Reuters World News Summary

The outcome of the vote puts Ramaphosa in a stronger position to secure re-election as ANC leader at a party contest starting on Friday, and to run for a second term as head of state at a 2024 election. Kaili feels betrayed over European Parliament stance in Qatar graft scandal -lawyer Eva Kaili feels betrayed by European Parliament colleagues who decided to strip the Greek MEP of her role as vice president of the assembly on Tuesday after she was accused of accepting bribes from Qatar, her lawyer in Athens told Reuters.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

European Parliament strips Eva Kaili of VP role over Qatar graft scandal

The European Parliament removed Greek MEP Eva Kaili as a vice president of the assembly on Tuesday after she was accused of accepting bribes from Qatar in one of the biggest corruption scandals to hit Brussels. Kaili has denied any wrongdoing, but European lawmakers have acted rapidly to isolate her, worrying that the Belgian investigation will badly dent the assembly's efforts to present itself as a sound moral compass in a troubled world.

Danish Social Democrats agree new government with right-wing opposition

Denmark's Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday she had agreed to form a rare bipartisan government with the main opposition party, the Liberal Party, and the Moderates to form a government with her as prime minister. "We have set high ambitions, both in terms of ensuring higher employment, more people getting work, high climate ambitions and a fairly comprehensive reform program," said Frederiksen.

Peru's Boluarte seeks earlier elections as angry protests simmer on

Peru's new president pledged to work with Congress on Tuesday to see if the next election could be held sooner than previously proposed, as raucous street protests that have led to at least seven deaths so far showed little sign of letting up. President Dina Boluarte, the former vice president, was sworn in last Wednesday after then-leader Pedro Castillo illegally sought to dissolve Congress hours before being swiftly removed from office by lawmakers.

U.S. close to providing Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine -officials

The United States is finalizing plans to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine, a decision that could be announced as soon as this week, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday. Ukraine has asked its Western partners for air defenses, including U.S.-made Patriot systems, to protect it from heavy Russian missile bombardment including against its energy infrastructure.

Canadian Cardinal Ouellet sues over accusations of sexual assault

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet on Tuesday said he was suing a woman who accused him of sexual assault more than a decade ago when he was the archbishop of Quebec. Ouellet, now a prominent Vatican official, was named in August in a class action lawsuit against the Quebec Catholic archdiocese that alleged cases of sexual assault by some 88 clergy and staff working there starting in 1940.

U.S., EU envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia not to fuel violence

Envoys from the European Union and the United States have called on Kosovo and Serbia to remain calm and not fuel an ongoing ethnic crisis in Kosovo's north where local Serbs have erected barricades to prevent police movement. Serb protesters in northern Kosovo have blocked main roads and exchanged fire with police after the arrest of a former Serb policeman for allegedly attacking Kosovo institutions and officials during rising tensions between authorities and Kosovo's Serb minority.

Ukraine battles Russian push in east as Kyiv allies pledge $1 billion in aid

Russia and Ukraine pounded each other's forces in heavy fighting around the small eastern city of Bakhmut on Tuesday, as Kyiv's allies pledged just over 1 billion euros ($1.05 billion) to help Ukrainians survive the freezing winter. Invading Russian forces have fought to seize Bakhmut for months as part of a grinding battle for control of the Donetsk region, one of four territories in Ukraine the Kremlin claims to have annexed since its Feb. 24 invasion in votes rejected by most countries as illegal.

China reportedly delays key economic meeting amid signs of COVID surge

Chinese leaders have reportedly delayed a key economic policy meeting amid growing signs that COVID-19 infections are surging in Beijing nearly a week after they jettisoned some of the world's toughest anti-virus restrictions. State media reported late on Tuesday that the capital's hospitals now have 50 COVID patients classed as critical or serious among rapidly rising cases that were mostly asymptomatic or mild.

South Africa's ANC stops impeachment process against Ramaphosa

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday stopped an impeachment process from being launched against President Cyril Ramaphosa, as most of its lawmakers voted to reject an inquiry report into alleged misconduct. The outcome of the vote puts Ramaphosa in a stronger position to secure re-election as ANC leader at a party contest starting on Friday, and to run for a second term as head of state at a 2024 election.

Kaili feels betrayed over European Parliament stance in Qatar graft scandal -lawyer

Eva Kaili feels betrayed by European Parliament colleagues who decided to strip the Greek MEP of her role as vice president of the assembly on Tuesday after she was accused of accepting bribes from Qatar, her lawyer in Athens told Reuters. The case, in which Kaili has denied any wrongdoing, is evolving into one of the biggest corruption scandals to hit the European Union.

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