Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Venezuela must lift ban on opposition candidate or face oil sanctions, US says

The U.S. will reinstate sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector if the Venezuelan government does not lift its ban on a leading opposition candidate running for president later this year, a White House official said on Monday. The Biden administration will allow a six-month suspension of energy-related sanctions to expire in April if Maria Corina Machado and other opposition figures are not allowed to compete against President Nicolas Maduro, the official said, on condition of anonymity.

ECOWAS chair Nigeria slams juntas' move to quit bloc

Nigeria on Monday said the "unelected" military authorities in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso were letting their people down with their joint decision to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Nigeria, which is the current chair of the political and economic bloc, was commenting for the first time on the three junta-led countries' Sunday announcement that they were immediately quitting the nearly 50-year-old regional alliance.

Qatar hopes US retaliation will not undercut Israel-Hamas hostage talks

Qatar's prime minister on Monday said he hoped U.S. retaliation for an drone attack that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan would not undercut progress toward a new Israel-Hamas hostage release deal in weekend talks. "I hope that nothing would undermine the efforts that we are doing or jeopardize the process," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani told a Washington think tank audience when asked if U.S. retaliation for the attack by Iran-backed militants could scuttle an emerging deal.

Israel charges back into Gaza City, US vows 'all necessary actions' after troops killed

Israel launched an assault on Gaza's biggest city, weeks after pulling back from it, while Washington vowed on Monday to take "all necessary actions" to defend its troops after a deadly attack in Jordan, the first U.S. military deaths in the Middle East since the Gaza war began. A day after three U.S. service members in Jordan were killed and at least 34 wounded in what Washington called a drone attack by Iran-backed militants, President Joe Biden's administration was under pressure to respond firmly without triggering a wider war.

Peru protests block access to Machu Picchu, stranding tourists

Protests in Peru are blocking access to Machu Picchu, one of South America's most popular heritage sites, with local anger over a new ticketing system halting rail transport to the iconic Incan site and leaving some tourists stranded. Train services to the ancient ruins high up in the Andes have been suspended since Saturday due to safety concerns over demonstrators blocking the railway line. Travel links were still not reopened on Monday, two tour operators told Reuters.

EU envoys back setting aside Russian asset profits for Ukraine

European Union members agreed unanimously on Monday to set aside billions of euros of windfall profits from Russian central bank assets frozen in Europe, the first step of a plan to help fund Ukraine reconstruction after Russia's invasion. Ambassadors of the 27 EU countries agreed in principle this first step in a meeting late on Monday, according to a source from Belgium, which holds the six-month presidency of the European Union.

Youngest US soldier killed in Jordan drone attack was 23

The U.S. military on Monday released the names of the three Army Reserve soldiers killed in Sunday's drone attack by Iran-backed militants in Jordan, with the youngest victim just 23 years old. The names are:

Political pressure builds on Biden to strike Iran after US deaths

The killing of three U.S. troops and wounding of dozens more on Sunday by Iran-backed militants is piling political pressure on President Joe Biden to deal a blow directly against Iran, a move he's been reluctant to do out of fear of igniting a broader war. Biden's response options could range anywhere from targeting Iranian forces outside to even inside Iran, or opting for a more cautious retaliatory attack solely against the Iran-backed militants responsible, experts say.

Israel's military keeps focus on southern Gaza's Khan Younis -spokesperson

Israel's military said on Monday it will keep pressure on the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, which for weeks has been the focus of Israel's offensive, and said it has killed more than 2,000 Palestinian militants there. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the military's spokesperson, said Israeli forces have so far dismantled two of four Hamas battalions around the densely populated city, which operated above ground and from within dozens of kilometers of underground tunnels.

French farmers block highways to step up pressure on government

Long lines of tractors blocked highways near Paris and across France on Monday, as angry farmers sought to put pressure on the government to do more to help them face inflation, compete with cheap imports and make a living. The protests follow similar action in other European countries, including Germany and Poland, ahead of European Parliament elections in June in which the far right, for whom farmers represent a growing constituency, is seen making gains.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)