Reuters World News Summary

The head of Russia's Wagner private army said the city, which has been blasted to ruins in Russia's more than seven month onslaught, was almost completely surrounded with only one road still open for Ukraine's troops. Families of Greece train crash victims grieve as protests grow Families and friends, dressed in black, clung to each other, in tears, as the coffin of a 34-year-old mother killed in Greece's deadliest train crash was lifted up the stairs of a church on Friday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia close to encircling Ukraine's Bakhmut after months of fighting

Russian troops and mercenaries rained artillery on the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, bringing Moscow closer to its first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war. The head of Russia's Wagner private army said the city, which has been blasted to ruins in Russia's more than seven month onslaught, was almost completely surrounded with only one road still open for Ukraine's troops.

Families of Greece train crash victims grieve as protests grow

Families and friends, dressed in black, clung to each other, in tears, as the coffin of a 34-year-old mother killed in Greece's deadliest train crash was lifted up the stairs of a church on Friday. The first known funeral after Tuesday night's accident, which killed at least 57, took place in the northern town of Katerini, as police said 52 bodies had so far been identified - almost all from DNA tests as the crash was so violent.

Canada will 'never tolerate' foreign interference, minister tells China

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told her Chinese counterpart that foreign interference will not be tolerated in Canada's internal affairs, amid calls for a broad public inquiry into China's alleged meddling in the past two elections. "Canada will never tolerate any form of foreign interference in our democracy and internal affairs by China," Joly told China's foreign minister, Qin Gang, in their first-ever meeting, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, according to a statement on Friday.

Cuba blasts U.S. for years of disregarding evidence on 'Havana Syndrome'

Cuba on Thursday blasted the United States for taking too long to accept evidence that the ailment "Havana Syndrome" was not likely caused by a foreign enemy, saying Washington ignored the science as a pretext for cutting off relations with the Communist-run island. A globe-spanning U.S. intelligence investigation declassified on Wednesday concluded it was "very unlikely" a foreign adversary was responsible for the mysterious sickness, first identified in the Cuban capital of Havana but which has afflicted U.S. diplomats and spies worldwide.

Fire at Indonesia's Pertamina fuel storage station kills 17

At least 17 people were killed when a fire broke out on Friday at a fuel storage station operated by Indonesia's state energy company Pertamina in the capital Jakarta, an official at the city's main firefighting unit said. The fire, which started after 8 p.m. local time (1300 GMT), burned some houses and sent nearby residents in the densely populated areas into a panic, some of whom fled with their belongings, footage from broadcasters showed.

Turkey's opposition alliance splits over election candidate

Turkey's right-wing IYI Party threw an opposition alliance against President Tayyip Erdogan into turmoil on Friday when it quit the bloc due to disagreement over who should run for president in landmark elections scheduled in two months. The public split, following months of simmering discord, came after Erdogan said this week the elections would go ahead on May 14 despite criticism of his government's response to last month's devastating earthquakes in southeast Turkey.

Holy oil for King Charles' coronation consecrated in Jerusalem

The sacred oil which will be used to anoint King Charles at his coronation in May has been consecrated in Jerusalem, reflecting the British monarch's links to the Holy Land, Buckingham Palace said on Friday. His Beatitude Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the city's Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum consecrated the Chrism oil in The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the palace said.

70 years after death, Stalin's polarising legacy looms large

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of Josef Stalin's death, attitudes to the Soviet Union's wartime leader remain mixed in the nations he once ruled with an iron fist. During three decades of dictatorial rule, Stalin oversaw rapid industrialisation and victory over the Nazis but also the deaths of millions in purges, Gulag labour camps and famine.

Under the radar, Germany trains Ukrainians on advanced air defence weapon

In a remote German wood away from prying eyes, around 40 Ukrainians are taking a crash course on one of the West's most advanced air defence systems, already confident it will enable them to better ward off Russian strikes once they return home. Boasting a range of some 40 kilometres (25 miles) and a 360 degree view, the IRIS-T SLM system is one of the most coveted of the weapons that Berlin has supplied to Kyiv.

Portuguese Church struggles to adopt concrete measures to tackle child sexual abuse

Portugal's Catholic Church announced a handful of steps on Friday to tackle child sexual abuse within the Church - but it said suspected priests still in active roles would not be suspended unless the facts against them were clearly established. The head of Portugal's Bishops' Conference (CEP), Jose Ornelas, also said that the Church would not pay reparations to victims.

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