Reuters World News Summary

The fate of the bill is widely seen as a test of whether Georgia, 33 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, intends to pursue a path of integration with the West or move closer towards Russia. Israel will defend itself, Netanyahu says, as West calls for restraint Israel will make its own decisions about how to defend itself, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, as Western countries pleaded for restraint in responding to a volley of attacks from Iran.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Croatian ruling party wins election without majority

Croatia's ruling HDZ party won Wednesday's parliamentary election but with fewer seats than before and without a majority, according to preliminary results. The HDZ was won 60 seats in the 151-seat parliament, according to preliminary results from 94.4% of polling stations counted.

Widow of Russia's Alexei Navalny hires bodyguard after hammer attack on activist

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, said in an interview with Time magazine published on Wednesday that she had hired a bodyguard following a hammer attack on a senior ally of her late husband. A hammer-wielding assailant attacked Leonid Volkov, a Navalny aide, outside his home in Vilnius, Lithuania, in March, breaking his arm and pounding his leg with a series of blows.

UK's Rwanda asylum scheme hits fresh parliamentary hurdle

Britain's upper house of parliament rejected for a fourth time a piece of legislation needed to enable Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, in a vote that will delay, but not block, one of Sunak's flagship policies. The legislation is seen by the government as crucial to overcoming existing legal barriers to the scheme, under which the government wants to start sending asylum seekers arriving illegally in Britain to Rwanda to have their claims processed.

UN Security Council to vote Friday on Palestinian UN membership

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on a Palestinian request for full U.N. membership, said diplomats, a move that Israel ally the United States is expected to block because it would effectively recognize a Palestinian state. The 15-member council is due to vote at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) Friday on a draft resolution that recommends to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that "the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations," diplomats said.

UNRWA chief warns man-made famine tightening grip across Gaza

A man-made famine is "tightening its grip" across the Gaza Strip, the head of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA warned on Wednesday as he accused Israel of blocking aid deliveries and seeking to end UNRWA's activities in the enclave. "Today, an insidious campaign to end UNRWA's operations is underway, with serious implications for international peace and security," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told the 15-member U.N. Security Council.

Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation

Britain's Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer. In a video message last month, Kate, 42, the Princess of Wales, said tests taken following major abdominal surgery she underwent in January had uncovered cancer, something she described as a "huge shock".

'We will teach by candlelight': Argentine students and teachers protest Milei budget cuts

Argentina's public universities held protests on Wednesday against sharp budget cuts by the government of President Javier Milei, turning off the lights in classrooms to draw attention to their predicament - and save money on electricity. The prestigious University of Buenos Aires (UBA) said it had experienced an 80% cut to its budget in real terms, an untenable situation.

Jordan says Israeli retaliation for Iran strikes risks wider regional war

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Wednesday an Israeli retaliation against Iranian strikes could bring a real risk of dragging the whole region into a devastating war. In an interview released by state media, Safadi said his country was lobbying major powers against an escalation that would have far-reaching consequences for regional stability and security.

Georgia presses on with 'foreign agents' bill opposed by EU

Georgia's parliament gave initial approval on Wednesday to a bill on "foreign agents" that the European Union said risked blocking the country's path to membership and triggered protests for a third straight night. The fate of the bill is widely seen as a test of whether Georgia, 33 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, intends to pursue a path of integration with the West or move closer towards Russia.

Israel will defend itself, Netanyahu says, as West calls for restraint

Israel will make its own decisions about how to defend itself, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, as Western countries pleaded for restraint in responding to a volley of attacks from Iran. The United States, European Union and G7 group of industrialised nations all announced plans to consider tighter sanctions on Iran, seen as aimed at mollifying Israel and persuading it to rein in its retaliation for the first ever direct Iranian strikes after decades of confrontation by proxy.

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