Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ukraine says Russian forces make progress in frontline city of Bakhmut

Russian forces have had some success in the eastern frontline city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian military officials said on Wednesday evening, adding that their fighters were still holding on in a battle that has lasted several months. In southern Ukraine, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief said he was putting aside plans for a security zone around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant so he could propose specific protection measures acceptable to both Moscow and Kyiv.

Pope to spend 'few days' in hospital due to respiratory infection

Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will need to spend "a few days" in hospital for treatment, the Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday, amid concern for the 86-year-old's condition. The statement said the pontiff was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties over the past few days. It added that tests showed he had the infection but did not have COVID-19.

Australia govt introduces Indigenous referendum bill in parliament

The Australian government on Thursday took the first formal step towards holding a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution and set up an Indigenous "Voice to Parliament" to advise lawmakers on matters that impact their lives. Introducing the bill in parliament, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the referendum, to be held between October and December, would be an opportunity to acknowledge history and help Australians come together "for a more reconciled future."

Erdogan says Putin may visit Turkey in April for power plant inauguration

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may visit Turkey on April 27 for the inauguration of the country's first nuclear power reactor built by Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom. "Maybe there is a possibility that Mr Putin will come on April 27, or we may connect to the inauguration ceremony online and we will take the first step in Akkuyu," Erdogan said in televised comments on private broadcaster ATV.

China denounces U.S. Congress for hosting Tibet's leader-in-exile

China accused the U.S. Congress of interfering in its internal affairs on Wednesday by virtually hosting the head of an India-based organization known as Tibet's government-in-exile to speak at a hearing earlier this week. Penpa Tsering, known as the Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), spoke to the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China via video link on Tuesday and said Tibet was dying a "slow death" under Chinese rule.

Top expert resigns from Vatican committee against child sex abuse

Father Hans Zollner, one of the leading members of the Vatican committee against child sexual abuse, said on Wednesday he had resigned from the group, citing concerns over the way it was operating. Zollner was one of the founding members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which Pope Francis established in 2014 as part of efforts against the decades-old scandal of paedophilia within the Roman Catholic Church.

Taiwan president starts sensitive U.S. stopover; China warns against meetings

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York on a sensitive U.S. stopover on Wednesday, vowing en route not to let external pressure prevent the island from engaging with the world after China threatened retaliation if she met U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned U.S. officials not to meet Tsai, who is on her first U.S. stopover since 2019, seeing it as showing support for the island's desire to be seen as a separate country.

CIA deputy director meets Paraguay's Abdo in rare visit

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Deputy Director David Cohen has met with Paraguayan President Mario Abdo to discuss strengthening cooperation over security ahead of crunch elections in the South American country, Abdo said. Abdo said on Twitter on Wednesday that he had received Cohen in Paraguay but did not say when the previously unannounced meeting had taken place.

Mexican blame game over migrant deaths fuels tension in presidency race

The fire at a Mexican migrant holding center that killed dozens has triggered recriminations inside and outside President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's government, exposing tensions in his party ahead of next year's presidential election. Thirty-nine people died in the facility in the border city of Ciudad Juarez opposite El Paso, Texas. Lopez Obrador initially said the blaze was started by detained migrants protesting their impending deportation.

Nashville mourns victims of school shooting, governor speaks of 'need for hope'

First lady Jill Biden visited Nashville on Wednesday to join a memorial vigil for the three children and three adults shot to death this week at a Christian day school, including two educators who were close friends of the Tennessee governor's wife. The outdoor ceremony was scheduled to start about 90 minutes before sunset, at a public park in the heart of Nashville, the state capital and Tennessee's largest city, several miles from the scene of Monday's massacre.

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