Reuters World News Summary

Putin, wrapping up a two-day visit to China, said he and his hosts had confirmed their interest in moving forward with the proposed gas pipeline, the Power of Siberia 2. Ukraine braces for 'heavy battles' as Putin says Russia carving out Kharkiv buffer zone Ukraine's top commander warned on Friday of "heavy battles" looming on the war's new front in the northeastern Kharkiv region as Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was carving out a "buffer zone" in the area.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia says US 'playing with fire' in 'indirect war' with Moscow

A top Russian diplomat said on Friday the United States had long since entered into a state of indirect war with Moscow and was playing with fire over Ukraine by behaving in such a way that the situation could spin out of control. The comments by deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov in an interview with state TASS news agency reflect growing Russian concern over what Moscow casts as dangerous Western escalation in Ukraine as Russian forces advance in several places.

Slovakia's PM Fico undergoes another operation, deputy PM says he is hopeful

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico underwent a two-hour operation on Friday that have increased hopes for his recovery, a deputy prime minister said, following an assassination attempt this week that sent shockwaves through Europe. Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak also said any decision to transfer Fico back to the capital Bratislava from the central city of Banska Bystrica where he is being treated would only be taken when there had been further improvement in his condition.

Fierce fighting in northern Gaza as Israel defends itself at World Court

Israeli forces battled Hamas fighters in the narrow alleyways of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Friday in some of the fiercest engagements since they returned to the area a week ago, while in the south militants attacked tanks massing around Rafah. Residents said Israeli armour had thrust as far as the market at the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, and that bulldozers were demolishing homes and shops in the path of the advance.

Putin says oil pipeline could run alongside planned new gas link to China

Russia could deliver oil as well as gas to China along a planned route via Mongolia, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. Putin, wrapping up a two-day visit to China, said he and his hosts had confirmed their interest in moving forward with the proposed gas pipeline, the Power of Siberia 2.

Ukraine braces for 'heavy battles' as Putin says Russia carving out Kharkiv buffer zone

Ukraine's top commander warned on Friday of "heavy battles" looming on the war's new front in the northeastern Kharkiv region as Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was carving out a "buffer zone" in the area. Russian forces attacked the Kharkiv region's north last Friday, making inroads of up to 10 kilometres (6 miles) and unbalancing Kyiv's outnumbered troops who are trying to hold the line over a sprawling front nearly 27 months since the full-scale invasion.

Taiwan lawmakers exchange blows in bitter dispute over parliament reforms

Taiwanese lawmakers shoved, tackled and hit each other in parliament on Friday in a bitter dispute about reforms to the chamber, just days before President-elect Lai Ching-te takes office without a legislative majority. Even before votes started to be cast, some lawmakers screamed at and shoved each other outside the legislative chamber, before the action moved onto the floor of parliament itself.

Putin to push growing Moscow-Beijing trade in China's northeast

After sealing pledges of a "new era" of strategic partnership with China's Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday is set to highlight the growing importance of trade near the Russian border in China's northeast. Putin ends his two-day, red-carpet visit to China in Harbin in Heilongjiang province, which has long-running trade and cultural ties to Russia, touring a Russian-China Expo and a forum on interregional cooperation.

Hundreds more French police start deploying to secure New Caledonia

French police reinforcements began arriving in New Caledonia on Friday in a massive push to regain control of the capital, the top French official in the Pacific island territory said, after rioting in which four people were killed and hundreds arrested. After three nights of upheaval, Thursday night was relatively quiet and calls for calm were starting to be heeded, France's High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said, although he added standoffs continued in parts of the capital city Noumea.

Vatican urges caution over weeping Madonnas and other supposed apparitions

The Vatican issued new guidelines on Friday recommending a cautious approach to supposed supernatural events such as weeping Madonnas and blood-dripping crucifixes that have for centuries whipped up the Catholic faithful. Pope Francis has seemed sceptical of such phenomena, telling Italian RAI TV last year that Virgin Mary apparitions are "not always real" and that he likes seeing her as "pointing to Jesus" rather than drawing attention to herself.

Israel tells World Court South Africa case makes a mockery of genocide

Israel defended the military necessity of its Gaza offensive on Friday at the International Court of Justice and asked judges to throw out a request by South Africa to order it to halt operations in Rafah and withdraw from the Palestinian territory. Israeli Justice Ministry official Gilad Noam called South Africa's case, which accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, "completely divorced from facts and circumstances".