Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

In 'macho' Mexico, stage set for first female president

When Mexican presidential contenders Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochitl Galvez entered politics at the start of the millennium, more than four in five senators in the country were men. Today, the majority are women. The rise of Sheinbaum, who was named on Wednesday as the ruling party's candidate for next year's presidential election, and Galvez, the main opposition contender, is the culmination of a rapid process of female inclusion in politics since 2000.

Ukraine's counteroffensive to continue after onset of bad weather- spy chief

Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces will continue through the onset of cold and wet weather later this year, even though it would become harder to fight, Kyiv's intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on Saturday. Ukraine launched a much-vaunted counteroffensive this summer that has retaken more than a dozen villages in the south and east over three months, but has been complicated by vast minefields and heavily entrenched Russian forces.

Hurricane Lee expected to move north of Puerto Rico but still dangerous

Hurricane Lee, a powerful Category 3 storm, was expected to move well north of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands this weekend but could cause dangerous beach conditions on the U.S. East Coast beginning on Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday. Lee, located about 310 miles (505 km) northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, was packing winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the forecaster said. The storm was moving west-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph) but "gradual restrengthening" was possible in the next two days, the center said.

Colombian President proposes Latin American alliance to transform 'war on drugs'

Colombian President Gustavo Petro proposed on Saturday an alliance between Latin American countries to bring a unified voice to the fight against drug trafficking, by recognizing drug consumption as a public health problem instead of confronting it with what he called a "failed" militarized approach. Petro, the first leftist president in Colombia's history, closed the Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Drugs, which was held in the city of Cali, by saying that 50 years of a failed war on drugs had resulted in immeasurable bloodshed and pain in Latin America.

US cave explorer trapped in Turkey will be out 'within several days' -governor

A team of rescuers are ready to start moving an American cave explorer trapped more than 1,000 metres (3,280.84 ft) underground in southern Turkey and will have him out "within several days," Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan said on Saturday. Mark Dickey, 40, was on an international exploration mission in the Morca cave in Mersin province's Taurus mountains when he began suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding at a depth of 1,040 metres.

Israelis protest against overhaul plans ahead of key court decision

Tens of thousands of Israelis protested in cities across the country on Saturday ahead of a key decision by the Supreme Court over legislation passed by the coalition which stripped the court of some of its oversight powers. Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition presented plans to strip the court of much of its powers with a package of legislation but, due to overwhelming public pressure, passed only one part of the plan.

Deal reached to open roads to Azerbaijan's breakaway Karabakh region

Ethnic Armenian authorities in Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed on Saturday to let in aid shipments from Baku-held territory for the first time in decades, in return for the restoration of road links to Armenia.

The moves - initially reported by Armenia's Armenpress state news agency and confirmed by Baku - appear at least partly to grant Azerbaijan's decades-old demand to restore transport links between Azeri government-held territory and the province, which broke free of Baku's rule in the 1990s.

US, Vietnam to elevate ties during Biden visit, with eye on China

U.S. President Joe Biden visits Vietnam's capital city Sunday, where the two countries are expected to declare themselves strategic partners, as the United States seeks to push supply chains from China and both countries to try to counter Beijing's military and diplomatic influence in Asia. Biden will arrive at the Presidential Palace Sunday afternoon for a formal welcome from Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam's most powerful leader, then journey to the Party headquarters where the two will meet and then give public remarks.

Morocco earthquake kills more than 2,000 people, survivors sleep outdoors

Moroccan earthquake survivors huddled for a night in the open on the High Atlas Mountains on Saturday, a day after the country's deadliest quake in more than six decades killed more than 2,000 people and laid waste to villages. Neighbours were still searching for survivors buried on the slopes, where houses of mud brick, stone and rough wood were cracked open and mosque minarets toppled by the quake that struck late on Friday. The historic old city of Marrakech also suffered extensive damage.

G20 summit avoids condemning Russia for Ukraine war, calls for peace

The Group of 20 adopted a consensus declaration at a summit on Saturday that avoided condemning Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states not to use force to grab territory. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Leaders' Declaration had been adopted on the first day of the weekend G20 summit in New Delhi.