Reuters World News Summary

U.N. human rights forum reforms should include 'disproportionate focus' on Israel: State Dept. Reforms that would address the U.N. Human Rights Council's "disproportionate focus" on Israel are among changes the United States wants to see, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. North Korea developed nuclear, missile programs in 2020: U.N. report

North Korea maintained and developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programs throughout 2020 in violation of international sanctions, helping fund them with some $300 million stolen through cyber hacks, according to a confidential United Nations report seen by Reuters on Monday. The report by independent sanctions monitors said Pyongyang "produced fissile material, maintained nuclear facilities and upgraded its ballistic missile infrastructure" while continuing to seek material and technology for those programs from abroad. U.N. human rights forum reforms should include 'disproportionate focus' on Israel: State Dept.

Reforms that would address the U.N. Human Rights Council's "disproportionate focus" on Israel are among changes the United States wants to see, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday. The United States said earlier on Monday it would return as an observer to the U.N. Human Rights Council, which it quit under the Trump administration, while seeking reforms of the "flawed body." U.S. intends to keep up pressure on leadership of Yemen's Houthis

The United States will keep up pressure on the leadership of Yemen's Houthis, the U.S. State Department spokesman said on Monday, after Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress he intends to revoke the terrorist organization designation of the movement. "I think we will certainly keep up the pressure on the leadership of the... movement," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. Flood kills 28 people in illegal factory in Morocco

A flood killed at least 28 people in an illegal textile factory in a villa basement in the Moroccan city of Tangier, authorities said on Monday, adding that 18 people had been rescued. The deceased were submerged as water reached 3 meters deep, authorities said. Blinken stops short of endorsing Trump recognition of Golan Heights as Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday stopped short of endorsing the Trump administration's recognition of the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel, instead noting that the territory was important for Israel's security. Former President Donald Trump officially granted U.S. recognition of the Golan as Israeli territory in 2019 - a dramatic shift from decades of U.S. policy. Israel captured the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981 in a move that is not recognized internationally. U.S. may weigh baby steps to revive Iran nuclear deal

The United States is weighing a wide array of ideas on how to revive the Iranian nuclear deal, including an option where both sides would take small steps short of full compliance to buy time, said three sources familiar with the matter. Such a modest approach could slow the deterioration in relations since former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018 and freeze Iran's subsequent violations, which have brought it closer to enriching weapons-grade uranium. Myanmar general pledges again to hold new election as anti-coup protests grow

Myanmar's military leader said on Monday his junta would hold a new election and hand power to the winner as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was speaking in a televised address, his first to the country since last Monday's military takeover. He did not say when the election would be held, but repeated claims that last November's poll, won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), had been fraudulent. Global health officials back AstraZeneca vaccine after South Africa study rings alarm

Health officials around the world gave their backing to the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, after a study showing it had little effect against mild disease caused by the variant now spreading quickly in South Africa rang global alarm. The prospect that new virus variants could evolve the ability to elude vaccines is one of the main risks hanging over the global strategy to emerge from the pandemic by rolling out vaccines this year. Saudi Arabia announces new judicial reforms in a move towards codified law

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Monday plans to approve a set of new draft laws designed to enhance the efficiency and integrity of the kingdom's judicial system, a step that would eventually lead to an entirely codified law. The prince, often referred to by his initials MBS, has launched a series of social and economic reforms aimed at modernising the conservative kingdom, which has no codified system of law to go with the texts making up sharia, or Islamic law. Number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs in France at two-month high

The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care in French hospitals reached 3,363 on Monday, the highest in more than two months, while hospitalisation figures as a whole rose for the second day running. Unlike some of its neighbours, France has refrained from imposing a third national lockdown, hoping that a curfew in place since Dec. 15 and a vaccination programme that has now given shots to more than 2 million people will be enough to rein in the spread of the disease.