World News Roundup: U.N. says Burkina Faso has no grounds to expel senior official; Iran Supreme Court accepts appeal of one protester's death sentence and more

The Court had initially said it had accepted the appeals of both protestors, but in a subsequent statement the judiciary's Mizan news agency said: "The public relations of the Supreme Court of Iran has corrected its news: 'The appeal of Mohammad Qabadloo has not been accepted/the ruling has been confirmed. U.S. House approves Ukraine aid including arms after Zelenskiy visit The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval on Friday to a $45 billion aid package for Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned his citizens that Russia could launch attacks over Christmas and urged them to heed air raid alarms.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

U.N. says Burkina Faso has no grounds to expel senior official

The United Nations on Saturday said Burkina Faso had no grounds for ordering senior U.N. official Barbara Manzi to leave the country and that the doctrine of "persona non grata" could not be applied to her. Burkina Faso's military government on Friday put out a statement instructing Manzi, appointed U.N. resident coordinator last year, to leave the West African country with immediate effect.

Iran Supreme Court accepts appeal of one protester's death sentence

Iran's Supreme Court has accepted the death sentence appeal of one protestor but confirmed that of another, the country's judiciary said on Saturday. The Court had initially said it had accepted the appeals of both protestors, but in a subsequent statement the judiciary's Mizan news agency said: "The public relations of the Supreme Court of Iran has corrected its news: 'The appeal of Mohammad Qabadloo has not been accepted/the ruling has been confirmed.

U.S. House approves Ukraine aid including arms after Zelenskiy visit

The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval on Friday to a $45 billion aid package for Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned his citizens that Russia could launch attacks over Christmas and urged them to heed air raid alarms. The aid measure passed by the Democratic-controlled house, part of a $1.66 trillion government funding bill that won Senate approval a day earlier, will now go to U.S. President Joe Biden for signing into law.

Ukraine's parallel war on corruption to unlock door to West

To an outsider, it may seem an unlikely time for Ukraine to double down on the battle against corruption, as missiles rain down on cities and citizens fight for their lives. Nonetheless, anti-graft agencies have revived a years-old investigation into an official scheme they say led to electricity customers overpaying by more than $1 billion, plus a case that stalled in 2020 into the alleged theft of over $350 million in assets and funds from a state-controlled oil company.

Hong Kong announces planned border re-opening with China as Omicron surges at Christmas

China, grappling with a new wave of COVID-19 infections, took another step towards loosening its pandemic-related restrictions on Saturday when Hong Kong's leader announced it would aim to re-open its borders with the mainland by mid-January. Speaking at a news conference upon returning from Beijing, Hong Kong Chief executive John Lee said authorities would aim to "gradually, orderly, and fully" re-open all entry points between the two sides, and coordinate with the government of nearby Shenzhen to manage the flow of people.

France's Kurds gather to protest after Paris killings

Representatives of France's Kurdish community gathered in central Paris on Saturday for a demonstration to demand answers over the killing of three Kurds in the French capital they say has exposed the community's vulnerability. A gunman carried out the killings at a Kurdish cultural centre and nearby cafe on Friday in a busy part of Paris' 10th district.

Cyprus Church picks theologian and chemistry teacher as new leader

The Church of Cyprus's ruling body on Saturday elected Georgios, a theologian and former chemistry teacher, as Archbishop of the centuries-old Church, replacing the late Chrysostomos II. Georgios, 73, will lead the Greek Orthodox Church, which has wide political and social influence on the east Mediterranean island and interests from real estate investments to businesses.

North Korea fires missile amid tension over Russia arms aid

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Friday, the South Korean military said, the latest in an unprecedented number of missile tests this year. Coming only days after two other missiles were launched and a day after allegations were made the country is shipping munitions to Russian forces in Ukraine, North Korea continued actions its neighbours say are destabilising the region.

Tanker explosion kills 8 in Johannesburg

A gas tanker apparently stuck under a bridge exploded in Johannesburg on Saturday, killing eight people, injuring scores more and damaging nearby buildings, emergency services said. The blast broke the roof of the emergency department at the Tambo Memorial hospital, destroyed two houses and several cars, and injured bystanders.

Ukraine says Russian strike kills 5 in Kherson 'for pleasure'

A Russian strike on Ukraine's recently-liberated city of Kherson killed at least five people and wounded another 35 on Saturday, authorities said, in what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned as wanton killing for pleasure. Photos on the president's Telegram account showed a built-up city centre strewn with burning cars, smashed windows and what appeared to be corpses on pavements.

(With inputs from agencies.)