Reuters World News Summary

The attack was carried out in a university gymnasium in Marawi, a city in the south of the country besieged by Islamist militants for five months in 2017. Israel says ground forces operating across Gaza Strip as offensive builds The Israeli military said its ground forces were operating against Hamas across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, its clearest indication yet that a planned ground offensive in the enclave's heavily crowded south had begun as Israeli bombing killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Multiple commercial vessels attacked in Red Sea

Three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea, the U.S. military said Sunday, as Yemen's Houthi group claimed drone and missile attacks on two Israeli vessels in the area. The Carney, an American destroyer, responded to distress calls and provided assistance following missile and drone launches from Houthi-controlled territory, according to U.S. Central Command.

In boost for Modi, BJP sweeps polls in three Indian states

India's ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday won regional votes in three out of four major states, in a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of a national election due by May. The central states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the southern state of Telangana, voted last month in the last set of provincial elections before the national poll, in which Modi will seek a third term.

Far-right parties eye gains in next year's EU parliament elections

European far-right parties met in Italy on Sunday vowing to reshape the European Union after next year's European Parliament elections, toughening the bloc's approach on immigration and softening its climate policies to protect jobs and industry. Parties from around a dozen countries gathered in Florence, galvanised by last month's general elections in the Netherlands, which handed a surprise win to Geert Wilders' anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV).

Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly Philippine bombing

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing at a Catholic Mass in the Philippines on Sunday that killed at least four people and injured 50 others. The attack was carried out in a university gymnasium in Marawi, a city in the south of the country besieged by Islamist militants for five months in 2017.

Israel says ground forces operating across Gaza Strip as offensive builds

The Israeli military said its ground forces were operating against Hamas across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, its clearest indication yet that a planned ground offensive in the enclave's heavily crowded south had begun as Israeli bombing killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians. The Hamas Palestinian militant group said its fighters clashed with Israeli troops about 2 km (1 mile) from the southern city of Khan Younis. Residents, many of whom had moved there to flee earlier attacks in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, said they could hear tank fire and feared a new Israeli ground offensive was building.

Wounded and dead overwhelm southern Gaza hospital on third day of renewed war

In southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital, a young man cradled the lifeless body of his brother then reached out to try to grab a medic running past him in the corridor. "My brother!", the man yelled out, crying and slapping the floor as others crowded around him seeking treatment for their wounded and mourning their loved ones on Sunday, the third day of renewed warfare and Israeli bombardment.

Knifeman kills German tourist, wounds others near France's Eiffel Tower

A man armed with a knife and a hammer killed a German tourist and left two people, including a British man, wounded near the Eiffel Tower in Paris late on Saturday in what President Emmanuel Macron called "a terrorist attack". A 26-year-old suspect, a French national arrested after the attack, had pledged allegiance to Islamic State in a video recorded beforehand, anti-terrorism Prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said on Sunday.

Venezuelans vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana

Venezuelans are voting on Sunday in a referendum backed by President Nicolas Maduro's government over a potentially oil-rich territory that is the subject of a long-running border dispute with Guyana. The five-question referendum includes a question rejecting International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction to decide to which country the territory around the Esequibo river belongs. Some political and security analysts have called the referendum a show of strength by Maduro and a test of support for his government ahead of a planned 2024 presidential election.

Kyiv accuses Russian forces of shooting surrendering Ukrainian soldiers

Kyiv officials accused Moscow of committing a war crime after a grainy video on social media appeared to show several soldiers shooting two surrendering military personnel who emerged from a dugout at gunpoint. The unverified video shows one soldier coming out of a foxhole on the battlefield with his hands up and then lying on the ground. A second soldier stumbles out and also lies down. The Russian troops then appear to open fire and the video ends.

What to watch at COP28 on Monday

Monday is finance day at COP28, which means more funding is likely to be announced for the climate cause. If that sounds familiar, that is because world leaders and the private sector have spent much of the first few days of this year's U.N. climate summit talking about boosting finance for climate action and disaster support.

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