Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

First Australian nationals leave Israeli-besieged Gaza for Egypt

Twenty Australians were among the first group of foreign citizens who entered Egypt from the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts said on Thursday. At least 320 foreign nationals left the Palestinian enclave to cross into Egypt on Wednesday, the first to benefit from a deal mediated by Qatar.

Honduran lawmakers elect interim prosecutor, opposition cries foul

Ruling party lawmakers in Honduras elected an interim attorney general on Wednesday, but opposition legislators accused the allies of leftist President Xiomara Castro of engineering an unconstitutional power grab. Lawmakers with Castro's Libre party muscled through the election of the new interim prosecutor, Johel Zelaya, with a committee vote where their members make up a majority, even though they represent a minority in the Congress overall.

Israel's defence and finance ministers clash over Palestinian tax payout

Israel's defence and finance ministers clashed on Wednesday over whether some West Bank tax revenues should be transferred to the Palestinian Authority, underlining the tensions straining the government as Israeli forces push on with the war in Gaza. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called for tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinians in parts of the West Bank under direct Israeli control, to be disbursed without delay.

Ukraine must innovate as war moves to static, attritional phase -army chief

Ukraine's war with Russia is moving towards a new stage of static and attritional fighting, a phase that could allow Moscow to rebuild its military power, Ukraine's commander-in-chief has said. In an article for The Economist published on Wednesday, General Valery Zaluzhnyi said his army needed key new military capabilities and technological innovation to break out of the new phase of the war, now in its 21st month.

Lula militarizes Brazil's main ports, airports amid rising crime

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday temporarily militarized security at some of the country's most important ports and airports, as he seeks to tame rising crime after several deadly incidents in Rio de Janeiro state. Lula said soldiers will work with federal police officers to manage security operations at Latin America's largest port and airport: the port of Santos, in Sao Paulo, and its main airport Guarulhos. Soldiers will also be deployed to the port of Itaguai in Rio de Janeiro state and Rio's Galeao airport.

Canada caps immigration target amid housing crunch, inflation

Canada's liberal government kept immigration targets unchanged for the next two years and said it would stop ramping up immigration from 2026 onwards, as the country grapples with high inflation and a housing crisis. Canada is targeting 465,000 new residents this year, 485,000 in 2024 before hitting 500,000 in 2025 - a level it aims to maintain in 2026, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters in Ottawa.

Israel says new strike on Gaza refugee camp kills second Hamas leader, first evacuees reach Egypt

Israeli forces killed another Hamas commander on Wednesday in their second strike on Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp in two days, the military said, as the first group of civilian evacuees from the besieged enclave crossed into Egypt. Pressing an offensive against Hamas militants, Israel again bombed the densely populated Gaza Strip from land, sea and air in its campaign to wipe out the Islamist group after its deadly cross-border rampage into southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Moldovan president says Russia is 'buying' voters, seeks backing for pro-Europe policies

Moldova's pro-European president, Maia Sandu, accused Russia on Wednesday of "buying" voters in this weekend's local elections by funnelling money to pro-Moscow political parties. Sandu, who has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accused Russia of trying to oust her in a coup, said Moscow had channelled the equivalent of nearly $5 million in two months in financing for "criminal groups". These include a banned party led by fugitive businessman Ilan Shor.

Newsmaker: Israel's Netanyahu faces reckoning over Hamas disaster

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu built his reputation as a security hawk on the back of his service in an elite special forces unit that carried out some of Israel's most daring hostage rescues. His legacy as his country's longest serving leader will now be shaped by one of the worst security failures it has known and by the fate of more than 200 hostages seized by Palestinian Hamas gunmen from Gaza who Israel says killed 1,400 people on the deadliest day of its 75-year-old history.

Pope says he will attend COP28 climate summit in Dubai, a first by a pontiff

Pope Francis said on Wednesday that he will attend the COP28 climate conference starting next month in Dubai, the first time a pontiff will be at the U.N. environmental meeting since they began in 1995. The pope told Italy's state-run RAI television TG1 news in an interview that he expected to be in Dubai Dec. 1-3. The conference runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.

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