Reuters World News Summary

Under pressure from opposition legislators unhappy about media reports on China's possible role, Trudeau set up a commission into foreign interference. UN Security Council refers Palestinian application to become full UN member to committee The United Nations Security Council president on Monday referred the Palestinian Authority's application to become a full member of the world body to the committee on the admission of new member.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

US Justice Dept rebuffs Republican demand for audio of Biden interview

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday rebuffed demands by Republicans in the House of Representatives to hand over audio recordings of President Joe Biden's interviews with a special counsel whose report questioning Biden's memory set off a political firestorm. Special Counsel Robert Hur angered House Republicans by deciding not to pursue criminal charges against Democrat Biden for retaining classified records dating back to his time serving as vice president under Barack Obama. The department had charged Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for keeping classified documents after he left the White House.

Total solar eclipse: North Americans celebrate with cheers, music and matrimony

Throngs of skywatchers across North America gazed upward at a blackened sun in the midday dusk on Monday, celebrating with cheers, music and matrimony the first total solar eclipse to darken the continent in seven years. From a Mexican beach resort close to where the eclipse made landfall to the banks of the Ohio River and farther north beyond the roaring cascades of Niagara Falls at the U.S.-Canadian border, spellbound crowds reacted to the sight of "totality" with jaw-dropping expressions of awe and joy.

Gaza truce talks still deadlocked, Netanyahu sets date for offensive

Hamas rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal made at talks in Cairo, a senior Hamas official said on Monday, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date was set for an invasion of Rafah, Gaza's last refuge for displaced Palestinians. Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt on Sunday for talks that included Qatari and Egyptian mediators as well as CIA Director William Burns.

Vatican rejects gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy in new document

The Vatican on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to gender-affirming surgery, "gender theory" and surrogate parenthood, drawing criticism from advocates for LGBTQ Catholics. The declaration by the Vatican's doctrinal office (DDF) comes four months after another document in which it supported blessings for same-sex couples, triggering fierce conservative pushback, especially in Africa.

Gaza family clings to destroyed home after Israeli withdrawal

When Israeli forces withdrew from Khan Younis, the Al-Najjar family braced for the worst before returning to the southern Gaza city where their house was obliterated by an Israeli airstrike in the war against Hamas. Viewing the destruction of their home, they expected more uncertainty brought by the now six-month-old conflict with no sign of a ceasefire as a humanitarian crisis squeezes the population, which could face famine.

US, UK, Australia consider Japan's cooperation in AUKUS security pact

Britain, the U.S. and Australia said on Monday they are considering working with Japan through their AUKUS security pact, despite U.S. export-control restrictions that challenge the existing partners' efforts to counter China's power in the Indo-Pacific region. Britain said consultations on future cooperation between the three AUKUS partners and other nations including Japan were set to begin this year.

Former Ecuador vice president hospitalized but stable, prisons agency says

Ecuador's detained former Vice President Jorge Glas was taken to hospital on Monday after he fell ill at a prison in Guayaquil, prison authorities said, just hours after his lawyers complained they had been unable to contact him. Glas, already twice convicted of corruption and now facing fresh charges, was arrested on Friday after a raid by police on Mexico's Quito embassy, where he had been living since December.

Russia says Ukraine tried to strike nuclear power plant again with drone

Russia said on Monday that Ukraine had endangered European nuclear security by attacking the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station with a drone which was shot down over a reactor. Ukraine has denied it is behind a series of drone attacks on the plant over the past 48 hours, including three drone attacks on Sunday, which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said had endangered nuclear safety.

Canada spies found China interfered in last two elections, probe hears

Canada's domestic spy agency concluded that China interfered in the last two elections, an official probe heard on Monday, the firmest evidence so far of suspected Chinese meddling in Canadian politics. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party won both the elections, held in 2019 and 2021. Under pressure from opposition legislators unhappy about media reports on China's possible role, Trudeau set up a commission into foreign interference.

UN Security Council refers Palestinian application to become full UN member to committee

The United Nations Security Council president on Monday referred the Palestinian Authority's application to become a full member of the world body to the committee on the admission of new member. Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier proposed that the committee meet on Monday afternoon to consider the application, adding that deliberation has to take place this month. Malta is president of the Security Council for April.