Reuters World News Summary

Residents said Israeli armour had thrust as far as the market at the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, and that bulldozers were demolishing homes and shops in the path of the advance. Ukraine braces for heavy battles as Putin says Russia carving out 'buffer zone' Ukraine's top commander warned on Friday of "heavy battles" looming on the war's new front in the northeastern Kharkiv region as Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was carving out a "buffer zone" in the area.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Slovakia's PM Fico undergoes another operation, deputy PM says he is hopeful

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico underwent a two-hour operation on Friday that have increased hopes for his recovery, a deputy prime minister said, following an assassination attempt this week that sent shockwaves through Europe. Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak also said any decision to transfer Fico back to the capital Bratislava from the central city of Banska Bystrica where he is being treated would only be taken when there had been further improvement in his condition.

France accuses Azerbaijan of meddling in New Caledonia with social media campaign

France accused Azerbaijan on Friday of fanning the flames of riots in the French-ruled Pacific island of New Caledonia by flooding social media with what it said were misleading photos and videos targeting French police. Paris has cracked down on rioters who are angry over a contested electoral reform and is trying to restore order in the remote overseas territory after three nights of upheaval in which four people have been killed.

Fierce fighting in northern Gaza as aid starts to roll off US-built pier

Israeli forces battled Hamas fighters in the narrow alleyways of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Friday in some of the fiercest engagements since they returned to the area a week ago, while in the south militants attacked tanks massing around Rafah. Residents said Israeli armour had thrust as far as the market at the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, and that bulldozers were demolishing homes and shops in the path of the advance.

Ukraine braces for heavy battles as Putin says Russia carving out 'buffer zone'

Ukraine's top commander warned on Friday of "heavy battles" looming on the war's new front in the northeastern Kharkiv region as Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was carving out a "buffer zone" in the area. Russian forces attacked the Kharkiv region's north last Friday, making inroads of up to 10 kilometres (6 miles) and unbalancing Kyiv's outnumbered troops who are trying to hold the line over a sprawling front nearly 27 months since the invasion.

The Slovak assassination attempt photo that nearly got away

It's every amateur photographer's nightmare: you spy a once-in-a-lifetime picture, and you forget to change your camera settings. But it can happen to a seasoned professional, too.

Russian guided bombs kill three, injure 28 in Ukraine's Kharkiv

Russian guided bombs killed at least three people and injured 28 in the northeastern Ukraine city of Kharkiv on Friday, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov had earlier put the death toll at one, with four of the injured in serious condition.

North Korea's Kim seeks to shore up nuclear force, oversees missile test, KCNA says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered accelerated production to strengthen the country's nuclear force more rapidly, on the same day he oversaw a test of tactical ballistic missiles with new guidance system, state media KCNA said on Saturday. While visiting an arms factory on Friday, Kim made the production order "to cope with ...the enemies' reckless military confrontation" and bolster nuclear war deterrence, KCNA said.

Gunmen kill three Spanish tourists in Afghanistan's central Bamyan province

Three Spanish tourists were killed and at least one Spaniard was injured in an attack by gunmen in Afghanistan's central Bamyan province, Spain's foreign ministry said on Friday. Earlier on Friday, Taliban interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qaniee had said that three foreign tourists and one Afghan citizen had been killed in the attack.

US works to ensure Venezuela election credible but faces obstacles, official says

The U.S sees it as a "very open question" whether Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro can win re-election if he holds a free vote in July, and Washington is trying to ensure the ballot is credible in the face of significant obstacles, a senior U.S. official said on Friday. The Biden administration is engaging with Venezuelan "stakeholders" as well regional and European partners in a bid to keep the electoral process on track but expects additional difficulties as the July 28 vote approaches, the official said on conditional of anonymity.

Croatia gets third government led by pro-EU PM Plenkovic

The Croatian parliament on Friday approved a government dominated by the conservative pro-European HDZ party, led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, marking his third term in the job following a parliamentary election last month. The long-ruling HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union), which led the NATO member country of 3.8 million people to join the EU's Schengen free travel area and the euro zone last year, formed a coalition with the far-right Homeland Movement (DF). Homeland Movement will have three ministers in the 18-member government.

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