World News Roundup: Gulf Arab unity; Hong Kong 'clean-up' and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff calls for Gulf Arab unity to counter Iran

United States Air Force Chief of Staff David Goldfein on Saturday pressed Gulf Arab states to reconcile differences and unify military capabilities as tensions with Iran simmer. Washington sees an ongoing dispute that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-Gulf state Egypt have with Qatar as a threat to efforts to contain Iran and has pushed for a united front.

China's PLA soldiers help clean up Hong Kong streets as protesters leave campuses

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers in shorts and t-shirts made a surprising appearance in some Hong Kong streets on Saturday, briefly helping residents clean up debris after anti-government protests blocked roads, witnesses said. The presence of PLA troops on the streets, even to help clean up roads near their base, could stoke further controversy over the Chinese-ruled territory's autonomous status.

Last remains of Ethiopian plane crash victims buried, families say little notice given

The last remains of 157 people killed aboard an Ethiopian Airlines plane in March were interred at the crash site this week, farmers and families told Reuters, but some relatives were upset they had been unable to take part in the ceremony. Nadia Milleron, whose daughter Samya Stumo was killed, said an email was sent to some families -- but not all -- notifying them of the burial just two days before it happened.

One killed in clashes in Iran over fuel price hike: media

One person was killed in the Iranian city of Sirjan during protests that erupted after President Hassan Rouhani's government imposed gasoline rationing and price hikes of at least 50 percent, Iranian ISNA news agency reported on Saturday. The government announced on Friday that the price of a liter of regular gasoline would increased to 15,000 rials ($0.13 cents) from 10,000 rials and the monthly ration for each private car was set at 60 liters. Additional purchases would cost 30,000 rials per liter.

Paris police fire tear gas on 'yellow vest' protests anniversary

Paris police fired tear gas in northwestern and southern Paris on Saturday to drive back protesters marking the first anniversary of anti-government "yellow vest" demonstrations. On the Place d'Italie in southern Paris, demonstrators, many clad in black and hiding their faces, set trash bins on fire and hurled projectiles at riot police while building barricades.

Prince Andrew says he has no recollection of meeting Epstein accuser

Britain's Prince Andrew said in comments broadcast on Friday that he had no recollection of ever meeting an American woman who alleges she was forced to have sex with him when she was underage. Andrew also told BBC television that he had "let the side down" by staying with U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein's conviction for paying a teenage girl for sex.

Protesters retake part of bridge in central Baghdad

Iraqi protesters occupied part of a main bridge in Baghdad on Saturday that security forces had pushed them away from a week before, a Reuters photographer said. Demonstrators also occupied a tall building overlooking the bridge, taking new ground in the center of the Iraqi capital after protests had appeared to lose momentum.

Palestinian rockets, Israeli airstrikes jolt tenuous Gaza truce

Palestinian militants fired two rockets deep into southern Israel from Gaza on Saturday, and the Israeli military responded with a number of air strikes on militant targets, shaking an already tenuous truce. Sirens sounded in the middle of the night in Beersheba, the largest city in southern Israel, some 35 km (18 miles) from the Gaza border, warning of incoming fire. The military said its missile defenses intercepted the two rockets.

Trump asks Japan to hike payments for U.S. troops to $8 billion: Foreign Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump has asked Japan to quadruple annual payments for U.S. forces stationed there to around $8 billion, Foreign Policy reported, part of Washington's efforts to press its allies to increase their defense spending. The current agreement that covers the 54,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan expires in March 2021.

Turkey says Kurdish militia attack kills 10 people in Syrian town of Al-Bab

The Turkish Defence Ministry said on Saturday that a car bomb attack by Syrian Kurdish fighters killed 10 people and wounded more than 15 in the northern Syrian border town of Al-Bab, which Turkish forces seized in a 2016 offensive. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said that 18 people were killed and at least 30 others were wounded in the attack. It said several cars and buildings in the vicinity of the blast had also been damaged.

(With inputs from agencies.)