Reuters World News Summary

Harris, a 37-year-old minister best known for helping steer the country's initial response to COVID-19, will be voted in as Ireland's youngest ever prime minister when parliament next sits on April 9 thanks to support from coalition partners. Israel besieges two more Gaza hospitals, demands evacuations, Palestinians say Israeli forces besieged two more Gaza hospitals on Sunday, pinning down medical teams under heavy gunfire, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, and Israel said it had captured 480 militants in continued clashes at Gaza's main Al Shifa hospital.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Argentines commemorate coup as Milei sows doubt about dictatorship past

Thousands of Argentines took to the streets around the country on Sunday to commemorate the anniversary of the 1976 military coup that lasted eight years and led to widespread repression, torture and disappearances. Several local and human rights groups gathered in Buenos Aires, waving banners, singing songs and carrying photos of those murdered and missing during the dictatorship.

Centre-left candidate beats Communist in Salzburg mayoral run-off

The centre-left deputy mayor of Salzburg, Bernhard Auinger, beat his Communist rival Kay-Michael Dankl in a run-off vote for mayor on Sunday and pledged to work with him after Dankl focused on high housing costs in one of Austria's hardest-hit cities. Dankl, 35, led his party to second place in this month's city council election, close behind Auinger's Social Democrats. Just 821 votes separated the two men in the separate, first-round vote for mayor of the country's fourth largest city, best known to tourists as the home of Mozart and "The Sound of Music".

Israel open to civilian return to north Gaza in truce talks

Israel signalled openness on Sunday to allowing the return of Palestinians displaced from the northern Gaza Strip as part of truce talks, an apparent accommodation of a core Hamas demand. The warring sides have stepped up negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a six-week suspension of Israel's offensive in return for the proposed release of 40 of the 130 hostages still held by the Palestinian militant group in Gaza.

Military draft bill creates rift in Israeli government

A member of Israel's war cabinet said on Sunday he would quit the national emergency government should proposed legislation that continues to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from mandatory military service be passed into law. "The nation cannot accept it, the Knesset (parliament) must not vote for it, and my colleagues and I will not be members of the emergency government should such legislation pass in the Knesset," said centrist cabinet minister Benny Gantz.

France raises terror alert warning to highest level

The French government is raising its terror alert warning to its highest level following the shootings on Moscow, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Sunday after a meeting with senior security and defence officials with President Emmanuel Macron. Attal said in a post on X that the decision, which comes months before Paris hosts the Olympic Games, was taken "in light of the Islamic State's claiming responsibility for the (Moscow) attack and the threats weighing on our country".

Russians lower flags in mourning, suspects charged in deadly concert hall attack

Russia lowered flags to half-mast for a day of mourning and charged four men it accused of gunning down scores of people at a concert outside Moscow on Friday night in the deadliest attack inside Russia for two decades. President Vladimir Putin declared Sunday a national day of mourning after pledging to punish all those behind the attack, in which 137 people were killed, including three children, and 182 were injured.

Exclusive-Islamic State still a threat in Iraq, US ambassador says

The Islamic State still poses a threat in Iraq and the U.S.-led military coalition's work with Iraq to fully defeat the group is not done, United States Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski told Reuters in an interview. Senior Iraqi politicians, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, have repeatedly said that the group no longer posed a threat in Iraq and the coalition was not needed, even as its affiliates continued to carry out attacks elsewhere.

Brazilian police arrest lawmaker, two others in 2018 murder of Rio council member

Brazilian police arrested three people on Sunday, including a federal lawmaker and former police chief, accused of planning and ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro city council member Marielle Franco and her driver. Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski told a news conference

Harris pledges 'reset' as he becomes Irish PM in waiting

Simon Harris became Irish prime minister in waiting on Sunday, pledging to help small business, focus on law and order and tackle migration after his unopposed election to succeed Leo Varadkar as leader of the governing Fine Gael party. Harris, a 37-year-old minister best known for helping steer the country's initial response to COVID-19, will be voted in as Ireland's youngest ever prime minister when parliament next sits on April 9 thanks to support from coalition partners.

Israel besieges two more Gaza hospitals, demands evacuations, Palestinians say

Israeli forces besieged two more Gaza hospitals on Sunday, pinning down medical teams under heavy gunfire, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, and Israel said it had captured 480 militants in continued clashes at Gaza's main Al Shifa hospital. Israel says hospitals in the Palestinian enclave, where war has been raging for over five months, are used by Hamas militants as bases. It has released videos and pictures supporting the claim.