Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Fighting flares in Ethiopia's Tigray as army says closing in on rebellious force

Bombing, looting and skirmishes persisted in parts of Ethiopia's Tigray on Saturday, a rebellious force in the northern region said after government troops declared they were within days of capturing the group's leaders. A month of fighting between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's federal army and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) is believed to have killed thousands of people and driven some 46,000 refugees into neighbouring Sudan. Britain in 'final throw of the dice' as EU trade talks set to restart

Britain and European Union negotiators will meet in Brussels on Sunday in what the British team said was a final throw of the dice to clinch a post-Brexit trade deal. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke on Saturday, and instructed their teams to resume the talks in a last ditch attempt to bridge significant differences. Britain and EU to resume talks in final push for Brexit trade deal

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen instructed their negotiators to resume trade talks on Sunday in a last ditch attempt to bridge significant differences. The decision to revive the long-running talks after they stalled on Friday over three of the thorniest issues suggests both sides believe there is still some hope they can secure a deal governing almost $1 trillion of trade a year. Fiscal reform, corruption in focus in Romania parliamentary election

Romanians head to the polls on Sunday in a national ballot key to restoring the country's reputation among investors, with the incumbent, reform-oriented centrists of Prime Minister Ludovic Orban holding a narrow lead over opposition Social Democrats. In power for a year in spite of his opponents' hold over parliament, Orban, 57, has said he would undo a 40% pension hike ordered by the leftist PSD, which economists say could bloat the deficit to 11% of GDP and push Romania's credit rating to junk. Hungary, Poland risk exclusion from EU recovery fund: French minister

The European Union will leave Poland and Hungary out of its economic recovery plan if the two countries continue to resist efforts to link the disbursement of 1.8 trillion euros of funds with rule-of-law provisions, a French cabinet minister said. European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said such a move was legally complex, but possible. Mexico's Lopez Obrador wants tougher restrictions on foreign agents

Mexico's presidency has proposed tightening restrictions on "foreign agents" operating in the country, in a move that follows heightened tensions with Washington and is widely seen as aimed at U.S. counter-narcotics officials. In a draft proposal sent to the Senate on Friday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's office said foreign agents must share any information they obtain with Mexican authorities, and should be stripped of diplomatic immunity if they commit crimes or break regulations. Violence erupts during Paris protest against Macron's security law

Scores of hooded anarchists launched projectiles at riot police, smashed up shop fronts, torched cars and burned barricades during a demonstration in the French capital on Saturday against police violence and a draft security law. The police fired back volleys of tear gas and made repeated charges at groups of troublemakers for close to three hours. One group of anarchists ransacked the branch office of a bank, throwing piles of paperwork onto a fire outside. Amid pandemic, Britain's Prince William tours country by train

Prince William and his wife Kate begin a tour of Britain by train on Sunday, meeting frontline workers, care home staff and teachers to thank them for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Britain has been the hardest hit country in Europe by COVID-19, with over 60,000 deaths. German Santas hope to bring cheer despite masks

A group of Germans dressed as Santa and angels who rent themselves out over the Christmas period gathered in Berlin on Saturday, keen to spread joy and practice their "Ho-ho-hos" even though they have to wear masks. Most years, several hundred "Rent-a-Santa" meet at the beginning of the Christmas season in Germany, but this year just a few dozen got together, keeping their distance outside at the disused Tempelhof airfield in Berlin. Turkey in weekend lockdown with coronavirus cases at record highs

Turkey has entered its first full weekend lockdown since May as deaths from coronavirus more than doubled in less than three weeks to hit record highs, with daily infections now among the highest numbers recorded globally. The daily death toll https://tmsnrt.rs/35LkG8h rose to a record high of 196 on Saturday, bringing the total since the beginning of the pandemic to 14,705. Official daily deaths were in the 70s at the end of October.