Reuters World News Summary

In an article published at the start of his visit to Moscow - the first by a world leader since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian President Vladimir Putin - Xi also called for "pragmatism" on Ukraine. France's Macron faces another test with no-confidence vote on pension reform Monday President Emanuel Macron faces a critical moment on Monday when the French National Assembly is due to vote on no-confidence motions filed after his government bypassed parliament on Thursday to push through an unpopular rise in the state pension age.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

North Korea's Kim calls for nuclear attack readiness against US, South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for the country to stand ready to conduct nuclear attacks at any time to deter war, accusing the U.S. and South Korea of expanding joint military drills involving American nuclear assets, state media KCNA said on Monday. Kim's remarks came as the isolated country conducted what KCNA called exercises aimed at bolstering its "war deterrence and nuclear counterattack capability" on Saturday and Sunday to send strong warnings against the allies.

Gunman captured after attack on Israeli couple in West Bank town

A Palestinian gunman opened fire on Sunday on an Israeli couple in their car, wounding the man, in a West Bank town where a similar shooting last month prompted Israeli settlers to go on a violent rampage. Israeli officials said the wounded Israeli, who also has U.S. citizenship, and soldiers at the scene returned fire, wounding the gunman, who was pursued by troops and captured.

Putin to welcome China's Xi to Moscow at critical moment

Three days after being accused by an international tribunal of war crimes in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be looking more than ever for a show of solidarity from his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping when he welcomes him to Moscow on Monday. Xi will be the first world leader to shake Putin's hand since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader on Friday over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia since the start of the war.

Biden tells Netanyahu he backs compromise on Israel judicial overhaul

U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that democratic values were a hallmark of U.S.-Israeli ties and said he supported finding a compromise over a highly-contested judicial overhaul. Netanyahu, according to his office, assured Biden that Israel's democracy was healthy.

On eve of Xi visit, Putin welcomes Chinese role in Ukraine crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed China's willingness to play a "constructive role" in solving the Ukraine crisis, in an article released on Sunday, the eve of a visit by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. In what the Kremlin said was an article written for a Chinese newspaper, Putin called Xi his "good old friend" and said Russia had high hopes for his visit, the Chinese leader's first to Russia since Putin launched his "special military operation" last year.

Colombian president suspends ceasefire with criminal group

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Sunday said he had suspended a ceasefire with the Clan del Golfo, the country's largest criminal organization, because it had attacked police. "I have ordered the armed forces to reactivate all military operations against the Clan del Golfo," Petro said in a tweet. "We will not allow them to continue sowing anxiety and terror in the communities."

Ecuador, Peru authorities assess damage after earthquake that killed at least 15

Ecuadorian and Peruvian authorities worked on Sunday to assess the damage caused by the previous day's strong earthquake that shook the region, leaving at least 15 dead and hundreds injured. The 6.8 magnitude quake struck the Ecuadorian coastal province of Guayas at midday on Saturday, with residents reporting shaking in much of the country as well as in Peru's northern border towns.

Xi: China's proposal on Ukraine reflects unity of global views

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that Beijing's proposal on how to solve the Ukraine crisis reflects global views and seeks to neutralise consequences, but acknowledged that the solutions are not easy. In an article published at the start of his visit to Moscow - the first by a world leader since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian President Vladimir Putin - Xi also called for "pragmatism" on Ukraine.

France's Macron faces another test with no-confidence vote on pension reform Monday

President Emanuel Macron faces a critical moment on Monday when the French National Assembly is due to vote on no-confidence motions filed after his government bypassed parliament on Thursday to push through an unpopular rise in the state pension age. The move, which followed weeks of protests against the pension overhaul, triggered three nights of unrest and demonstrations in Paris and throughout the country, with hundreds of people arrested, reminiscent of the Yellow Vest protests that erupted in late 2018 over high fuel prices.

Montenegro President Milo Djukanovic headed for run-off election

Montenegro's veteran president, Milo Djukanovic, will face a run-off on April 2 against a pro-Western former economy minister, after no candidate secured a 50% majority in a first- round election on Sunday, according to a projection based on 99.7% of the vote sample. The Center for Monitoring and Research polling group (CEMI) projected Djukanovic would end up with the most votes, with 35.3%, based on results tabulated from a statistical sample of votes cast.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)