Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. French police use tear gas to end protest over pension reform

French police used tear gas to disperse protesters blockading a Paris bus depot on Thursday, the latest confrontation between the authorities and unions over plans to reform the pension system. The protests, now in their 29th day, are the longest since 1968. Erdogan says up to 250,000 people fleeing from Syria's Idlib towards Turkey

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that up to 250,000 migrants were fleeing from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib towards Turkey, adding that Ankara was trying to prevent them from crossing its border. Turkey hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the largest refugee population in the world. It fears a new wave from Idlib, where up to 3 million Syrians live in the last rebel-held swathe of territory, after Russian and Syrian government forces last month intensified their bombardment of targets in the region. Iran not heading to war but not afraid of conflict: military commander

A top Iranian commander said on Thursday that Iran was not moving toward a war but was not afraid of any conflict, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported after U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran was behind anti-U.S. protests in Iraq. Trump accused Iran of orchestrating demonstrations at the U.S. embassy in Iraq on Tuesday and said Tehran would be held responsible. Iran has rejected the accusation. Austrian coalition deal includes headscarf ban, preventive custody: media reports

A deal between Austria's conservatives and Greens to form a governing coalition includes banning headscarves in school until the age of 14 and preventive custody for potentially dangerous immigrants, several Austrian media reported on Thursday. The measures are part of what conservative leader Sebastian Kurz describes as his tough stance on illegal immigration and "political Islam", aimed at appealing to his base but also to disillusioned former supporters of the far right, whose coalition with his party collapsed in May. U.S. consulate warns employees as gun battles rock Mexican border city

The United States consulate in Mexico's border city of Nuevo Laredo issued a security alert on Wednesday, warning against gun battles and urging government employees to take precautions. Gun battles have killed at least three people this week in the northern city bordering the Texas city of Laredo, media have said. It one of the Mexican cities where the U.S. government has sent asylum seekers to wait as their cases are decided. Italy's 5-Star expels senator further reducing slim government majority

Italy's ruling anti-establishment 5-Star Movement has expelled a senator from its ranks on disciplinary grounds, in a fresh blow to the government's already small majority in the upper house of parliament. The expulsion of Gianluigi Paragone comes less than a month after three 5-Star senators quit the party to join the far-right League opposition group, and will leave the fractious coalition with just a 5-seat majority in the 321-seat Senate. UK Labour Party Brexit spokesman Starmer ahead in leadership race: poll

Keir Starmer, Brexit spokesman for Britain's opposition Labour Party, has emerged as the early front runner in the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader, according to a poll of members. The party is expected to elect a new leader in March after the veteran socialist Corbyn said he would step down following his party's heavy election defeat at the hands of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives in December. Turkey to back Libya deployment bill but troops unlikely for now

Turkish lawmakers are set to back a bill on Thursday that allows troop deployment in Tripoli, but that is likely to begin with military support, training and drones in the air rather than boots on the ground. President Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling party's alliance has a majority but faces opposition to the plan in parliament, said last week Turkey would deploy troops in Libya to support Fayez al-Serraj's internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). Hundreds arrested in Hong Kong in New Year's Day protests: police

About 400 people were arrested in New Year's Day protests in Hong Kong after what started as a peaceful pro-democracy march of tens of thousands spiraled into chaotic scenes with police firing tear gas to disperse the crowds. The arrests take the total to about 7,000 since protests in the city escalated in June over a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China, and will highlight the apparent absence of any progress toward ending the unrest. Faster rockets, more warheads: What North Korea could gain from new weapons development

If North Korea returns to long-range missile launches or other weapons tests in 2020, its military could make valuable technical advances and gain experience alongside whatever political message is sent to Washington. This week North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that the world would soon see his country's "new strategic weapon" and that there was no longer reason for Pyongyang to be bound by a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.