World News Roundup: Bolivia governor arrest stokes fears of political revenge cycle; South Korea's Yoon warns of ending military pact after North drone intrusion and more

Bolsonaro, a far-right nationalist, left Brazil for Florida on Friday after losing to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil's most fraught vote in a generation. U.S. House Republicans face showdown over McCarthy's speaker bid Republican Kevin McCarthy's bruising quest to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives will enter a second day on Wednesday, with the party's new majority fractured by a revolt among hardline conservatives who oppose his candidacy.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Bolivia governor arrest stokes fears of political revenge cycle

The arrest of a prominent Bolivian opposition figure has sparked criticism from human rights groups and thrown a spotlight on how both the country's right and left have used a weak judicial system to go after opponents. Police arrested Luis Camacho, the right-wing governor of opposition stronghold and farming province Santa Cruz, on Dec. 28 on terrorism charges related to what authorities call a coup in 2019 against then leftist leader Evo Morales. Camacho denies the charges.

South Korea's Yoon warns of ending military pact after North drone intrusion

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Wednesday he would consider suspending a 2018 inter-Korean military pact if the North violates its airspace again, his office said, amid tension over a recent intrusion by North Korean drones. Yoon made the comment after being briefed on countermeasures to North Korean drones that crossed into the South last week, calling for building an "overwhelming response capability that goes beyond proportional levels," according to his press secretary, Kim Eun-hye.

Religious dissent in Israel at Ben-Gvir's Al Aqsa compound visit

Leading ultra-Orthodox Jewish figures supporting Israel's coalition government on Wednesday criticised a visit by a far-right minister to a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem, adding internal religious dissent to a cascade of foreign censure. One lawmaker accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of "goading the entire world".

China pledges 'final victory' over COVID as outbreak raises global alarm

Global health officials tried to determine the facts of China's raging COVID-19 outbreak and how to prevent a further spread as the Communist Party's mouthpiece newspaper on Wednesday rallied citizens for a "final victory" over the virus.

China's axing of its stringent virus curbs last month has unleashed COVID on a 1.4 billion population that has little natural immunity having been shielded from the virus since it emerged in the central city of Wuhan three years ago.

Pope Francis praises Benedict as Vatican prepares for funeral

The Vatican on Wednesday served up a surreal moment in which a living pope spoke to some of the faithful in one part of the tiny city-state while others a short distance way were honouring a deceased former pontiff. Pope Francis held his general audience in a large modern hall, a routine event for a Wednesday.

Ukraine says Russia plans new mobilisation to 'turn tide of war'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia was planning to call up more troops for a major new offensive, even as Moscow was facing some of its biggest internal criticism of the war over a strike that killed scores of fresh conscripts. Kyiv has been saying for weeks that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to order another mass conscription drive and shut his borders to prevent men from escaping the draft.

Analysis-Brazil's Bolsonaro faces legal risks after losing immunity

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's loss of broad protections from prosecution when he stepped down on Sunday leaves him more exposed to criminal and electoral probes that could lead to his arrest or prevent him from running for office. Bolsonaro, a far-right nationalist, left Brazil for Florida on Friday after losing to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil's most fraught vote in a generation.

U.S. House Republicans face showdown over McCarthy's speaker bid

Republican Kevin McCarthy's bruising quest to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives will enter a second day on Wednesday, with the party's new majority fractured by a revolt among hardline conservatives who oppose his candidacy. McCarthy weathered three failed votes for speaker on Tuesday as about 20 hardline conservatives blocked his path to the top congressional job and plunged the House into turmoil. It was the first time in 100 years that the House has not elected a speaker on its first day.

Ukraine sees speeding up inspections as key to Black Sea grain deal

Ukraine's efforts to increase exports under the Black Sea grain deal with Russia are currently focused on securing faster inspections of ships rather than including more ports in the initiative, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday. Ukraine is a major global grain producer and exporter, but production and exports have fallen since Russia invaded the country last February and started blockading its seaports.

Putin sends new hypersonic cruise missiles to Atlantic

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent off a frigate towards the Altantic and Indian oceans armed with new hypersonic Zircon cruise missiles which he said were unique in the world. In a video conference with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Igor Krokhmal, commander of the frigate named "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov", Putin said the ship was armed with Zircon hypersonic weapons.