Reuters World News Summary

It was the second time in a little more than a week that Zelenskiy had called for tightened rules to halt what Ukrainian authorities call "missile terror" against civilian targets. US pushing India to seal big armed drone buy for Modi visit - sources Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, the Biden administration is pushing New Delhi to cut through its own red tape and advance a deal for dozens of U.S.-made armed drones, two people familiar with the matter said.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

White House hails NATO chief, mum on next alliance leader

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said Ukraine is making progress in its counteroffensive against Russian invaders and predicted NATO leaders will increase military assistance to Kyiv when they meet next month. Stoltenberg made the comments as he met in the Oval Office with President Joe Biden, who said the U.S. commitment to NATO was rock solid. The Biden administration later announced $325 million in fresh military aid to Ukraine.

Blue and yellow flag, Russian dead attest to Ukrainian advance in south

Ukraine's blue and yellow flag flew over a ruined grocery store and Russian soldiers lay dead in the street of the village of Neskuchne, reached by Reuters journalists on Tuesday in the first independent confirmation of Ukraine's biggest advances for seven months against Russia's invasion. Russia has not acknowledged any Ukrainian gains, and President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that for now he saw no need for a new mobilisation of fighting men to confront the Ukrainian counteroffensive launched last week.

Zelenskiy seeks tougher sanctions on Russian missile components

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for tougher sanctions to halt the flow of components used in Russian missiles, saying it was cheaper to stop their transfer than to improve anti-aircraft systems against their deployment. It was the second time in a little more than a week that Zelenskiy had called for tightened rules to halt what Ukrainian authorities call "missile terror" against civilian targets.

US pushing India to seal big armed drone buy for Modi visit - sources

Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, the Biden administration is pushing New Delhi to cut through its own red tape and advance a deal for dozens of U.S.-made armed drones, two people familiar with the matter said. India has long expressed interest in buying large armed drones from the United States. But bureaucratic stumbling blocks have hampered a hoped-for deal for SeaGuardian drones that could be worth $2 billion to $3 billion for years.

Uruguay's Lacalle Pou, Biden discussed ways to expand economic ties

Uruguay President Luis Lacalle Pou met with U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday, and the two leaders explored ways to expand bilateral trade and economic ties, the White House said. Lacalle Pou stopped in Washington for the previously unannounced meeting on his way to New York, where he was scheduled to attend an event in his honor hosted by the Americas Society, an education group.

Trump pleads not guilty in federal documents case

Former U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to federal criminal charges that he unlawfully kept national-security documents when he left office and lied to officials who sought to recover them. Trump's plea, entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in a federal court in Miami, sets up a legal battle likely to play out over coming months as he campaigns to win back the presidency in a November 2024 election. Experts say it could be a year or more before a trial takes place.

U.S. House united on call for Russia to release WSJ reporter

The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday for a resolution calling on Russia to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been imprisoned in Russia for three months. The vote was 422-0 in favor of the non-binding measure.

Mexican interior minister will leave post to make presidential run

Mexico's interior minister, a close confidant of the popular outgoing president, announced on Tuesday he would leave his post at the end of this week to focus on his bid to win the ruling party's nod for next year's presidential election. Interior Minister Adan Augusto Lopez's decision, required under recently adopted MORENA party rules that will determine its standard bearer, adds another contender to a growing list of hopefuls for the internal contest.

Putin ponders: Should Russia try to take Kyiv again?

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that any further mobilisation would depend on what Russia wanted to achieve in the war in Ukraine, adding that he faced a question only he could answer - should Russia try to take Kyiv again? More than 15 months since Putin sent troops into Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian forces are still battling with artillery, tanks and drones along a 1,000-km (600-mile) front line, though well away from the capital Kyiv.

Israel kills Palestinian passerby in raid on West Bank refugee camp -witnesses

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian passerby during a raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday that set off a two-hour gunfight with armed fighters, witnesses and the Palestinian health ministry said. Violence in the West Bank, among territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state, has risen sharply during the past year. Israel has intensified its military raids amid a spate of deadly street attacks by Palestinians.