Reuters World News Summary

They looked at more than 67,000 species, meaning about 18% of the world's known vascular plants. Trump says negotiators are getting closer to Iran deal, media interviews show President Donald Trump said on Saturday that negotiators for the United States and Iran were "getting a lot closer" to finalizing an agreement to end the war, according to an interview with CBS News.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Republican defiance over 'anti-weaponization' fund sets up confrontation with Trump

Republicans in the U.S. Congress have revolted over President Donald Trump's $1.776 billion fund for people he says were victims of government "weaponization," setting the stage for a searing battle less than six months before midterm elections. On ​Thursday, the Senate called timeout on a $72 billion spending bill on immigration enforcement, which has become a battleground over the "anti-weaponization" fund, after many Republican senators demanded that it either be killed or subjected to ​tough guardrails.

Climate change threatens global plant species as habitats shrink

Some of the plants that make familiar landscapes recognizable may not survive by century's ‌end as ​climate change becomes an increasingly important driver of species loss, according to scientists, reshaping and often shrinking suitable habitats that the plants need to survive. Researchers modelled future ranges for numerous species of vascular plants, a category that accounts for almost all the world's plants - those with water- and nutrient-carrying tissues. They looked at more than 67,000 species, meaning about 18% of the world's known vascular plants.

Trump says negotiators are getting closer to Iran deal, media interviews show

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that negotiators for the United States and Iran were "getting a lot closer" to finalizing an agreement to end the war, according to an interview with CBS News. He said a final agreement ‌would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and would ensure that Iran's enriched uranium would be "satisfactorily handled," according to CBS.

Suspect 'down' after shooting at officers near White House, official says

Officers at a White House checkpoint responded to gunshots on Saturday evening, and a shooting suspect was "down" and taken to a hospital, a law enforcement official told Reuters. A person approached the checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House and started shooting at officers, according to the official. The suspect is "down" and was transported to George Washington Hospital, the official said. He did not specify the suspect's condition or how he was brought down.

Iran's top negotiator says Tehran will not compromise in talks with US

Iran's top negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, told Pakistani army chief Asim Munir during talks in Tehran on Saturday that the U.S. was not an honest party in negotiations to end their war and Iran would not compromise on its national rights, ‌state television reported. A regional mediation push led by Pakistan aims to narrow differences between Iran and the U.S. after weeks of war that have left the vital waterway of the Strait of Hormuz closed to most shipping despite a nervous ceasefire, upending global energy markets.

Pope Leo decries 'dizzying' profits earned by companies that pollute

Pope Leo on Saturday called out companies who seek "dizzying" profits at the cost of environmental pollution, on ‌a visit to an area in Italy known as a hotbed for illegal dumping of toxic waste. On a visit to Acerra, about 220 km (137 miles) south of Rome, the first U.S. pope urged the world to "reject temptations of power and enrichment linked to practices that pollute the land, water, air, and social coexistence."

Russian drone kills one, wounds nine at funeral near Ukraine's Sumy, official says

A Russian drone struck a funeral procession on Saturday on the outskirts of the northeast Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing one person and injuring nine, a senior local official said. Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration, did not provide further details. Local media reported that a guided attack drone had hit the road near a bus.

Exclusive-Ukraine's Zelenskiy says proposal of associate EU membership 'unfair'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a letter to EU leaders that a German proposal to grant Ukraine "associate" membership of the European Union was "unfair" because it would leave Kyiv without a voice inside the bloc. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested earlier this week allowing Ukraine to participate in EU meetings and institutions without a vote as an interim step toward ⁠full membership of the ​bloc, which he said could help facilitate a deal to end the four-year-old war triggered by Russia's invasion.

At least 90 dead ⁠in China's worst coal mine disaster in over 16 years

At least 90 people were killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine in China's northern province of Shanxi, the country's deadliest mining accident since at least 2009. The gas explosion occurred late on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, with 247 workers on duty underground, state media Xinhua reported.

'Fjord' by Romania's Cristian Mungiu wins Cannes' top prize

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or top prize for the second time on Saturday with his ⁠Norwegian-set drama that explores clashing cultures, "Fjord." This year's jury president, South Korean director Park Chan-wook, praised the film for helping shed light on understanding different views "in an artistically magnificent manner."

Trump says Iran peace deal is 'largely negotiated'

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal has been "largely negotiated" with Iran and will open the Strait of Hormuz, with details to be unveiled soon. "Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly," Trump wrote on ​Trump Social.

Denmark's Frederiksen gets new chance to form government after centre-right talks fail

Denmark's King Frederik asked caretaker Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Saturday to make a fresh attempt to form a government after centre-right talks led by Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen broke down. The decision gives Frederiksen, whose Social Democrats remain Denmark's largest party despite heavy election losses, another chance to secure a third consecutive term in ⁠office.

Rubio touts US energy on India trip meant to repair ties

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed trade and energy with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday on a visit aimed at shoring up relations battered by Washington's tariffs and engagement with New Delhi's rivals Pakistan and China. Rubio - who said before the trip the U.S. wanted to sell India energy - pressed his case and told Modi that "U.S. energy products have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply," according to a U.S. summary of the meeting.

Trump says framework of Iran deal 'largely negotiated,' with provision to ⁠reopen strait

U.S. ​President Donald Trump wrote on Saturday that a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal with Iran is "largely negotiated," as both countries and mediators in Pakistan reported progress. Trump posted on social media that the emerging agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping passage whose closure upended global energy markets after the conflict started in February when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

US conducts military drill over Venezuelan capital Caracas

The U.S. military conducted a drill over Caracas on Saturday, its first military exercise in Venezuela since U.S. troops attacked the capital and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3. Venezuelan authorities say that attack killed at least 100 people.

Police and protesters clash in Serbia as crowds demand president's exit

Police fired tear gas and clashed with protesters in central Belgrade on Saturday, as tens of thousands gathered to demand early elections and ⁠an end to the more than decade-long rule of Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic. People crowded into Slavija Square, one of the capital's main junctions, in a fresh eruption of demonstrations that started a year and a half ago when a deadly roof collapse triggered a youth-led movement against alleged corruption and mismanagement.

Israeli minister Ben-Gvir banned from French territory

France has decided to ban Israel's far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from French ⁠territory, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday, adding that this reflected growing anger among governments around the world over the treatment ⁠of an activist flotilla heading to Gaza. "As from today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory," Barrot wrote on X.

Suspected and confirmed measles deaths top 500 in Bangladesh

At least 86 children have died from confirmed measles infections in Bangladesh this year, and another 426 with symptoms consistent with the disease, health officials said on Saturday, as the country battles one of its worst outbreaks in decades. Cases have spread rapidly in recent months, overwhelming hospitals and placing severe strain on already fragile healthcare services, particularly in rural districts and densely populated low-income urban areas.

US Secretary of State Rubio sees progress in Iran talks, more work to be done

The United States has ‌seen some progress towards a deal with Iran but more work is required, ‌Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday, while Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said the two sides' differences were deep and significant. Intensifying diplomacy to end the conflict, Pakistan's military chief arrived in Tehran on Friday to press on ​with mediation efforts, and Iranian media reported that Iran's foreign minister and Pakistan's interior minister had met there.