Reuters World News Summary

The United States began the airstrikes on Friday against dozens of targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and allied groups after three U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan in an attack that Washington blames on Iranian-backed militias. Palestinians hope Blinken visit can deliver Gaza truce before Rafah assault The top U.S. diplomat met Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler on Monday during a Middle East visit Palestinians hope will clinch a truce before a threatened Israeli assault on Rafah, a border city where about half the Gaza Strip population is sheltering.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

King Charles diagnosed with cancer, will postpone duties and undergo treatment

King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer and will postpone public engagements to undergo treatment, Buckingham Palace said on Monday, but added he remained "wholly positive" about the scare less than 18 months into his reign. Charles, 75, who became king in September 2022 following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, has begun a series of treatments, the palace said, adding he was looking forward to returning to fulltime duties as soon as possible.

Biden threatens veto of U.S. House's standalone Israel aid bill

U.S. President Joe Biden's admninistration said on Monday he would veto a standalone bill backed by House of Representatives Republicans that would provide aid to Israel, as it backs a broader bill providing assistance to Ukraine and Israel and providing new funds for border security. "The Administration strongly encourages both chambers of the Congress to reject this political ploy and instead quickly send the bipartisan Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act to the President’s desk," the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.

Police move to end Dutch farmer protests

Dutch police moved on Monday to end demonstrations by farmers who disrupted traffic throughout the Netherlands by blocking exit roads of highways and setting fires along those roads. Angered by low prices for their produce, rising costs, cheap imports and environmental regulations imposed by the European Union, farmers have blocked roads with their tractors and set fires to disrupt traffic since last week.

US would redirect aid from UNRWA to other agencies under Senate bill - State Dept

The Biden administration would redirect any funds for UNRWA to other aid agencies working in Gaza if Congress passes legislation that would bar funding of the main U.N. agency for Palestinians, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Monday. Washington last month said it was temporarily pausing new funding to UNRWA while it investigates claims a dozen staff took part in the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. A bill unveiled by senators on Sunday included a provision blocking the agency from receiving funds made available by the bill.

Argentina's Milei embarks on diplomatic trip to Israel, Italy

Argentina's President Javier Milei set off on an overseas tour on Monday that will see him visit Israel, locked in a conflict in Gaza, and then fly to Italy where he will meet the pope, whom he once called the devil's representative on earth. The right-wing libertarian leader, an economist and former sharp-tongued pundit who took office in December, will also meet Italian conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, along with prominent business and religious leaders during his trip.

Russia accuses Biden of seeking election boost with Syria, Iraq strikes

Russia accused President Joe Biden on Monday of carrying out strikes in Iraq and Syria to boost his image as the presidential election campaign "is heating up" - not in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. soldiers. The United States began the airstrikes on Friday against dozens of targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and allied groups after three U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan in an attack that Washington blames on Iranian-backed militias.

Palestinians hope Blinken visit can deliver Gaza truce before Rafah assault

The top U.S. diplomat met Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler on Monday during a Middle East visit Palestinians hope will clinch a truce before a threatened Israeli assault on Rafah, a border city where about half the Gaza Strip population is sheltering. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Riyadh at the start of his first trip to the region since Washington brokered an offer, with Israeli input, for the first extended ceasefire of the war.

China court's suspended death sentence for Australian writer an 'outrage,' PM says

Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said it was an "outrage" that a Beijing court handed Australian writer Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence on espionage charges and vowed to continue to make efforts for his release. The sentence, handed down three years after a closed-door trial, shocked his family and supporters. Analysts say this was unlikely to derail Australia-China ties but will test the limits of Canberra's push to put relations back on track after years of tensions.

Bukele landslide shifts El Salvador to one-party state, amplifies democracy fears

The landslide re-election of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele was cheered by supporters of his gang crackdown, but has worried opponents who fear the country is sliding into a de facto one-party state. The tallying of the vote was still ongoing on Monday but Bukele had appeared to deliver a crushing victory, with the backing of around 83% of voters. The president said his New Ideas party was on course to bag 58 posts in the 60-seat congress, although only 5% of the vote had been counted.

US judge allows lawsuit challenging aid to West Bank and Gaza to proceed

A federal judge in Texas has rejected the Biden administration's bid to dismiss a lawsuit by a Republican congressman and three others seeking to block U.S. aid to the West Bank and Gaza that they say is unlawfully funding the Palestinian Authority. The lawsuit was filed in 2022, well before the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants - who run the Gaza Strip - into southern Israel precipitated a war and does not target funding that would benefit Hamas. Instead, it takes aim at funding the lawsuit says could help the Palestinian Authority that exercises limited self-rule in some areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.