Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Houthis offer for redeployment is inaccurate and misleading: Yemeni minister

The Yemeni information minister, Moammar al-Eryani, said on Twitter that the Houthi offer for redeployment from the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Isa is inaccurate and misleading. Al-Eryani added that any unilateral withdraw that does not allow for joint monitoring and verification is unacceptable. Exclusive: Eyeing Iran, U.S. sending more Patriot missiles to Middle East

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has approved a new deployment of Patriot missiles to the Middle East, a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday, in the latest U.S. response to what Washington sees as a growing threat from Iran. The decision further bolsters U.S. defenses and comes after the Trump administration expedited the deployment of a carrier strike group and sent bombers to the Middle East following what it said were troubling indications of possible preparations for an attack by Iran. Amid Maduro crackdown, Venezuela legislators denounce intimidation

Venezuelan opposition legislators on Friday said threatening messages had been spraypainted on their homes or intelligence agents have been following them, amid a broad crackdown by the government of President Nicolas Maduro against congress. The country's top court this week accused 10 legislators in the opposition-run congress of treason for participating in a failed April uprising against Maduro's government, and security forces on Wednesday arrested the second-highest ranking legislator, Edgar Zambrano. U.S. warns merchant ships of possible Iranian attacks; cleric threatens U.S. fleet

Iran could target U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers, the U.S. Maritime Administration said on Friday, as a senior Iranian cleric said a U.S. Navy fleet could be "destroyed with one missile." In the latest tense exchange between Tehran and Washington, Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards separately said Iran would not negotiate with the United States, a stance that seemed partly aimed at discouraging Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his moderate allies from taking up a U.S. offer of talks. Israeli troops kill Palestinian at Gaza border protest -medics

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian on Friday during weekly protests along the border with Israel, Gaza health officials said. In addition to the 24-year-old male fatality, 30 other people were wounded by live gunfire during the protest, in which thousands participated, they said. Venezuela reopens borders with Brazil and Aruba, official says

Venezuela is reopening its borders with Brazil and the Caribbean island of Aruba, Venezuela's Economy Vice President Tareck El Aissami said on Friday, though Aruba's government said it did not consider a re-opening "opportune." The government of President Nicolas Maduro shut those borders in February amid an opposition campaign to bring humanitarian aid into the country, which is suffering from a hyperinflationary economic collapse amid a power struggle between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido. U.N. says Houthis to redeploy from Yemen ports

Yemen's Houthi group agreed on Friday to unilaterally redeploy forces out of three key ports between May 11 and May 14, a U.N. statement said, a move needed to pave the way for political negotiations to end Yemen's four-year war. The statement from the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) said the Houthis would make an "initial unilateral redeployment" from the ports of Saleef, which is used for grain, and Ras Isa, used for oil, as well as the major port of Hodeidah Lebanese government to tighten soldiers' eligibility for frontline benefits

The Lebanese government said on Friday that only soldiers serving at the frontline with Israel would benefit from a financial incentive that was designed for frontline troops but has been widely applied. A demand for the strict application of the "Measure 3" scheme was included in a tough draft budget that has triggered strikes and protests in recent weeks, including by retired soldiers. French military frees hostages in Burkina Faso, two commandos killed

French commandos rescued four foreign hostages including two French citizens from a militant group in Burkina Faso, France's military said on Friday, adding that two of the elite soldiers were killed in the night-time operation. French special forces carried out the raid under cover of dark over the night of Thursday-Friday, supported by U.S. intelligence and troops from France's Barkhane operation deployed in the Sahel region to counter Islamist militants. Cuba to ration more products due to economic crisis, U.S. sanctions

Communist-run Cuba said on Friday it would control more the sales of certain foodstuff and hygiene products, including adding some back to the ration card, due to shortages that it blamed partly on the tightening of the U.S. trade embargo. Shop shelves on the Caribbean's largest island have been increasingly empty of late with scarcity of basic products such as eggs, flour and chicken, and massive, hours-long queues for them whenever they come into stock.