Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Hostages freed in Burkina Faso offer condolences for fallen French commandos

Hostages freed by French commandos from militants in Burkina Faso offered their condolences on Saturday to the families of the two French soldiers killed in the rescue operation. In a daring raid over the night of Thursday to Friday, French special forces liberated two Frenchmen kidnapped in neighboring Benin more than a week earlier as well as an American woman and a South Korean woman who were being held with them. UK's Labour vows to more than double youth minimum wage

A future Labour government would more than double the minimum wage in Britain for workers under the age of 18 to 10 pounds an hour, its leader said on Saturday, stepping up his campaign over the cost of living. Jeremy Corbyn told a party gathering that employers should not be allowed to exploit younger workers and vowed to bring the salaries of those under 18 in line with the broader workforce. Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes near Iraq's Sulaimaniya: USGS

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck near the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Local medics said no injuries were reported and officials said there was no significant material damage. USGS said the quake occurred 71 km southeast of the city at a depth of 10 km. Britain's May should set resignation date next week: senior lawmaker

British Prime Minister Theresa May should set a date for her departure next week when she meets leaders of an influential group of Conservative lawmakers to address her future, the group's chairman said on Saturday. Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, which can make or break party leaders, told BBC Radio that May had been asked to give "clarity" at next Wednesday's meeting after she failed to get her Brexit deal through parliament, leaving the government in a state of limbo. Malta rescues 85 migrants from sinking boat

A Maltese patrol boat rescued a group of 85 migrants late on Friday night and will bring them to Malta on Saturday morning, the Armed Forces said. The migrants, believed to be from North and Eastern Africa, were in a sinking wooden boat, the army said. Taliban fighters double as reporters to wage Afghan digital war

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's chief spokesman and editor-in-chief of the insurgent group's daily news bulletin, starts every day by collecting reports of overnight fighting with U.S. and Afghan forces. Mujahid says he gets his team of writers to cross-check facts shared by some of the hardline Islamist groups fighters, who double as reporters in the 34 provinces across the country. The writers prepare press statements in five languages and gather footage and photographs shot on smartphones. Yemen's Houthis begin withdrawal from Hodeidah ports in boost to peace deal

Yemen's Houthi movement on Saturday started withdrawing forces from Saleef port in Hodeidah under a U.N.-sponsored deal that had been stalled for months, a Reuters witness said, reviving hopes for peace efforts to end the four-year war. The move, which has yet to be verified by the U.N. and accepted by the Saudi-led coalition, is the first major step in implementing the pact reached last year by the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthis for a truce and troop withdrawal in Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis. ANC keeps power in South Africa but scandals cost it votes

The African National Congress retained control of South Africa's parliament but its share of the vote fell, a rebuke from voters fed up with corruption scandals and racial inequalities that remain entrenched a generation after the party took power. Provisional results on Saturday showed the ruling party secured 57.51% of the votes in Wednesday's general election. The main opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) picked up 20.76% and the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters garnered 10.79%, the Independent Electoral Commission said on its website. Islamic State claims 'province' in India for first time after clash in Kashmir

Islamic State (IS) claimed for the first time that it has established a "province" in India, after a clash between militants and security forces in the contested Kashmir region killed a militant with alleged ties to the group. IS's Amaq News Agency late on Friday announced the new province, that it called "Wilayah of Hind", in a statement that also claimed IS inflicted casualties on Indian army soldiers in the town of Amshipora in the Shopian district of Kashmir. Hong Kong legislators brawl over contentious extradition law

Scuffles broke out in Hong Kong's legislature on Saturday between pro-democracy lawmakers and those loyal to Beijing over an extradition law that will extend Beijing's powers over the financial hub. One person was taken to hospital.