Reuters World News Summary

"Because of the openly hostile line of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, all interstate, interdepartmental, regional and sectoral ties with Russia have been severed," Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the Russian foreign ministry told the RIA state news agency, referring to the capitals of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Death toll from Kenya floods rises to 228 The number of people killed by flooding and other impacts of the heavy rains battering Kenya has risen to 228, the interior ministry said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Hamas claims responsibility for attack on Israel-Gaza border crossing, casualties reported

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Sunday claimed responsibility for an attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza that local media reports said resulted in Israeli casuatlies. The Israel military said 10 projectiles were launched from Rafah into southern Gaza towards the crossing, which it said was now closed to aid trucks going into the coastal enclave.

Hamas killing spree haunts Holocaust survivors in 'March of the Living'

Israel's Holocaust commemorations this year have a searing significance for six elderly survivors now deeply scarred by the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7 that sparked the ongoing Gaza war. The killing and kidnapping spree by Palestinian infiltrators on a Jewish holiday morning shook the sense of security of Israelis - not least, those who had witnessed the state emerge as a safe haven after the Nazi genocide.

Cairo talks continue but hopes for Gaza ceasefire appear slim

Prospects for a Gaza ceasefire appeared slim on Sunday as Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly ruled that out. The two sides blamed each other for the impasse.

Netanyahu says ending Gaza war now would keep Hamas in power

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hardened his rejection of Hamas demands for an end to the Gaza war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, saying on Sunday that would keep the Palestinian Islamist group in power and pose a threat to Israel.

Netanyahu said Israel was willing to pause fighting in Gaza in order to secure the release of hostages still being held by Hamas, believed to number more than 130.

Israeli cabinet votes to shut down Al Jazeera's local operations

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet decided on Sunday to shut down Al Jazeera's operations in Israel for as long as the war in Gaza continues, on the grounds the Qatari television network threatens national security. Al Jazeera rejected accusations that it harmed Israel's security as a "dangerous and ridiculous lie" that puts its journalists at risk and said that it reserved the right to "pursue every legal step".

Russia blames Baltic countries for the severing of most ties

The "hostile line" of the Baltic countries have led to the severance of most of their ties with Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said in remarks published on Sunday, warning also that Moscow will respond with asymmetric measures. "Because of the openly hostile line of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, all interstate, interdepartmental, regional and sectoral ties with Russia have been severed," Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the Russian foreign ministry told the RIA state news agency, referring to the capitals of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Death toll from Kenya floods rises to 228

The number of people killed by flooding and other impacts of the heavy rains battering Kenya has risen to 228, the interior ministry said on Sunday. The torrential rains that have caused widespread flooding and landslides across the country in recent weeks are forecast to worsen in May.

South Africa inquiry blames authorities for neglect leading to deadly fire

An inquiry into a fire that killed 77 people in Johannesburg last year blamed neglect by authorities for allowing a building to become a den for guns, murder, drugs and combustible trash, and failing to evacuate it once it was clear it was a hazard. South Africa opened the inquiry last October to determine responsibility for the blaze on Aug. 31 last year in the rundown centre of its commercial hub.

France's Macron set to press China's Xi on trade, Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron will likely urge China's President Xi Jinping, who arrives in Paris on Sunday for a rare visit, to reduce trade imbalances and to use his influence with Russia over the war in Ukraine. Macron's hopes are unlikely to be easily fulfilled during a time of mounting trade disputes between Europe and China.

Death toll from rains in southern Brazil climbs to 66, over 100 still missing

The death toll from heavy rains that have inundated Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 66, local authorities said on Sunday. The number of people still missing rose to 101 and more than 80,000 had been displaced, according to the state civil defence authority. It was investigating whether another six deaths were related to the storms, it added.

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