Reuters World News Summary

Brigadier General Dan Goldfus urged politicians "on all sides" to reject extremism and unite, avoiding a return to status quo before the outbreak of the conflict in October - when political divisions and months of protests had left Israel deeply polarized. Russia's FSB chief accuses Ukraine, US and UK of being behind Moscow shooting The director of Russia's most powerful security agency said on Tuesday that he believed Ukraine, along with the United States and Britain, were involved in the attack on a concert hall just outside Moscow that killed at least 139 people.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Moldovan court strikes down law barring pro-Russian party from polls

Moldova's Constitutional Court on Tuesday struck down legislation aimed at barring from elections a banned party linked to a fugitive business magnate who supports opponents of the pro-European government. The court ruled unconstitutional an amendment to the former Soviet state's electoral law barring individuals linked to parties deemed illegal or unconstitutional from running for office for three years.

Julian Assange wins temporary reprieve from extradition to US

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition to the United States from Britain was put on hold on Tuesday after London's High Court said the United States must provide assurances he would not face the death penalty. U.S. prosecutors are seeking to put Assange, 52, on trial on 18 counts, all bar one under the Espionage Act, over WikiLeaks' release of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables.

Explainer-The UN Security Council demanded a Gaza ceasefire - what happens now?

A day after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages, the war in the Gaza Strip has not stopped and the Palestinian militants have not freed anyone. Here are details about implementation of the resolution:

US assessments on Israel's war conduct still ongoing, says State Dept

The Biden administration has so far not reached a conclusion that Israel has violated the international laws of war but the processes to assess that continue and are yet to produce a definitive assessment, the State Department said on Tuesday. Speaking in a news briefing, Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the administration was due to submit a report to the U.S. Congress by May 8 as part of a February national security memorandum that reminds countries that receive U.S. weapons to stick to international law and not block humanitarian aid.

Soccer-Ukraine raise country's spirits with Euro 2024 qualification

Ukraine’s qualification for the Euro 2024 soccer finals has cheered a country suffering hardship in its conflict with Russia and for a few weeks in June and July the tournament will provide a welcome distraction from the harsh reality of war. The team came from behind to defeat Iceland 2-1 in their playoff final in neutral Poland on Tuesday and book a fourth successive appearance in the continental finals.

Eighth suspect in Moscow attack appears in court, rights commissioner warns on torture

Russia remanded in custody on Tuesday a Kyrgyzstan-born man suspected of involvement in Friday's mass shooting at a Moscow concert hall, and sent investigators to Tajikistan to question the families of four men charged with carrying out the attack. Eight suspects have now been remanded in pre-trial detention since gunmen sprayed concertgoers with bullets in the deadliest attack in Russia in two decades, days after President Vladimir Putin celebrated an election that handed him a fifth term.

As Israel's politicians squabble, some soldiers voice their anger

Standing in front of a tank on the edge of the Gaza Strip, an Israeli general interrupted his speech on the war against Hamas to deliver a televised rebuke to Israel's political leaders. Brigadier General Dan Goldfus urged politicians "on all sides" to reject extremism and unite, avoiding a return to status quo before the outbreak of the conflict in October - when political divisions and months of protests had left Israel deeply polarized.

Russia's FSB chief accuses Ukraine, US and UK of being behind Moscow shooting

The director of Russia's most powerful security agency said on Tuesday that he believed Ukraine, along with the United States and Britain, were involved in the attack on a concert hall just outside Moscow that killed at least 139 people. Ukraine, which has repeatedly denied any link with Friday's attack, dismissed the Russian accusations as lies. Britain said they were "utter nonsense". Islamic State, the militant group that once sought control over swathes of Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the mass shooting.

Six presumed dead after crippled cargo ship knocks down Baltimore bridge

Six workers were missing and presumed dead from a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore Harbor early on Tuesday when a massive cargo ship crippled by a power loss rammed into the structure, forcing closure of one of the busiest ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland State Police officials said that based on the frigid temperature of the water and the length of time that had elapsed since the bridge came down there was little if any chance that the six missing could be found alive.

Dozens killed in Israeli strikes on north and south of Gaza

Israeli air strikes killed dozens of Palestinians at both ends of the Gaza Strip overnight, hitting the area around Al Shifa hospital in the north and Rafah on the southern edge where more than a million people have sought shelter. In the north, where intense fighting has raged for more than a week around Al Shifa, members of the Haseera family told Reuters dozens had been killed in a strike that wiped out a family compound near Gaza's biggest hospital.