Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

'The Boy and the Heron' wins best animated feature film Oscar

By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES, March 10 (Reuters) - Hayao Miyazaki won his second Oscar on Sunday for his semi-autobiographical Japanese animated feature film "The Boy and the Heron," a fantasy tale about a boy grieving his dead mother.

Netanyahu says at least 13,000 'terrorists' among Palestinians killed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that at least 13,000 "terrorists" were among Palestinians killed during Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and vowed to press ahead with an offensive in the south of the enclave - a move U.S. President Joe Biden has described as his "red line." Nearly 31,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the five month long war, that began after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Ukraine rebuffs Pope Francis calling for talks with Russia

Ukraine on Sunday rebuffed Pope Francis's call to negotiate an end to the war with Russia, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying the pontiff was engaging in "virtual mediation" and his foreign minister saying Kyiv would never capitulate. Francis said that when things were going badly for a party to a conflict one had to show the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate. The pope's interview was believed to be the first time Francis has used terms like "white flag" or "defeated" in discussing the Ukraine war, though he has referred in the past to the need for talks.

Hamas chief blames Israel for stalled ceasefire talks, leaves door open

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh blamed Israel on Sunday for stalling ceasefire talks and rejecting Hamas's demand to end the war on Gaza, but said the group was still seeking a negotiated solution. Haniyeh said Israel hadn't yet given a commitment to end its military offensive, pull out its forces and allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes across the Gaza Strip.

US military airlifts embassy personnel from Haiti, bolsters security

The U.S. military said on Sunday it has carried out an operation in Haiti to airlift non-essential embassy personnel from the country and added U.S. forces to bolster embassy security, as the Caribbean nation reels under a state of emergency. The operation was the latest sign of Haiti's troubles as gang violence threatens to bring down the government and has led thousands to flee their homes.

Panama upholds ex-President Martinelli's ban from 2024 election

Panama's electoral court announced on Sunday it had upheld its decision to ban ex-President Ricardo Martinelli from running in the 2024 general election, following the review of a challenge presented by Martinelli's defense to annul the prohibition. The court declared him ineligible earlier this month, citing his inability to run due to a nearly 11-year prison sentence for money laundering. Panama's constitution bars anyone sentenced to a prison term of five years or more from serving as president.

'Holdovers' star Randolph wins supporting actress as Oscars kick off

"The Holdovers" star Da'Vine Joy Randolph won the best supporting actress trophy as Hollywood began handing out the top film honors at the annual Academy Awards. Randolph portrayed a grieving mother and cafeteria worker in the comedy set in a New England boarding school. She shed tears as she accepted her first Oscar.

Palestinians prepare for Ramadan in the shadow of Gaza war

Palestinians prepared for Ramadan in sombre mood with heightened security measures by Israeli police and the spectre of war and hunger in Gaza overshadowing the normally festive Muslim holy month as talks to secure a ceasefire stalled. Thousands of police have been deployed around the narrow streets of the Old City in Jerusalem, where tens of thousands of worshippers are expected every day at the Al Aqsa mosque compound, one of the holiest sites in Islam.

Centre-right set to win Portugal's election, far-right soars

Portugal's centre-right Democratic Alliance was set to finish first in Sunday's parliamentary election but fall short of an outright majority with 92% of ballots counted, suggesting tough negotiations ahead with the far-right that made huge gains. The populist, far-right Chega party came third with nearly 19% of the vote, almost tripling its result in the last election in early 2022, when it won 7.2%. It campaigned on an anti-establishment message, vows to sweep away corruption and hostility to what it sees as "excessive" immigration.

Gaza aid ship waiting to sail from Cyprus as charity builds jetty, source says

By Yiannis Kourtoglou and Stamos Prousalis A ship carrying tonnes of food for Gaza remained docked in a Cyprus port on Sunday as preparations were underway to launch a yet untested maritime aid route to the enclave, where the United Nations estimates a quarter of the population faces starvation.

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