Reuters World News Summary

At a summit designed to rebuild ties, French President Emmanuel Macron greeted British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with smiles and mutual back-slapping before they agreed to work more closely together. German police storm Karlsruhe pharmacy, arrest suspected hostage-taker German police said on Friday it had arrested a male suspect after a special unit stormed a pharmacy in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe where multiple people had been held hostage for hours.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to resume ties in talks brokered by China

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to re-establish relations after years of hostility that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria. The deal, brokered by China, was announced after four days of previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between top security officials from the two rival Middle East powers.

Georgia's parliament drops 'foreign agents' bill

Georgia's parliament on Friday dropped plans for a "foreign agents" bill that had triggered a political crisis and threatened to harm the country's bid for closer ties with Europe. Lawmakers voted against the legislation in the second reading on Friday after the ruling Georgian Dream party pulled its support for the bill following three nights of protests in the capital Tbilisi.

Ukraine says Bakhmut battle is grinding down Russia's best units

Ukraine has decided to fight on in the ruined city of Bakhmut because the battle is pinning down Russia's best units and degrading them ahead of a planned Ukrainian spring counter-offensive, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. The comments by Mykhailo Podolyak were the latest signal of a shift by Kyiv this week to continue the defence of the small eastern city, site of the war's bloodiest battle, as Moscow tries to secure its first major victory in more than half a year.

Exclusive-Colombia's Amazon reserves suffer staffing delays, risking environmental damage

Protected areas in Colombia's Amazon region are at risk of increased damage because of lengthy staffing delays as the government has yet to renew contracts with national parks staff this year, according to government data and interviews with officials, would-be employees and environmental advocates. Reuters spoke to 11 people who reported contract delays for would-be workers at nine reserves in the Amazon region, including Chiribiquete, which spans an area more than twice the size of Wales and is home to several Indigenous communities.

Five men arrested in Mexico over killings of Americans

Five purported Mexican drug cartel members have been arrested over the recent kidnapping and killing of Americans in the border state of Tamaulipas, authorities said on Friday. Two Americans and a Mexican woman died after gunmen opened fire in broad daylight on a group of four U.S. citizens soon after they had driven into the city of Matamoros from Texas on March 3. All four Americans were subsequently abducted. By the time officials found the Americans on Monday, two were dead.

France, Britain strike migration deal paving way for new entente

Britain will pay France around 480 million pounds ($577 million) over three years to try to stop migrants travelling in small boats across the Channel as the two allies on Friday took a major step to end years of bickering in the post-Brexit era. At a summit designed to rebuild ties, French President Emmanuel Macron greeted British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with smiles and mutual back-slapping before they agreed to work more closely together.

German police storm Karlsruhe pharmacy, arrest suspected hostage-taker

German police said on Friday it had arrested a male suspect after a special unit stormed a pharmacy in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe where multiple people had been held hostage for hours. A number of explosions were heard when officers in tactical gear entered the pharmacy in the city centre after first arriving on the scene at around 4:30 p.m.

French-UK leaders' changing tone: From 'Donnez-moi un break' to texting about football

As British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged rugby shirts at the Elysee palace on Friday, it was in sharp contrast in tone to years of acrimony between London and Paris. The two leaders, both former investment bankers, had even exchanged friendly text messages when France knocked England out of the football World Cup in December, Sunak told Le Figaro newspaper, in a further sign of what British media have called "Le Bromance".

Analysis-China role in Saudi, Iran deal a tricky test for US

The surprise deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic ties offers much for the United States to be intrigued about, including a possible path to rein in Tehran's nuclear program and a chance to cement a ceasefire in Yemen. It also contains an element sure to make officials in Washington deeply uneasy - the role of China as peace broker in a region where the U.S. has long wielded influence.

Ukraine orders Russian-aligned Orthodox church to leave Kyiv monastery

Ukrainian officials on Friday ordered a historically Russian-aligned wing of the Orthodox Church to leave a monastery complex in Kyiv where it is based, the latest move against a denomination regarded with deep suspicion by the government. Kyiv is cracking down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) - which accepted the authority of the patriarch of Moscow until after Russia launched its full-scale invasion last year - on grounds that it is pro-Russian and collaborating with Moscow. The Moscow patriarch, Kirill, has strongly backed the invasion.