Reuters World News Summary

Freeland, who has stressed her feminist credentials since becoming Canada's first female finance minister last August, said Ottawa wanted to bring the average daily fee for regulated childcare down to C$10 within five years and halve costs by the end of next year. Czechs say Russian retaliation stronger than expected, seeks EU solidarity The Czech Republic said on Monday Russia's eviction of 20 Czech embassy employees in response to Prague's expulsion of 18 Russian staff was a stronger than expected reaction and the government would consider further steps.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Israel's Netanyahu loses vote on key parliamentary committee

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost an important vote on Monday over who gets to join a powerful committee in parliament, dealing him a setback as he tries to form a new government following an inconclusive election. Netanyahu has about two more weeks to try bring together a ruling coalition. Defeat in the vote indicated the veteran leader still has some way to go to secure a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

U.S. warns airlines on flights near Ukraine-Russian border

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday urged airlines to exercise "extreme caution" when flying near the Ukraine-Russian border, citing potential flight safety risks. In a notice to U.S. carriers on Saturday, the U.S. agency noted "escalating regional tensions between Russia and Ukraine, which could potentially result in no-notice cross-border skirmishes, increased military activities and/or conflict."

Rwanda says France bears responsibility for enabling 1994 genocide

France was aware that a genocide was being prepared in Rwanda ahead of the 1994 killings and the French government bore a significant responsibility for enabling it, the Rwandan government said in a report published on Monday. Between April and July of 1994, some 800,000 people were slaughtered, mainly from the ethnic Tutsi minority but also some Hutus.

Germany's Laschet wins clear CDU backing to run as chancellor candidate

Armin Laschet, leader of Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU), won the backing of senior party members at an internal meeting to run as the conservative candidate to succeed Angela Merkel at a September federal election, party sources said on Tuesday. With Chancellor Merkel stepping down after the election, pressure is mounting on the conservatives to agree on a candidate as its ratings wallow near a one-year low, hurt by the chaotic handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chad's Deby wins sixth term as army fends off rebel advance

Chad's veteran president, Idriss Deby, has won a sixth term, provisional election results showed on Monday, as the army said it had beaten back a column of insurgents advancing on the capital, N'Djamena. The 68-year-old Deby, who came to power in a rebellion in 1990, took 79.3% of the vote in the April 11 election, which was boycotted by top opposition leaders.

Canada to put up C$30 billion for long-awaited national childcare program

Canada will invest up to C$30 billion ($23.9 billion) over five years to set up a long-promised national childcare program and help female employment recover from harm done by the COVID-19 pandemic, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Monday. Freeland, who has stressed her feminist credentials since becoming Canada's first female finance minister last August, said Ottawa wanted to bring the average daily fee for regulated childcare down to C$10 within five years and halve costs by the end of next year.

Czechs say Russian retaliation stronger than expected, seeks EU solidarity

The Czech Republic said on Monday Russia's eviction of 20 Czech embassy employees in response to Prague's expulsion of 18 Russian staff was a stronger than expected reaction and the government would consider further steps. Prague expelled the Russian diplomats on Saturday, saying it suspected that Russian intelligence had been involved in explosions at an ammunition depot in October and December 2014.

Australia-New Zealand travel bubble launches with lopsided demand

A testing and quarantine free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand launched with lopsided demand, according to airlines and data firms, with an unusually high number of the travellers departing from Australia. The initial results from Asia's first restriction-free travel bubble since the pandemic hit, which opened on Monday, showed that travel patterns can depart from their norms after such a long closure and may take time to return to normal.

Pandemic drives traditional burning of Swiss snowman into Alps

The coronavirus pandemic saw a traditional Swiss annual rite of spring, the burning of the Boeoegg snowman, moved to the remote Devil's Bridge in central Switzerland on Monday to deter crowds, the first time it has taken place outside Zurich. Made of wadding and filled with firecrackers, the Boeoegg's fiery end is supposed to signal how much longer winter will last. The faster its head explodes, the sooner spring will arrive.

Raul Castro retires but Cuban Communist Party emphasizes continuity

Cuba turned the page on the Castro era on Monday with the ruling Communist Party electing President Miguel Diaz-Canel to replace Raul Castro as party chief although he said he would continue to consult his predecessor on strategic decisions. The succession marks the end of six decades of rule by brothers Fidel and Raul Castro, who led a 1959 revolution in the Caribbean island nation of 11 million, installing a Communist-run country on the doorstep of the United States.