Reuters World News Summary

As one of the world's largest wheat importers, Egypt had relied on the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), part of the Ministry of Supply, to buy the grain for a country where subsidized bread is a staple for 70 million people. Syrian rebels claim to reach key city of Homs, extending rapid offensive against Assad Syrian rebel forces said on Friday their lightning advance reached the central city of Homs, which could position the insurgents to topple another town strategic to President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Clashes break out in Athens after march to mark 2008 student killing by police

Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Athens on Friday after thousands marched to mark the 16th anniversary of the police killing of a teenage boy, whose death triggered Greece's worst riots in decades. About 5,000 people joined the annual march to commemorate the fatal shooting of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, who was 15 at the time.

EU, Mercosur heave free trade deal over the line but potential obstacles loom large

The European Union and South America's Mercosur bloc dragged a long-delayed free trade deal over the line on Friday, announcing an agreement - at least in principle - on the pact that has deeply divided nations in Europe. In a press conference in Montevideo, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her Mercosur counterparts heralded the deal after 25 years of talks, citing the need for free trade in the face of rising protectionism globally.

Iraq considers Syria intervention as rebels advance

Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim ruling parties and armed groups are weighing the pros and cons of armed intervention in Syria, viewing as a grave threat the advance of Sunni Islamist rebels who have taken two Syrian cities and now bear down on a third. Baghdad has a dark history with Syria-based Sunni fighters, thousands of whom crossed into Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion and fuelled years of sectarian killing before returning again in 2013 as Islamic State to conquer a third of the country.

Romanian top court annuls presidential election result

Romania's top court annulled an ongoing presidential election after accusations of Russian meddling and ruled on Friday the entire process, which had been due to conclude this weekend, would have to be re-run. The second round had been scheduled for Sunday and voting has already begun in polling stations abroad. It would have pitted Calin Georgescu, a far-right, pro-Russian candidate, against pro-European Union centrist leader Elena Lasconi.

US Supreme Court to weigh bid to sue Palestinian authorities over attacks

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide the legality of a 2019 federal statute meant to facilitate lawsuits against Palestinian authorities by Americans killed or injured in attacks in Israel and elsewhere. The justices took up appeals by President Joe Biden's administration and a group of American victims and their families of a lower court's ruling that this law violated the rights of the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization to due process under the U.S. Constitution.

Exclusive-Iran dramatically accelerating uranium enrichment to near bomb grade, IAEA says

Iran is "dramatically" accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% level that is weapons grade, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told Reuters on Friday. The International Atomic Energy Agency later confirmed in a confidential report to member states that Iran was speeding up uranium enrichment, a process that refines the raw material so that it can be used as fuel in civil nuclear power generation or, potentially, nuclear weapons.

Mexico doing all it can to protect trade agreement with US, Canada, official says

Mexico is doing everything it can to protect a regional trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada, the Latin American nation's deputy economy minister said in an interview published on Friday. The three neighboring nations, and major partners in commerce, have entered a trade tussle after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to slap tariffs on the countries to the north and the south if they did not clamp down on drugs and migrants coming into the U.S.

Exclusive-Egyptian military agency takes over wheat buying from decades-old supply group

An Egyptian military agency has taken over the country's import of strategic commodities, a letter seen by Reuters showed, replacing a decades-old state institution to take over international buying tenders and also conduct direct purchases which have in recent weeks shaken the wheat market. As one of the world's largest wheat importers, Egypt had relied on the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), part of the Ministry of Supply, to buy the grain for a country where subsidized bread is a staple for 70 million people.

Syrian rebels claim to reach key city of Homs, extending rapid offensive against Assad

Syrian rebel forces said on Friday their lightning advance reached the central city of Homs, which could position the insurgents to topple another town strategic to President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power. "Our forces have liberated the last village on the outskirts of the city of Homs and are now on its walls," the Syrian faction leading the sweeping assault said on Telegram.

Burkina Faso junta fires prime minister, dissolves government

Burkina Faso's ruling junta has dismissed interim Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and dissolved the government, a decree issued by the office of military leader Ibrahim Traore said on Friday. The decree did not give a reason for the dismissal of Tambela, who was appointed interim premier soon after Traore seized power in September 2022 - one of a string of military coups in West Africa's unstable Sahel region in recent years.

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