Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias accused of sexual assault: report

A doctor has filed a criminal complaint of sexual assault against Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, an allegation that Arias categorically denied. The accuser said that Arias assaulted her at his home in Costa Rican capital San Jose in 2014, according to The New York Times and reports in local media. Germany reassures NATO on defense spending target: report

The German government has reassured the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) it will stick to its plans to continue increasing military spending to reach 1.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2024 despite declining tax revenues, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Tuesday. Those plans had been called into question on Monday after a Finance Ministry document obtained by Reuters showed the government's tax revenues were likely to rise less than expected in coming years due to a slowing economy. Macron declares April 24 commemoration day of Armenian genocide in France

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday declared April 24 as a day for the commemoration of the Armenian genocide in France, an issue that has caused regular friction between Turkey and European Union member states. Macron, in keeping with a 2017 campaign promise, told an annual dinner of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France that France was among the first nations to denounce "the murderous hunt of the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire." UK ministers hold secret talks of delaying Brexit by eight weeks: The Telegraph

UK cabinet ministers have secretly held talks on plans to delay Brexit by eight weeks, the Telegraph newspaper reported late on Tuesday. The delay would postpone Brexit to May 24. Currently, Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29. Venezuela's funds transfer blocked, opposition lawmaker says

A bank in Portugal has blocked Venezuela's attempt to transfer $1.2 billion to Uruguay, a lawmaker said on Tuesday as the opposition to President Nicolas Maduro warned of the theft of public funds, while the United States sent food and medical aid to the Venezuelan-Colombian border. Pressure is building on Maduro, a socialist, to resign amid an economic crisis marked by widespread shortages and hyperinflation, with the United States and a growing number of other nations recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president. Russia plans new missile systems to counter U.S. by 2021

Russia will race to develop two new land-based missile launch systems before 2021 to respond to Washington's planned exit from a landmark nuclear arms control pact, it said on Tuesday. President Vladimir Putin said at the weekend that Russia had suspended the Cold War-era Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which bans both nations from stationing short- and intermediate-range land-based missiles in Europe. From coup-maker to candidate? Thai junta chief mulls election run

Thai junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha is known for losing his temper in public, but recently he has displayed a softer side amid speculation he may run for office in the first elections since the army seized power in 2014. The general-turned-prime minister has appeared on state television cooking a chicken curry for villagers and riding a tractor with farmers. Last month, he released one of his trademark ballads, which has been played repeatedly on the radio. Brazil court frees Vale and Tuv Sud employees in dam burst case

Brazil's Superior Court of Justice (STJ) has freed five Vale SA and Tuv Sud employees that had been arrested after the burst of a dam in Brumadinho that killed more than 100 people and left more than 200 others unaccounted for. The ruling overturned a lower court decision and set free executives Andre Yassuda, Makoto Namba, Rodrigo Artur Gomes de Melo, Ricardo de Oliveira and Cesar Augusto Paulino Grandchamp, stating that there was no reason for them to be held, the STJ press office said. Ex-Ivory Coast President Gbagbo conditionally released to Belgium: court

The International Criminal Court on Tuesday said former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo is now in Belgium under conditional release. Gbagbo was acquitted by the Hague court of atrocities charges last month but remained in custody until Friday, when an appeals court ordered him released. A court spokeswoman confirmed he has now traveled to Belgium. Pope says he is committed to stopping sexual abuse of nuns

Pope Francis, whose papacy has been marked by efforts to quell a global crisis over sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy, said on Tuesday he was committed to stopping the abuse of nuns by priests and bishops, some of whom had used the women as sex slaves. Francis made his comments on the plane returning from Abu Dhabi in response to a reporter's question about an article last week in a Vatican monthly magazine about the abuse of nuns in the Catholic Church.