Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

North Korea boasts of satellite capability, says it will launch more soon

North Korea is determined to launch more spy satellites in the near future to collect information on the military activities of its enemies, a commentary carried by state news agency KCNA said on Saturday. The satellites will be modeled after the Malligyong-1 satellite that Pyongyang launched in November, which governments in the United States, South Korea and Japan said violated U.N. Security Council resolutions.

US sanctions dozens of people worldwide over human rights abuses

The United States on Friday slapped sanctions on dozens of people over human rights abuses, including Iranian officers it accused of being involved in the targeting of U.S. officials, ahead of Human Rights Day on Sunday. The U.S. Treasury and State Departments imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on 37 people in 13 countries, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, in actions coordinated with Britain and Canada.

Exclusive-Biden administration presses Congress to approve tank shells for Israel's war in Gaza

The Biden administration has asked Congress to approve the sale of 45,000 shells for Israel's Merkava tanks for use in its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, according to a U.S. official and a former U.S. official. The request is being made even as concerns grow about the use of U.S. weapons in a war that has killed thousands of civilians in the Palestinian enclave since Israel responded to an attack on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants.

Navalny aides voice fears for his health after prison faint

Aides to jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said on Friday they were seriously worried about his health and had been unable to contact him for three days. Navalny, 47, is imprisoned in a penal colony east of Moscow and has been sentenced to a total of more 30 years on what he says are trumped-up charges to silence his criticism of President Vladimir Putin.

Cuba publishes list of accused terrorists, including Miami mayoral candidate

Cuba published late on Thursday a list of foreign nationals and entities it accuses of involvement with terrorism, including influencers, many long-time dissidents who reside in the United States and a candidate for mayor of Florida's Miami-Dade County. The list, which identifies 61 people and 20 entities for alleged involvement in promoting or planning "acts of terrorism," comes just days after an annual U.S. government report said Cuba "grants safe harbor to terrorists," charges that Havana denies.

Six French teenagers convicted in connection with 2020 beheading of teacher Paty

A French court on Friday convicted six teenagers in connection with the 2020 beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty, whose murder shocked the country. The teacher had shown his pupils caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in a class on freedom of expression, angering some Muslim parents. Most Muslims avoid depictions of prophets, considering them to be blasphemous.

COP28 considers end to fossil fuels in move opposed by OPEC

OPEC is rallying its members and oil producing allies to veto a proposed deal to phase out fossil fuels at the COP28 climate summit, highlighting deep divisions over the future of oil and gas. At least 80 countries are demanding a COP28 deal that calls for an eventual end to fossil fuel use, as scientists urge ambitious action to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Gaza fighting intensifies, US vetoes Security Council demand for ceasefire

The United States kept up pressure on Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians during a fierce offensive against Hamas militants across Gaza, even as Washington vetoed a U.N. Security Council demand for an immediate ceasefire. Fighting escalated and the Palestinian death toll rose on Friday, with Israel pounding the enclave from north to south in an expanded phase of the two-month-old war against the Islamist group Hamas.

Israeli images showing Palestinian detainees in underwear spark outrage

Palestinian, Arab and Muslim officials condemned Israel on Friday after images of detained Palestinian men stripped to their underwear in Gaza circulated on social media. Senior official of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group, Izzat El-Reshiq, accused Israel of "carrying a "heinous crime against innocent civilians."

World should make immediate Gaza ceasefire a priority - regional foreign ministers

There must be an immediate end to the fighting in Gaza but governments worldwide do not seem to see it as a priority, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Friday in Washington, adding that there must also be a credible roadmap to establish a Palestinian state. At a joint press conference before meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a group of foreign ministers refused to discuss in detail the future of Gaza, saying the focus should remain on stopping the fighting immediately in the Palestinian enclave between Hamas militants and the Israeli military.

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