Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Bowing to U.S. demands, U.N. waters down resolution on sexual violence in conflict

A U.S. threat to veto U.N. Security Council action on sexual violence in conflict was averted on Tuesday after a long-agreed phrase was removed because President Donald Trump's administration sees it as code for abortion, diplomats said. A German-drafted resolution was adopted after a reference was cut referring to the need for U.N. bodies and donors to give timely "sexual and reproductive health" assistance to survivors of sexual violence in conflict. Brazil court trims Lula sentence, opening door to partial detention

Brazil's jailed former leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, could gain partial freedom within five months following a court decision on Tuesday to reduce his sentence in one of two corruption convictions. The popular politician began serving a 12-year prison sentence a year ago on a corruption and money-laundering conviction for accepting a luxury beachside apartment as a bribe from an engineering company in the "Carwash" graft scandal. North Korea confirms leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia for summit with Putin: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean state media confirmed. State media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the visit will happen "soon," but did not elaborate the time or the venue. Myanmar's top court rejects final appeal by jailed Reuters journalists

Myanmar's top court on Tuesday rejected the appeal of two Reuters reporters sentenced to seven years in jail for breaking the Official Secrets Act, in a landmark case that has raised questions about the country's transition to democracy. "They were sentenced for seven years and this decision stands, and the appeal is rejected," Supreme Court Justice Soe Naing told a court in the capital, Naypyitaw, without elaborating. New Zealand, France plan bid to tackle online extremism

In the wake of the Christchurch attack, New Zealand said on Wednesday that it would work with France to bring together countries and tech companies in an effort to stop social media from being used to promote terrorism and violent extremism, . Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement that she will co-chair a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on May 15 that will seek to have world leaders and CEOs of tech companies agree to a pledge, called the Christchurch Call, to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. Algerian state energy company Sonatrach's CEO sacked: state TV

Algeria's interim president has sacked Abdelmoumene Ould Kaddour as the chief executive of state energy company Sonatrach, state TV said on Tuesday, creating uncertainty for investors who had started to return to the oil and gas producer. The interim president, Abdelkader Bensalah, appointed Sonatrach's head of production and exploration, Rachid Hachichi, to replace Kaddour, state TV reported. Ten Kosovo women under house arrest after returning from Syria

Ten women repatriated to Kosovo from Syria at the weekend have been placed under house arrest on charges of participating in terrorist groups, a court said on Tuesday. They were among a group of 110 Kosovo citizens brought back on Saturday from Syria, including 32 women, 74 children and four jihadists who had gone to fight in the country’s civil war. Egyptian voters back constitutional changes giving more power to President Sisi

Nearly 90 percent of Egyptian voters in a referendum have approved constitutional changes, the election commission said on Tuesday, in a move that could pave the way for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to stay in power until 2030. Voter turnout during the three-day referendum was 44.33 percent and 88.83 percent of those taking part approved the amendments while 11.17 percent voted no, the commission said. Sri Lanka wakes to emergency law after Easter bombing attacks

Sri Lankans woke to emergency law on Tuesday as authorities searched for those behind suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 290 people at the weekend, with the focus turning to militants with links to foreign groups. No group has yet to claim responsibility for Easter Sunday's attacks on three churches and four luxury hotels that also wounded about 500 people. Libyan forces push back Haftar's troops south of Tripoli: witnesses

Forces supporting Libya's internationally recognized government pushed back troops loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar to more than 60 km (37 miles) southwest of the capital, Tripoli, on Tuesday, Reuters reporters said. The town of Aziziya was fully under the control of the Tripoli forces, with shops reopening after days of fighting, a Reuters team at the scene said.