Reuters World News Summary

The official said President Trump and the White House stand by the leadership of the U.S. Secret Service following the shooting outside the hotel ballroom where the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was being held. Palestinians use Gaza rubble to restore streets as US rebuilding plan stalls Palestinians are using war rubble to repave streets destroyed during Israel's two-year assault on Gaza, crushing concrete and metal into pavement under a U.N.-run project they hope will mark a first step toward rehabilitating their damaged cities.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Philippines and US stage counter-landing drills with allies near South China Sea

As simulated enemy boats and unmanned craft closed in on the shores of Palawan island facing the South China Sea, Philippine and U.S. forces conducted counter-landing drills on Monday, repelling a mock assault by using live fire against designated targets and intercepting threats. The display of advanced weapons capabilities and operational readiness was part ​of the annual Balikatan or "shoulder to shoulder" exercises, bringing together forces from the Philippines, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to rehearse coastal defence manoeuvres and test their ability to work together to protect territorial waters.

Lightning strikes kill 14 as Bangladesh lashed by seasonal storms

At least 14 people ​were killed after lightning strikes hit several parts of Bangladesh, officials said on Monday, as seasonal thunderstorms swept across the country. The deaths were reported from several districts after sudden storms brought heavy ‌rain and intense lightning.

Suspect in ​Washington dinner shooting set to appear in court

The man accused of shooting a U.S. Secret Service agent as he tried to breach security at a Washington dinner where President Donald Trump was present is expected in court on Monday to face criminal charges. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is scheduled to make his first appearance in Washington federal court, two days after authorities said they foiled an attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, an annual black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians.

Explainer-Netanyahu's rivals are joining forces. Would they shift Israel's security policy?

Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top rivals announced they would join forces in an upcoming election to oust his coalition government, with a focus mainly on domestic issues such as military conscription for the ultra-Orthodox. But on issues like Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, the joint party led by right-wing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid is expected to pursue a security posture similar to that ‌of Netanyahu - who heads the most right-wing government in Israel's history - meaning Israel's foreign policy would remain largely unchanged.

King Charles jets to US for trip overshadowed by Iran quarrel and shooting

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in the United States later on Monday for a four-day trip, a tour which has taken on even greater prominence after the White House Correspondents' dinner shooting and amid acrimony between the close allies. The state visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles's reign, marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence from British rule, and is the first to the country by a British monarch for two decades.

Argentina bishops call for dialogue after press blocked from government house

Argentina's assembly of Catholic bishops called for dialogue to find a prompt resolution to the government's decision to block the entry of accredited journalists to government house Casa Rosada, in a statement published on Monday. Archbishop Jorge Lozano and journalists met last Friday and discussed the need to respect the right to work and the right to free expression, after journalists were blocked by the government of Argentina's President Javier Milei, which cited "illegal espionage."

Pope Leo signals shift away from Catholic Church's focus on sex

Pope Leo's four-nation Africa tour featured firm denunciations by the pontiff of despotism and war and also unprecedented attacks from U.S. President Donald Trump that grabbed ‌headlines. But a smaller moment, in which the pope said the Catholic Church should prioritise questions of inequality and justice over those of sexual ethics, may prove to be of longer-lasting importance for the Church's 1.4 billion members, said experts.

Shipping traffic through Hormuz remains muted with no US-Iran deal in sight, data shows

At least seven ships - mainly dry bulk vessels - have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, in line with muted activity in recent days, shipping data showed on Monday, while talks between Iran and the United States have stalled. The vessels included ships leaving from Iraqi ports ‌and one dry bulk vessel from an Iranian port, according to ship tracking data from Kpler and separate satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax.

Swiss money laundering trial of Uzbekistan's Karimova and Lombard Odier begins

The trial of Gulnara Karimova, daughter of a former Uzbek president, and Swiss private bank Lombard Odier on money laundering charges began on Monday in Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court, in a case dating back two decades. Karimova is accused of taking bribes and running a criminal organisation known as "The Office" that allegedly channelled hundreds of millions of dollars to accounts in Switzerland between 2005 and 2013.

White House to discuss presidential security, stands by Secret Service

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles will hold a meeting this week on presidential security after a shooting near a gathering of journalists and administration officials in Washington, a senior White House official told Reuters on Monday. The official said President Trump and the White House stand by the leadership of the U.S. Secret Service following the shooting outside the hotel ballroom where the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was being held.

Palestinians use Gaza rubble to restore streets as US rebuilding plan stalls

Palestinians are using war rubble to repave streets destroyed during Israel's two-year assault on Gaza, crushing concrete and metal into pavement under a U.N.-run project they hope will mark a first step toward rehabilitating their damaged cities. The project run by the United Nations Development Programme comes as progress stalls in U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, meant to build on an October Israel-Hamas ceasefire by surging aid and rebuilding the enclave from scratch.

Polish nine-day charity stream breaks records to support kids with ⁠cancer

A nine-day, non-stop live stream in ​Poland raised a record-breaking sum for charity, local media said on Monday, after donations totalling over 250 million zlotys ($69 million) flooded in for children with cancer. Broadcast from a small flat in ⁠Warsaw, the stream was organised by influencer Piotr Hancke, better known as Latwogang, and was supported by musicians, celebrities and sports stars including six-times Grand Slam champion tennis player Iga Swiatek and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski.

As New Mexico probes Epstein, local survivors come forward

Authorities in New Mexico are trying to determine how many local women and girls were abused by the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at his isolated Zorro Ranch compound. Several individuals have said they were flown to the ranch and abused by Epstein and his associates. To date, only one - former Santa Fe massage therapist Rachel Benavidez - was known to be from New Mexico.

Merz suggests Ukraine may have to accept territorial loss to help pave way for EU membership

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested on Monday that Ukraine ⁠may have to accept that parts of its territory could remain outside Kyiv's control in a future peace deal with Russia, linking such concessions to the country's prospects for joining the European Union. "At some point, Ukraine will sign a ceasefire agreement; at some point, hopefully, a peace treaty with Russia. Then it may be that part of Ukraine's territory is no longer Ukrainian," Merz told students at the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium in Marsberg, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, on Monday.

Russia summons German envoy over lawmaker's meeting with Chechen exile

Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday it had summoned the German ambassador over a meeting in Kyiv between a German lawmaker and a Chechen separatist who Moscow says leads a "terrorist" organisation. Russia said it had lodged ​a complaint with German Ambassador Alexander Lambsdorff over what it said were talks between Bundestag deputy Roderich Kiesewetter and Akhmed Zakayev, whom Moscow says leads the outlawed "Chechen Republic of Ichkeria".

Brazil's Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro neck and neck in second-round poll

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro are statistically tied in a simulated runoff for this year's presidential election, a BTG Pactual/Nexus poll showed on Monday. Leftist Lula would receive 46% of the vote in a second-round matchup, compared with 45% for right-wing Bolsonaro.

US presses Taiwan parliament to pass 'comprehensive' defence budget

The top U.S. diplomat ⁠in Taiwan on Monday pressed the island's opposition-majority parliament to pass a "comprehensive" defence budget, saying integrated air and missile defence systems and drones are critically important and in high demand globally. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te last year proposed $40 billion in supplemental defence spending, covering not only new U.S. weapons but also homemade weapons like drones, saying Taipei needs to more effectively deter the threat from China, which views the island as its own territory.

Analysis-Iran war fertiliser squeeze could spell trouble for next year's grain harvests

Farmers around the world are facing the second surge in fertiliser prices in four years due to the Iran war. But with grain prices too low to cushion the blow from the deeper supply crunch this time around, many are rethinking planting plans, putting global food production at risk. The Middle East is a leading fertiliser ⁠production hub, ​and much of the global fertiliser trade typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has seen traffic brought to a standstill by the conflict.

Pope and first female Archbishop of Canterbury meet and pray together

Pope Leo and new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally met for the first time on Monday, in a symbolic encounter at the Vatican in which the leaders of the long-separated Catholic Church and Church of England exchanged gifts and prayed together. Mullally, the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of the world's 85 million Anglicans, was welcomed by Leo, the first U.S. leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, into his formal office at the Vatican's ornate apostolic palace.

Romania's largest party teams up with far-right opposition to topple pro-European coalition

Romania's largest party in parliament, the Social Democrats, will team up with the hard-right opposition Alliance for Uniting Romanians in a bid to topple the pro-European coalition government that it left earlier this month, it said on Monday, putting the country's EU funding at risk. The leftist Social Democrats' ministers resigned from Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's coalition last week, depriving it of a parliamentary majority and endangering the country's access to EU funds, sovereign ratings and debt yields.

EU extends sanctions against Myanmar by a year

The European Union on Monday extended its ⁠sanctions against Myanmar until at least May 2027, in an effort to maintain pressure on the country's military rulers more than five years after their coup toppled an elected government. The measures include asset freezes, travel bans and an arms embargo for 105 individuals and 22 entities. They were first imposed after the February 2021 military coup and the subsequent crackdown on dissent.

Pakistan still seeks to bridge US, Iran gaps despite failure of face-to-face talks

Work has not halted to bridge gaps between the United States and Iran, sources from mediator Pakistan said, despite the failure of face-to-face diplomacy after Donald Trump ⁠called off a trip by his envoys and said Iran should phone when it wants a deal. Iranian sources disclosed Tehran's latest proposal, which would first seek to end the war and ⁠resolve the stand-off over Gulf shipping, while pushing wider talks about Iran's nuclear programme until later. That suggestion is unlikely to satisfy Washington, which says nuclear issues must be resolved from the outset.

Germany's Merz says Iran is humiliating US as talks stall

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday Iran's leadership was humiliating the United States and getting U.S. officials to travel to Pakistan and then leave without results, in an unusually abrupt rebuke over the conflict. Merz also said he not see what exit strategy the U.S. was pursuing in the Iran war - comments that underlined deep divisions between Washington and its European NATO allies, which had already been festering over Ukraine and other issues.

Archaeologists use AI to generate image of Pompeii victim

Archaeologists in Italy's Pompeii have for the first time used artificial intelligence to reconstruct the appearance of one of the victims of the volcanic eruption that destroyed the ancient Roman city nearly 2,000 years ago. The AI-generated image, ‌released by the Pompeii Archaeological Park on Monday, shows a man ducking for cover while holding a large ‌bowl over his head, with a flaming Mount Vesuvius in the background.

Russian drone attack on Odesa wounds 14, officials say

An overnight Russian drone attack on Ukraine's southern city of Odesa wounded more than a dozen people, including two children, and damaged residential buildings, Ukrainian officials said on Monday. The strikes caused the worst damage ​in the historic central Prymorskyi district, where residential buildings, a hotel and facilities were damaged, said Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration, on Telegram.