World News Roundup: Car bomb hits Turkish contractors in Somalia; Pompeo Iran testimony and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Explainer: How close is Iran to producing a nuclear bomb?

The central achievement of the Iran nuclear deal - keeping Tehran at arm's length from nuclear weapons - is eroding. The 2015 accord's many restrictions on Iran's atomic activities were built around one objective: to extend the "breakout time" Tehran would need to produce enough fissile material for one atomic bomb - if it decided to do so - to at least a year from around 2-3 months.

Car bomb hits Turkish contractors, police near Somalia capital, six wounded: police

A car bomb targeting a group of Turkish contractors exploded on Saturday in Afgoye, northwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu, wounding at least six people, police said. It was not known who carried out the attack but residents and police said al Shabaab fighters had tried to attack Afgoye, about 30 km from Mogadishu, late on Friday and were repulsed.

U.S. House committee renews push for Pompeo Iran testimony, subpoena threat

A U.S. House of Representatives committee renewed a threat on Friday to subpoena Secretary of State Mike Pompeo if he does not provide information about Iran policy and President Donald Trump's ordering of the strike that killed an Iranian military commander. Representative Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he scheduled a public hearing with Pompeo for Wednesday, Jan. 29.

'You have not seen anything yet,' climate activist Greta says ahead of Davos

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg marched with 10,000 protesters in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Friday and said "you have not seen anything yet" before some head to Davos next week to challenge the global financial elite to fight climate change. The 17-year-old, who launched the #FridaysforFuture movement that has sparked worldwide protests, denounced a lack of government action to cut heat-trapping emissions before it is too late.

Myanmar, China ink deals to accelerate Belt and Road as Xi courts an isolated Suu Kyi

China and Myanmar inked dozens of deals on Saturday to speed up infrastructure projects in the Southeast Asian nation, as Beijing seeks to cement its hold over a neighbor increasingly isolated by the West. But no major new projects were agreed during the two-day visit by President Xi Jinping, the first of any Chinese leader in 19 years. Analysts said Myanmar was generally cautious of investments by Beijing and was also being careful ahead of elections later this year.

Floods, road closures in Australia as storms lash some bushfire-hit regions

Thunderstorms lashed parts of Australia's east coast early on Saturday, causing road closures and lash flooding, but the country was still battling nearly 100 bushfires and some of the affected areas remained dry. Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, states hit badly by the bushfires that have so far killed 29 people, destroyed more than 2,500 homes and scorched millions of acres of land, are now dealing with rain bucketing down.

North Korean foreign minister replaced: report

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho has been replaced, Seoul-based NK News reported on Saturday. Ri's replacement has not been identified but Pyongyang is set to reveal his successor about next Thursday, the report said, citing unnamed sources.

Iran's Khamenei stands by Guards after unrest over downed plane

Iran's supreme leader threw his support behind the elite Revolutionary Guards in a rare sermon on Friday after their belated admission that they had accidentally downed an airliner triggered days of street protests. In his first Friday prayers sermon for eight years, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also told worshippers chanting "Death to America" that the elite Guards could take their fight beyond Iran's borders after the U.S. killing of a top Iranian commander.

Erdogan calls on Europe to support Turkey's moves in Libya: Politico

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called on Europe to support its work in Libya, where it is providing military support to the internationally-recognized government if it wants to end the conflict there. Erdogan made his remarks in a column published on the Politico website on Saturday, ahead of a summit in Berlin on Sunday that will try to stabilize the country.

Protesters gather at Paris theater to confront Macron over pension reform

Protesters opposed to the French government's proposed changes to the pension system tried to force their way into a theater in Paris where President Emmanuel Macron attended a show with his wife. A crowd gathered outside the Theater Des Bouffes du Nord on Friday evening after the couple had arrived to watch a performance of La Mouche (The Fly). Videos on social media showed protesters chanting "Macron resign" and at one stage trying to enter the venue near the Gare du Nord train terminus in northern Paris.

(With inputs from agencies.)