Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Knife-edge? UK's Johnson ahead but polls suggest majority might be tough

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is heading into Britain's election next week with a lead in opinion polls, but some of the surveys also suggest that his chance of winning a parliamentary majority could be too close to call. Four opinion polls published on Saturday put the lead of Johnson's Conservative Party over the main opposition Labour Party at between eight and 15 points, five days before the Dec. 12 national election.

Four dead in shooting near Mexico's presidential residence

Four people were killed and two injured in a shooting on Saturday near Mexico's National Palace, the presidential residence in the capital's historic downtown, officials said. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was in southeastern Mexico on Saturday.

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.

Dancing crowds protest in Madrid while climate leaders meet

Hundreds of people blocked one of Madrid's most emblematic streets on Saturday by dancing to demand action against climate change in what protesters dubbed civil disco-bedience. The protest, called by grassroots green movement Extinction Rebellion, blocked the central shopping street Gran Via. Activists waved flags and danced to songs including the Bee Gees 1977 classic Stayin' Alive.

Two indigenous men killed in Brazil, near where forest guardian died last month

Two indigenous men, members of the Guajajara tribe in northeastern Brazil, were shot dead on Saturday, and two others were hurt, not far from where a prominent tribesman who defended the Amazon rainforest was also killed last month, authorities said. Indigenous tribes in Brazil are facing escalating violence during the presidency of Jair Bolsonario, who has promised to reduce tribal rights and encouraged the commercial exploitation of their protected lands. Tribes have faced violence especially from illegal loggers and miners.

United States and Iran swap prisoners in rare act of cooperation

The United States and Iran each freed a prisoner on Saturday in a rare act of cooperation between two longtime foes whose ties have worsened since President Donald Trump took office. Iran released Xiyue Wang, a U.S. citizen who had been held for three years on spying charges, while the United States freed Iranian Massoud Soleimani. He had been facing charges of violating U.S. sanctions against Tehran.

Iran to unveil new generation of enrichment centrifuges soon

Iran will unveil a new generation of uranium enrichment centrifuges, the deputy head of Iran's nuclear agency Ali Asghar Zarean told State TV on Saturday. "In the near future we will unveil a new generation of centrifuges that are domestically made," said Zarean, without elaborating.

North Korea's U.N. envoy says denuclearization off negotiating table with United States

North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations said on Saturday that denuclearization is off the negotiating table with the United States and lengthy talks with Washington are not needed, the starkest statement yet emphasizing the gulf between the two sides ahead of a year-end deadline set by Pyongyang. U.S. President Donald Trump sought to play down a recent surge in tensions with North Korea, stressing what he said was his good relationship with its leader Kim Jong Un and saying he thought Kim wanted a deal, not to interfere in next year's U.S. presidential election.

Russia, Belarus closer to resolving oil, gas issues, says Moscow

Russia and Belarus have come closer to resolving their differences on oil and gas supplies, Russia's economy minister said on Saturday after talks between the two countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko were holding talks on Saturday on an integration road map in the southern Russian city of Sochi.

Rocket hits Iraqi cleric's home following deadly Baghdad attack

A rocket fired from a drone targeted the home of populist Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Saturday, lawmakers from his Saeroon party said, following one of the capital's bloodiest nights in recent weeks. The drone attack, which caused little damage and left no casualties, followed a deadly attack by armed men near Baghdad's main protest site on Friday night, which left at least 23 dead, police and medical sources said.