Reuters World News Summary

Canada and Italy join Britain, Germany, France and Denmark in concluding 10-year security deals with Kyiv that are intended to shore up Ukraine's security until it can reach its aim of becoming a member of the NATO military alliance. Alexei Navalny's body handed over to his mother, spokeswoman says The body of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in prison last week, has been handed over to his mother, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

How Russia's military uses volunteer fighters to plug gaps in Ukraine

When Russian forces withdrew from the town of Balakliia in eastern Ukraine in late 2022, pursued by Ukrainian troops and under artillery fire, they left a poorly equipped group of volunteers to guard their retreat. The force of around 50 men came from the National Army Combat Reserve - known by its Russian acronym BARS - a loose assembly of units totaling several thousand fighters that Russia's defense ministry has deployed in Ukraine to supplement its regular forces.

Italy and Canada sign security deals with Ukraine

The leaders of Canada and Italy signed security agreements with Ukraine on Saturday after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Kyiv marked the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. Canada and Italy join Britain, Germany, France and Denmark in concluding 10-year security deals with Kyiv that are intended to shore up Ukraine's security until it can reach its aim of becoming a member of the NATO military alliance.

Alexei Navalny's body handed over to his mother, spokeswoman says

The body of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in prison last week, has been handed over to his mother, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday. Yarmysh said she did not know if the authorities would allow a funeral to be held "the way the family wants and the way Alexei deserves".

Pope accepts resignation of Polish cleric accused of ignoring abuse

Pope Francis's representatives in Poland said on Saturday that he had accepted the resignation of an archbishop who was accused in a documentary of turning a blind eye to child abuse. The TVN24 news channel's documentary in 2021 alleged that priest Andrzej Dymer, who died that year, had abused children and that the archbishop of the diocese of Szczecin-Kamien, Andrzej Dziega, had known since 1995 but taken no action.

Angry French farmers storm into agriculture fair in Paris

A group of French farmers stormed into a major Paris farm fair on Saturday ahead of a planned visit by President Emmanuel Macron amid anger over costs, red tape and green regulations. Facing dozens of police officers inside the trade fair, the farmers were shouting and booing, calling for the resignation of Macron and using expletives aimed at the French leader.

US military shoot down missile launched into Gulf of Aden, CENTCOM says

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the USS Mason (DDG 87) on Saturday shot down one Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile launched into the Gulf of Aden from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that was likely targeting a fuel tanker. Neither the USS Mason nor the U.S.-flagged, owned, and operated tanker MV Torm Thor were damaged and there were no injuries, CENTCOM added in a statement.

Western leaders in Kyiv, G7 pledge support for Ukraine on war anniversary

Heads of the Group of Seven major democracies on Saturday pledged to stand by war-weary Ukraine, and Western leaders traveled to Kyiv to show solidarity on the second anniversary of Russia's invasion, with no end in the sight to the fighting. After initial successes in pushing back the Russian army, Ukraine has suffered recent setbacks on eastern battlefields, with its generals complaining of growing shortages of both arms and soldiers.

Israel signals progress in Gaza truce talks, Palestinians see little movement

Israeli leaders planned to convene on Saturday to hear of possible progress in mediated negotiations on a new Gaza truce to recover hostages held by Hamas, but Palestinians saw little change in polarised positions almost five months into the war. Israeli delegates met on Friday in Paris with Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators who helped put together the lone ceasefire so far, in November, under which scores of Hamas' captives went free in return for a Palestinian prisoner release.

Flooded Greek lake a warning to European farmers battling climate change

Sitting in a small motorboat, farmer Babis Evangelinos glides over land he once cultivated on the Thessaly plain in central Greece, the nearby trunks of his fruitless almond trees submerged by floodwater. His small plot, near Lake Karla, is among tens of thousands of acres of cotton fields, almond trees and grazing lands that were wiped out by unprecedented flooding last year in one of Greece's key breadbaskets.

UK Conservatives suspend lawmaker who said Islamists control London's mayor

Britain's Conservative Party suspended one of its lawmakers, Lee Anderson, on Saturday after he said the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was under the control of Islamists. Khan, the first Muslim to be mayor of London and a member of the opposition Labour Party, is a frequent target of Conservative criticism for his handling of policing in Britain's capital, including regular pro-Palestinian marches.

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