Reuters World News Summary

In one of his longest public appearances since he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, Putin signalled he had no regrets about what he calls "a special operation" and accused the West of inciting the war and of playing a "dangerous, bloody and dirty" game that was sowing chaos across the world. U.S. preparing new $275 million package for Ukraine-source The United States is preparing a new $275 million package of military assistance for Ukraine to bolster its counter-offensive against Russian forces, a source familiar with the plan said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Iran's Khamenei vows revenge after deadly attack on Shi'ite pilgrims

Iran's Supreme Leader vowed on Thursday to retaliate against those threatening the country's security after the massacre of Shi'ite pilgrims, an assault claimed by Islamic State which threatens to inflame tensions amid widespread anti-government protests. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the assailants "will surely be punished" and called on Iranians to unite. "We all have a duty to deal with the enemy and its traitorous or ignorant agents," he said in a statement read on state television a day after the attack killed 15 people.

Israel, Lebanon finalise maritime demarcation deal without mutual recognition

Lebanese and Israeli leaders finalised a U.S.-brokered maritime demarcation deal on Thursday, bringing a measure of accommodation between the enemy states as they eye offshore energy exploration. Leaders from Lebanon, Israel and the United States have all hailed the deal as "historic" but the possibility of a wider diplomatic breakthrough remains slim.

Putin blasts West, says world faces most dangerous decade since WW2

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the world faced the most dangerous decade since World War Two as Western elites scrambled to prevent the inevitable crumbling of the global dominance of the United States and its allies. In one of his longest public appearances since he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, Putin signalled he had no regrets about what he calls "a special operation" and accused the West of inciting the war and of playing a "dangerous, bloody and dirty" game that was sowing chaos across the world.

U.S. preparing new $275 million package for Ukraine-source

The United States is preparing a new $275 million package of military assistance for Ukraine to bolster its counter-offensive against Russian forces, a source familiar with the plan said on Thursday. The package is expected to include ammunition and more High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, the source said, confirming a report by the Associated Press. It could be announced as early as Friday.

Bolsonaro shores up evangelical support in tight Brazil election

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro heads into Sunday's election with strong support among evangelical Christians, a key demographic that his rival former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had been courting in a tight presidential race. Polls show Bolsonaro expanding his share of the evangelical vote as his campaign intensified its religious appeals, while attacking Lula's leftist Workers' Party for its defense of gay rights and the rights of those who practice Afro-Brazilian religious traditions.

Barrack says he hoped Trump ties would appeal to UAE; denies being agent

Tom Barrack, a onetime fundraiser for Donald Trump, acknowledged under cross-examination on Thursday that he hoped his ties to the then-president would encourage a United Arab Emirates official to invest with his company, but said he did not agree to exchange political access for a business relationship. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn say Barrack, 75, used his influence with Trump's campaign and administration in 2016 and 2017 to promote the United Arab Emirates' interests without informing the U.S. attorney general he was acting as an agent of the country, as required by law.

Berlin lags on defence purchases after 100 billion euro pledge - sources

Germany is struggling to ramp up defence procurement or even just replace arms and munitions it has supplied to Kyiv, several sources told Reuters eight months after Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged 100 billion euros to bring the military up to speed. "There is almost no movement at all," a source involved in German defence procurement procedures said on Thursday, adding very few orders had been placed so far.

North Korea nuclear test would show program moving 'full steam' - IAEA chief

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Thursday said a seventh North Korea nuclear test would be further "confirmation of a program which is moving full steam ahead in a way that is incredibly concerning." "Everybody is holding its breath about this," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said. "Further tests, of course, means that they are refining the preparations and the construction of their arsenal."

Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido: Set election date now

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Thursday called on authorities to schedule a date for the country's next presidential vote, after years of bitter clashes with President Nicolas Maduro during a deep economic and social crisis. "We are demanding a date for a presidential election that means change for Venezuela," Guaido told reporters as he held a march in the capital Caracas. Maduro's government, has to date committed to elections tentatively scheduled for late 2023 or 2024.

Putin jabs at West over Ukraine war, says operation going to plan

Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing no regrets for the war against neighbour Ukraine, insisting it is going to plan and playing down any nuclear standoff with the West. Putin, in remarks at a conference in Moscow on Thursday, had a familiar litany of grievances against "our Western opponents" and said the West's dominance over world affairs was coming to an end.