Reuters World News Summary

The bill follows a Supreme Court ruling last month that said people could claim extreme intoxication as a defence. WikiLeaks' founder Assange vows to fight extradition from UK to United States The wife of Julian Assange vowed to fight using every possible legal avenue after British Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday approved the WikiLeaks' founder's extradition to the United States to face criminal charges.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Exam confirms remains found in Amazon were of British journalist

A forensic exam carried out on human remains found in the Amazon rainforest confirmed on Friday that they belonged to British journalist Dom Phillips, Brazil's federal police said. Work was underway to determine the cause of death, the police said in a statement.

Canada seeks to prosecute some extremely intoxicated people who harm others

Canada's federal government introduced a bill on Friday to hold some people criminally responsible if they harm someone else while extremely intoxicated. A person could be held criminally responsible if the self-induced extreme intoxication was criminally negligent. The bill follows a Supreme Court ruling last month that said people could claim extreme intoxication as a defence.

WikiLeaks' founder Assange vows to fight extradition from UK to United States

The wife of Julian Assange vowed to fight using every possible legal avenue after British Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday approved the WikiLeaks' founder's extradition to the United States to face criminal charges. Assange is wanted by U.S. authorities on 18 counts, including a spying charge, relating to WikiLeaks' release of vast troves of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables which Washington said had put lives in danger.

Putin asserts strong, sovereign Russia against sanctions 'blitzkrieg'

President Vladimir Putin asserted Russia's strength and resilience on Friday against a Western world that he accused of colonial arrogance and trying to crush his country with an economic "blitzkrieg" of sanctions. Addressing the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a showcase event being held this year with almost no Western participation, he returned time and again to the theme of Russia's sovereignty in a new global order:

Biden defends meeting with Saudi prince, says talks part of broader meeting

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday he was not traveling to Saudi Arabia's explicitly to meet de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman during a trip next month and said he was seeing the Saudi crown prince as part of a broader "international meeting." Biden's plans to see the crown prince, known as MBS, are part of his first trip to the Gulf region as president. He has been criticized by U.S. lawmaker, including some from his own Democratic party and human rights advocates, who say the visit is at odds with his promise to put human rights at the heart of U.S. foreign policy.

U.S. drone sale to Ukraine hits snag - sources

The Biden administration's plan to sell four large, armable drones to Ukraine has been paused on the fear its sophisticated surveillance equipment might fall into enemy hands, according to two people familiar with the matter. The technical objection to the sale was raised during a deeper review by the Pentagon's Defense Technology Security Administration charged with keeping high value technology safe from enemy hands. Previously the plan, which has been circulating since March, had been approved by the White House, three people said.

EU backs Ukraine's membership bid to 'live the European dream'

The European Union gave its blessing on Friday for Ukraine and its neighbour Moldova to become candidates to join the bloc, reaching out deep into the former Soviet Union for what would be a major geopolitical shift following Russia's Ukraine invasion. "Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference, wearing Ukrainian colours: a yellow blazer over a blue blouse. "We want them to live with us the European dream."

Peruvian prosecutors question Castillo over alleged corruption

Prosecutors questioned Peruvian President Pedro Castillo for about three hours on Friday in a closed-door session, part of an investigation into alleged corruption by officials in his government. The interrogation came despite a request by Castillo's lawyers to annul the investigation, arguing that sitting presidents have legal immunity during their five-year term under the South American country's constitution.

Treasury's Adeyemo sees elevated cyber threats in wake of Russia's war in Ukraine

U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo warned bankers about elevated cyber threats in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and underscored the department's commitment to sharing real-time intelligence, Treasury said on Friday. Adeyemo told members of the Bank Policy Institute's technology policy division that it was important for the federal government and financial institutions to work together to share information and stay ahead of "committed adversaries," it said.

'I couldn't be party to potential law-breaking' - Boris Johnson's former ethics adviser explains resignation

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former ethics adviser said on Friday he resigned his post because he "could not be a party to advising on any potential law-breaking". In a letter published by Sky News, Christopher Geidt, the second ethics adviser to quit under Johnson in two years, said he wanted to clear up the "confusion" about the precise cause of his decision, which the British prime minister said was connected to advice on trade tariffs.