured. Bolivia is not a Mexican colony, acting foreign minister Longaric tells El Pais

Mexico should stay out of Bolivian domestic affairs after the collapse last month of former leader Evo Morales's Socialist government, Bolivia's acting foreign minister Karen Longaric was quoted saying in an interview published on Saturday. A dispute has been brewing for days between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Bolivia's interim leaders over Mexico's granting of asylum in its diplomatic facilities in La Paz to nine people, including allies of Morales who Bolivia wants to try for sedition and armed revolt. Scuffles break out in Paris as pensions protesters, 'yellow vests' march

Protesters marching against the French government's planned pension reform clashed with the police in Paris on Saturday as police fired tear gas to disperse some groups of demonstrators. French trade unions have spearheaded nationwide strikes since early December in an outcry over President Emmanuel Macron's pensions overhaul, disrupting schools, railways and roads, while lending support to regular protests. North Korea's Kim holds ruling party's plenary meeting before year-end deadline

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a meeting of top ruling party officials on Saturday to discuss important policy matters ahead of the year-end deadline set by Kim for the United States, the state news agency said on Sunday. Kim, chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), guided the first-day session of the plenary meeting to discuss "important matters arising in the party building and activities and in the building of the state and national defense," KCNA news agency said in a statement.