Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Irish government 'walloped' by referendum defeats

Irish voters have rejected proposals to replace constitutional references to the makeup of a family and a mother's "duties in the home" in a significant defeat for the government. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar had pitched the vote, held on Friday to coincide with International Women's Day and counted on Saturday, as a chance to delete some "very old-fashioned, very sexist language about women".

Pope says Ukraine should have 'courage of the white flag' of negotiations

Pope Francis has said in an interview that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the "white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago and that has killed tens of thousands. Francis made his comments in an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, well before Friday's latest offer by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war.

Polish government pledges grain surplus cut, farmers press on with protests

Poland's prime minister pledged to reduce a grain surplus on the domestic market at talks with farmers on Saturday, a government official said, but union leaders said they were pressing on with weeks of protests. Prime Minister Donald Tusk held three hours of talks in Warsaw with the farmers, who are demanding a halt to cheap imports and to environmental regulations they say harm their livelihoods.

Pakistan's former President Zardari wins another term

Pakistan's former President Asif Ali Zardari won a second term on Saturday, supported by the ruling coalition in a vote by parliament and regional assemblies, the election presiding officer said. The role of president is largely ceremonial in Pakistan but Zardari is known as a master of reconciliation and could help the governing coalition partners reach a consensus to steer the broken economy on a stabilisation path ahead of seeking a new IMF bailout.

Venezuela arrests close ally of opposition leader Machado

Venezuela's attorney general on Saturday announced the arrest of a regional campaign leader for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, citing alleged conspiracy, among other crimes. Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused Emill Brandt Ulloa of taking part in violent demonstrations against the government in January, adding he will be prosecuted in an anti-terrorism court in Caracas.

Sudan's RSF paramilitaries welcome UN call for cessation of hostilities in Ramadan

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group on Saturday welcomed a call by the United Nations Security Council for a cessation of hostilities in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, offering a potential respite from the 11-month-old conflict. Ramadan is expected to start on Sunday evening.

Charity loads food aid on to barge in Cyprus headed for Gaza

By Yiannis Kourtoglou and Stamos Prousalis LARNACA, Cyprus, March 9 (Reuters) - Charity workers loaded relief supplies bound for Gaza on to a barge in Cyprus on Saturday as part of an international effort to launch a maritime corridor to a Palestinian population on the brink of famine.

Heavy gunfire near Haiti's National Palace in Port-au-Prince

Heavy gunfire was seen on Friday near Haiti's national palace in its capital of Port-au-Prince, according to reports by news agency EFE, in the midst of political turmoil sparked by Prime Minister Ariel Henry's absence. Haiti entered a state of emergency last Sunday after fighting escalated, armed gangs broke inmates out of prison , and an estimated over ten thousand people were displaced while Henry was in Kenya seeking a deal for an international force to fight Haiti's gangs.

Gaza talks mediators pushing to secure truce, Israel says

Efforts to secure a deal on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza are ongoing, Israel's intelligence agency Mossad said on Saturday, despite dimming hopes for a truce during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Mossad chief David Barnea met on Friday with his U.S. counterpart, CIA Director William Burns, to promote a deal that would see hostages released, Mossad said in a statement distributed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

UNRWA chief 'cautiously optimistic' some donors will resume funding soon

The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said he was cautiously optimistic some donors would start funding it again within weeks, warning it was "at risk of death" after Israel alleged some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. An independent review of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been launched under French former foreign minister Catherine Colonna, and her final report is expected to be published next month.

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