World News Roundup: G7's political relevance at stake over Israel-Gaza response; UN bodies make united call for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

G7's political relevance at stake over Israel-Gaza response

The Group of Seven (G7) bloc of wealthy democracies risks eroding its relevance as a force to tackle major geopolitical crises over an apparent struggle between its member nations to agree on a firm, united approach to Israel's war in Gaza. Foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the European Union and the United States meet in Tokyo this week to discuss the conflict, which several global powers have warned could spiral and engulf the Middle East.

UN bodies make united call for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza

The heads of several major United Nations bodies on Monday made a united call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza as Israeli strikes intensify nearly one month into the conflict.

The 18 signatories include Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths.

EU weighs advancing Ukraine's membership bid as Russia war drags on

The European Union executive is expected to recommend taking Ukraine one step closer to becoming a member of the bloc this week, according to EU officials, a coveted prize for Kyiv as weariness creeps in nearly two years after Russia's invasion.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's Brussels-based executive will publish a report on Wednesday assessing progress achieved towards membership by EU hopefuls. On a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, she praised Ukraine for making headway.

Blinken meets Turkish counterpart in Ankara as part of Middle East tour

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in Gaza on Monday with Turkey's foreign minister, part of Blinken's efforts to calm regional tensions over the war between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Blinken, who is touring the Middle East region, landed in Ankara on Sunday evening and held talks with Turkey's Hakan Fidan on Monday morning followed by a meeting of delegations.

Indonesia presidential contender Ganjar takes slim lead in new poll

Indonesian presidential hopeful Ganjar Pranowo led an opinion poll on Monday for the first time since election season formally got underway last month, nudging ahead of close rival and defence minister Prabowo Subianto. The Oct. 26-31 survey by Charta Politika showed 36.8% of the 2,400 respondents backed the ruling party's Ganjar while 34.7% supported Prabowo, with 24.3% in favour of Anies Baswedan, Jakarta's former governor.

Lebanon must be kept out of Hamas-Israel war, patriarch says

Lebanon's top Christian cleric urged state officials on Monday to shield Lebanon from the war between Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Israel, as the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah clashes with Israeli forces at the border. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanese-Israeli frontier since the Hamas-Israel war began on Oct. 7, in the worst fighting there since Hezbollah and Israel fought a war in 2006.

Donald Trump to testify in New York fraud case that threatens his business

Donald Trump returns to a New York courtroom on Monday, where he will take the witness stand in a civil fraud trial that threatens to diminish the real-estate empire that built his reputation before he entered politics. The former U.S. president, like his two adult sons who testified last week, will likely face pointed questions about the questionable accounting practices that a judge has already ruled to be fraudulent.

Analysis-India-Canada diplomatic thaw remains remote despite visa easing

Mending frayed diplomatic relations between India and Canada will be a long process after each side adopted maximalist positions, despite New Delhi's surprise move to ease some visa curbs on Canadians, officials and experts say. India recently decided to partially restore visa services, weeks after suspending them in anger at Ottawa's claim that Indian agents may have been involved in the murder of a Canadian Sikh separatist leader from Punjab state.

UN leaders say Gaza war must 'stop now', as dozens more die

U.N. agency leaders saying "enough is enough" demanded a humanitarian ceasefire on Monday nearly a month into Gaza's war, as the enclave's health authorities said dozens more people were killed in overnight attacks by Israeli fighter jets and troops. Israel has rebuffed mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, saying hostages taken by Hamas militants during their rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7 should be released first.

Exclusive-Russia's Putin to stay in power past 2024, sources say

Vladimir Putin has decided to run in the March presidential election, a move that will keep him in power until least 2030, as the Kremlin chief feels he must steer Russia through the most perilous period in decades, six sources told Reuters. Putin, who was handed the presidency by Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has already served as president for longer than any other Russian ruler since Josef Stalin, beating even Leonid Brezhnev's 18-year tenure.