Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Hong Kong police to take both 'hard' and 'soft' approaches against protests: commissioner

The Hong Kong police will use both "hard" and "soft" approaches when dealing with protests, Hong Kong's police commissioner Chris Tang told reporters in Beijing on Saturday. The police chief spoke ahead of a potentially large pro-democracy demonstration on Sunday and following nearly six months of sometimes violent protests in Hong Kong, sparked by a now-withdrawn bill allowing extradition to Mainland China.

Indian rape victim dies in hospital after being set ablaze

A 23-year-old rape victim set on fire by a gang of men, which included her alleged rapists, has died in a New Delhi hospital, prompting protests from opposition leaders who blamed the ruling party for failing to check incidents of violence against women. The woman was on her way to board a train in Unnao district of northern Uttar Pradesh state to attend a court hearing over her rape when she was doused with kerosene and set on fire on Thursday, according to police.

Germany's SPD slip in polls after choosing new leftist leaders

Support for Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) has fallen after members last week chose as leaders a leftist duo who are skeptical about remaining in government with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, a poll showed on Saturday. At a party conference on Friday, the SPD gave their new leaders, Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans, a mandate to talk to Merkel's conservatives about continuing in government and set out some relatively modest policy demands.

Trump says will hold off designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups

President Donald Trump said on Friday he will temporarily hold off designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations at the request of Mexico's president. "All necessary work has been completed to declare Mexican Cartels terrorist organizations," Trump said on Twitter. "However, at the request of a man who I like and respect, and has worked so well with us, President Andres Manuel @lopezobrador we will temporarily hold off this designation and step up our joint efforts to deal decisively with these vicious and ever-growing organizations!"

Pope meets with Maltese PM hit by scandal over reporter's murder

Pope Francis on Saturday gave a private audience to outgoing Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, ignoring an appeal to cancel the meeting with a premier engulfed in crisis over a probe into a murdered journalist. Francis met Muscat and his wife and family on Saturday morning, the Vatican said, in an audience that was far more low-key than those normally held with heads of government.

Exclusive: U.S. says drone shot down by Russian air defenses near Libyan capital

The U.S. military believes that an unarmed American drone reported lost near Libya's capital last month was in fact shot down by Russian air defenses and it is demanding the return of the aircraft's wreckage, U.S. Africa Command says. Such a shootdown would underscore Moscow's increasingly muscular role in the energy-rich nation, where Russian mercenaries are reportedly intervening on behalf of east Libya-based commander Khalifa Haftar in Libya's civil war.

UK minister says concerned about election interference after leak of documents linked to Russia

The leak of classified UK-U.S. trade documents online, tied to a previous Russian disinformation campaign, has all the hallmarks of an attempt to interfere in Britain's upcoming election, a British minister said on Saturday. The opposition Labour Party says the leaked documents show the ruling Conservatives are plotting to offer the state-run National Health Service (NHS) for sale in post-Brexit trade talks with Washington.

China's top diplomat tells Pompeo U.S. should stop interfering in China's internal affairs

China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone call on Saturday that the United States should stop interfering in China's internal affairs, according to a report by state TV. Citing the passing of the Uighur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 and the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, Yang said the United States had seriously violated international relations, and urged Washington to "correct its mistakes" and "immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs".

United States and Iran swap prisoners in rare act of cooperation

The United States and Iran swapped prisoners - a Chinese-American detained for three years on spying charges and an imprisoned Iranian - on Saturday in a rare act of cooperation between two longtime foes whose ties have worsened since President Donald Trump took office. Trump said Chinese-American Xiyue Wang was returning to the United States. An Iranian official said that Iranian Massoud Soleimani had been freed from detention in the United States.

Death toll in Baghdad attack rises to 23

The death toll in an attack by armed men at Baghdad's main protest site on Friday night rose to 23 on Saturday, police and medical sources said, the deadliest incident to hit the capital in weeks. More than 127 others were wounded by gunfire and stabbings targeting anti-government protesters near Tahrir Square, police and medical sources said. The death toll includes three members of the police.