Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Canada reaches agreement to compensate indigenous children taken from families

Canada announced on Tuesday two agreements totalling C$40 billion ($31.5 billion) to compensate First Nations children who were taken from their families and put into the child welfare system and to reform the system that removed them and deprived them of services they needed. The agreements include C$20 billion for potentially hundreds of thousands of First Nations children who were removed from their families, who did not get services or who experienced delays in receiving services. Another C$20 billion is to reform the system over the next five years.

North Korea fires apparent ballistic missile, Japan says

North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast on Wednesday, authorities in Japan said, while South Korea reported the launch of an unspecified projectile. The launch would be the first of the new year for nuclear-armed North Korea, and comes days after leader Kim Jong Un vowed to continue developing the military to counter an unstable international situation.

In snowy trenches, Ukrainian soldiers vow to stand firm against Russia

A soldier peers over the top of a wooden trench as snow falls thickly on the surrounding fields near the village of Krymske in eastern Ukraine. Inside the trench, another soldier stands in front of a small Christmas tree, with messages and drawings from well-wishers pinned on the wall behind him.

Kazakhstan declares state of emergency in protest-hit city, province

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has declared a two-week state of emergency in the Central Asian nation's biggest city Almaty and in the western Mangistau province where protests turned violent, his office said early on Wednesday. The move includes an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, movement restrictions, and a ban on mass gatherings, according to documents published on the president's website.

U.S. arrests suspect in Haiti presidential assassination, source says

U.S. authorities have arrested a Colombian man for his alleged involvement in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, an American law enforcement official told Reuters, adding that the man will make an initial court appearance on Tuesday. The arrest of the former military officer paves the way for the first criminal charges in the brazen murder, which triggered a political crisis in the Caribbean nation. Haitian authorities have arrested 45 people in connection with the crime but have not formally charged anyone.

France opens terrorism probe over rally team blast in Saudi

French prosecutors said on Tuesday they had opened a terrorism investigation into an explosion that went off under a French vehicle involved in the Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia. The blast, which seriously injured one of the rally competitors, hit a support vehicle belonging to the French team Sodicars soon after it left its hotel in the Saudi city of Jeddah for the race route, according to accounts from the team and race organisers.

Palestinian prisoner ends 141-day hunger strike -officials

A Palestinian prisoner on Tuesday ended a hunger strike that lasted nearly five months after Israel agreed not to extend his detention, his family and Palestinian officials said, although Israeli officials did not confirm a deal had been made.

Hisham Abu Hawash, 40, was arrested by Israel in October 2020 and began his hunger strike in protest of his detention without charge.

U.S. hopes to build on Iran nuclear talk progress this week

Nuclear deal talks with Iran in Vienna have shown modest progress and the United States hopes to build on that this week, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Tuesday amid efforts to revive a 2015 agreement. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its atomic activities but Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the deal in 2018, a year after he took office.

South African inquiry points to systemic corruption during Zuma era

A South African corruption inquiry pointed to systemic graft during former President Jacob Zuma's tenure in the first part of its report published on Tuesday, after more than three years of investigations involving more than 300 witnesses. The inquiry chaired by senior judge Raymond Zondo was established in 2018 to examine allegations of high-level graft during Zuma's nine years in power from 2009, after scandals and sleaze had overshadowed South Africa's politics for years.

U.S., Europeans warn Sudan's military against excluding civilians in transition

The United States, Norway, Britain and the EU warned Sudan's military on Tuesday that they would not support a new prime minister unless a broad range of civilians are involved, threatening to withhold economic aid. A credible government and parliament were necessary for the renewal of economic assistance, a statement by the so-called Troika countries and the EU said. They said they would look to accelerate efforts to hold those impeding the democratic process accountable if progress was not made.