Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Attackers kill three in heavily guarded district of Bujumbura

Gunmen wearing police and army uniforms killed three people and injured three others at a bar in a heavily guarded neighborhood of Burundi's biggest city Bujumbura late on Friday, police and residents said. The attack took place in the Rohero district, where violence is rare and officials often have the protection of their own security personnel.

Iraqi protesters and security forces clash, keep Umm Qasr port closed

Thousands of protesters were blocking all roads leading to Iraq's main Gulf port Umm Qasr on Saturday, after security forces used live rounds and tear gas on them overnight, security sources said. Operations at the port have been at a complete standstill since Wednesday, after protesters first blocked its entrance on Tuesday.

Hong Kong braces for 'emergency' protest call for autonomy

Hong Kong anti-government protesters are due to march on Saturday in what has been billed as a global "emergency call" for autonomy for the Asian financial hub that was guaranteed its freedoms when it returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Prominent pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong called for 100,000 people to rally in what would be the 22nd straight weekend of protests.

Nine children killed in Afghanistan mine blast

Nine Afghan children were killed on Saturday when a mine exploded as they walked to school, police said, the latest victims in a growing toll of civilian casualties in the war. The blast happened in the northeastern province of Takhar. Saturday is a school day in Afghanistan.

Iran strikes initial deal to rebuild Syrian power grid

Iran signed a preliminary agreement with Syria on Saturday to help rebuild the Arab ally's electricity grid, Iranian state media reported, as Tehran seeks a deepening economic role after years of the Syrian conflict. A memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries' electricity ministers in Tehran covered the construction of power plants, transmission lines, cutting losses in Syria's electricity network, and the possibility of connecting the two countries' grids through Iraq, the state news agency IRNA said.

Exclusive: Overhaul of Ukraine prosecution agency buries Manafort inquiries - investigators

Sweeping changes to Ukraine's top law enforcement agency ordered by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy are set to derail a series of long-running criminal investigations, including two related to U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, three current and former Ukrainian prosecutors told Reuters. The reorganization, which includes fresh leadership for the agency and mandatory skills testing for prosecutors, represents an upheaval of Ukraine's General Prosecutor's Office (GPO), one of the most powerful bodies in the country, and one that has long been the target of criticism.

Turkey says will send Islamic State prisoners to home countries

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Saturday Turkey would send captured Islamic State members back to their home countries, and he complained about European inaction on the matter. "That is not acceptable to us. It's also irresponsible," he said of Europe leaving Turkey to deal with the prisoners alone. "We will send the captured Daesh members to their countries," he told reporters, using another name for Islamic State.

Police believe Japan's castle fire unlikely caused by arson - Kyodo

Police believe a fire that tore through World Heritage-listed Shuri Castle in Japan's southern-most island of Okinawa this week was not likely to have been caused by arson, Kyodo news agency reported on late Friday, citing sources. In analysing the evidence, such as surveillance footage at the destroyed castle, local police have found no traces of intrusion into the castle before the fire breaking out, Kyodo reported, citing unnamed investigators.

U.S.-China tensions hang over Southeast Asian summit

Southeast Asian leaders are expected to voice concern at rising trade tensions during a regional summit starting on Saturday in the shadow of the U.S.-China trade war and amid worries at U.S. disengagement from the region. The 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet in Bangkok, where they will also hold talks with representatives of world powers and have discussions on a regional trade agreement backed by Beijing.

In election pitch, UK PM Johnson backs his deal over no-deal Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put his Brexit withdrawal deal at the centre of his election campaign, rejecting an electoral pact with the Brexit Party that would mean he would have to embrace leaving the European Union without a deal. Johnson had previously pledged to take Britain out of the European Union with or without a deal on Oct. 31, before lawmakers voted to force him to seek an extension until Jan. 31.