Reuters World News Summary

The army late on Wednesday said its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, gave initial approval to a plan to extend the truce for another 72 hours and send an army envoy to the South Sudan capital, Juba, for talks.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

South Korea, US to share nuclear planning to deter North Korean threat

The United States on Wednesday pledged to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning over any conflict with North Korea amid anxiety over Pyongyang's growing arsenal of missiles and bombs. The announcement, which included a renewed pledge by Seoul not to pursue a nuclear bomb of its own, emerged from White House talks between U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol that covered issues including North Korea, semiconductor chips and trade, and the Ukraine war.

Xi holds first talks with Zelenskiy since Russian invasion of Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fulfilling a longstanding goal of Kyiv which had publicly sought such talks for months. Zelenskiy, describing the hour-long phone call as "long and meaningful", signalled the importance of the chance to open closer relations with Russia's most powerful friend, naming a former cabinet minister as Ukraine's new ambassador to Beijing.

Ecuador opposition, lawyer for president duel at impeachment hearings

A representative from Ecuador's opposition and a lawyer for President Guillermo Lasso on Wednesday gave dueling testimony to a congressional committee tasked with recommending whether to remove the conservative leader from office. Opposition lawmakers have pushed impeachment hearings against the former banker, alleging Lasso disregarded possible embezzlement connected to an oil shipping contract between public company Flopec and a private-sector business.

Harry not criticising queen over hacking deal with Murdoch's UK group, court told

Prince Harry is not criticising his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, or Britain's royal family over a "secret agreement" with Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper arm, his lawyer told London's High Court on Wednesday. Harry, the younger son of King Charles, is suing Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) for multiple unlawful acts allegedly committed on behalf of its tabloids, the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, from the mid-1990s until 2016.

Kenyan father searches for wife and six children among dead cult members

Stephen Mwiti was too distraught to go identify the bodies of his wife and six children among the corpses of dozens of cult members recovered from Shakahola forest and brought to a mortuary in Kenya's coastal town of Malindi on Wednesday. "My children are gone. The children who have been rescued, I went and had a look and I did not see my children," Mwiti said as he waved a photo of his wife and four of the children.

Fugees rapper convicted in US over lobbying campaigns with Malaysian financier

A jury on Wednesday convicted Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of The Fugees hip hop group on criminal charges that he conspired with a Malaysian financier to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the U.S. government under two presidents. His conviction in federal court in Washington followed a trial that was filled with political intrigue and featured high-profile witnesses including Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Michel endured a blistering cross-examination by prosecutors while testifying in his own defense.

Kremlin warns of more asset seizures after move against Fortum and Uniper

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it could seize more Western assets in retaliation for foreign moves against Russian companies, after taking temporary control of assets belonging to two European state-owned utilities. President Vladimir Putin late on Tuesday signed a decree placing the Russian assets of Finland's Fortum and Germany's Uniper, which both operate power plants in Russia, under Moscow's control. Russia made clear that the move could be reversed.

Brazil Congress opens inquiry into Jan. 8 capital storming

Brazil's Congress on Wednesday opened an inquiry into the Jan. 8 storming of key government buildings in the capital by violent demonstrators who denied the electoral victory of the recently inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In a joint session of its two chambers, the parties began selecting the 16 senators and 16 representatives who will sit on the committee, with opposition parties and the government's allies battling to appoint its chair and rapporteur.

Pope allows women to vote at bishops meeting for first time

Pope Francis, in a historic move that could lead to more inclusiveness in decision-making in the Roman Catholic Church, will allow women to vote for the first time at a global meeting of bishops in October. In the past, women were allowed to attend the synods, a papal advisory body, as auditors but with no right to vote.

Sudan fighting flares but military approves ceasefire extension

Sudan's army and a paramilitary force battled on Khartoum's outskirts on Wednesday, undermining a truce in their 11-day conflict, but the army expressed willingness to extend the ceasefire. The army late on Wednesday said its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, gave initial approval to a plan to extend the truce for another 72 hours and send an army envoy to the South Sudan capital, Juba, for talks.

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