Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russian air strikes focus on Ukrainian military industry for now - Kyiv

Russia has focused its recent air attacks on the Ukrainian military-industrial complex although the threat to energy facilities remains high, a senior military spy official was quoted as saying on Monday by the RBC-Ukraine news site. Ukrainian officials have warned for months that Russia may target its energy system with missile and drone strikes for a second winter. Last year air strikes heavily damaged power facilities, causing blackouts for millions.

Dangerously cold temps continue across US as 2024 presidential race begins in Iowa

Much of the United States remained gripped by an Arctic blast on Monday, cutting power to tens of thousands of customers in northern states and Texas and potentially dampening turnout in Iowa, where voters will cast the first ballots for a Republican candidate in November's presidential race. The dangerously frigid weather is expected to linger throughout the day, hitting the Midwest hardest but also sending snow and freezing rain across the Southern and Mid-Atlantic states, the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) said in a Monday bulletin.

North Korea's Kim calls for change in status of South, warns of war

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday called for a constitutional amendment to change the status of South Korea as a separate state and warned that while his country doesn't seek war, it didn't intend to avoid it, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday. Kim said it was his final conclusion that unification with the South is no longer possible in a speech at the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, while accusing Seoul of seeking regime collapse and unification by absorption.

Iran's Guards attack Israel's 'espionage centers' in Iraq, state media says

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they attacked the "espionage headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported late on Monday, while the elite force said they also struck in Syria against the Islamic State. "Ballistic missiles were used to destroy espionage centers and gatherings of anti-Iranian terrorist groups in the region late tonight," Iran's Guards said in a statement, naming Israel's Mossad spy agency.

Yemen's Houthis threaten to hit US ships as more tankers steer clear

Yemen's Houthi movement will expand its targets in the Red Sea region to include U.S. ships, an official from the Iran-allied group said on Monday, as it vowed to keep up attacks after U.S. and British strikes on its sites in Yemen. Attacks by the Houthis on ships in area since November have impacted companies and alarmed major powers in an escalation of Israel's more than three-month war with Hamas militants in Gaza. The group says it is acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

Ukraine ground commander says his troops, now on 'active defence', can still surprise

His demeanour is dispassionate and his message is clear: Ukraine's ground forces are focused first and foremost on defence along the eastern stretch of the 1,000-km (600-mile) front under his command. They should not be counted out, however, as an offensive force.

Moldova can't cope with increase in citizenship requests from Russians

Authorities in ex-Soviet Moldova said on Monday they were having difficulty coping with a steep increase in applications to grant citizenship to nationals of wartime Russia. "In view of a surge in requests for Moldovan citizenship, the agency is asking the government to extend the time limit for examining applications to six months," instead of the current term of 20 days, said a government agency which, among other things, deals with citizenship and passports.

Hamas appears to show dead bodies of two hostages after warning Israel

Hamas appeared to show the dead bodies of two Israeli hostages on Monday after warning Israel they might be killed if it did not stop its bombardment of Gaza. A new video released by the Palestinian militant group purportedly showed the bodies of Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itai Svirsky, 38, who had appeared in an initial video on Sunday.

More oil tankers shun southern Red Sea after US-led strikes in Yemen

At least six more oil tankers were steering clear of the southern Red Sea on Monday, as disruptions increase on the vital route for energy shipping in the wake of U.S.-led strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Following the U.S. and British strikes, the U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) based in Bahrain on Friday warned all ships to avoid the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the south end of the Red Sea for several days, tanker body INTERTANKO said.

Dozens of prisoners escape Ecuador jail amid continued military operations

Forty-three prisoners remain at large after escaping a prison in northern Ecuador, the SNAI prisons agency said on Monday, as security forces continued operations throughout the country. President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency last week, including a nighttime curfew, and designated 22 criminal groups as terrorists.

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