Reuters World News Summary

The junta's foreign ministry said in a press release that the heads of state or government of Myanmar enjoyed equal and full rights to participate in summits of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Biden, Macron discussed European defense, will meet in Rome -White House U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday discussed security cooperation in Africa, Europe and the Indo-Pacific, as the two countries work to mend fences after a rift over a U.S. security pact with Britain and Australia.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

White House repeats no Taiwan policy change; experts see Biden gaffe

The White House on Friday reiterated that Joe Biden was not signaling a change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan when he said the United States would come to the island's aid if it was attacked by China, and analysts dismissed the president's remark as a gaffe. While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, it has long followed a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

Israel designates Palestinian civil society groups as terrorists, U.N. 'alarmed'

Israel on Friday designated six Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organisations and accused them of funnelling donor aid to militants, a move that drew criticism from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs. Israel's defence ministry said the groups had ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), a left-wing faction with an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.

Merkel says German politics needs more women; don't ask about her blazers!

Angela Merkel encouraged more women to get involved in German politics as she prepared to leave office after 16 years as the country's first female chancellor, saying it was still too male-dominated and needed to get with the times. And Merkel, who inspired women around the world as leader of Europe's largest economy, showed her typical no-nonsense flair as she answered a wardrobe-related question from Sueddeutsche Zeitung that probably would not have been asked of a man.

Colombian wanted in Haiti assassination to be extradited from Jamaica -Colombia police

Jamaica will extradite a former Colombian military member implicated in the assassination of former Haiti President Jovenel Moise to Port-au-Prince, Colombia's police chief said on Friday. Mario Antonio Palacios, 43, was arrested in Jamaica, Haitian authorities said, describing him has "very dangerous."

Red Cross warns aid groups not enough to stave off Afghan humanitarian crisis

The Red Cross on Friday urged the international community to engage with Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers, saying that aid groups on their own would be unable to stave off a humanitarian crisis. Afghanistan has been plunged into crisis by the abrupt end of billions of dollars in foreign assistance following the collapse of the Western-backed government and return to power by the Taliban in August.

Myanmar decries move to block junta leader from regional summit

Myanmar's military government said on Friday it rejected a decision by its Southeast Asian neighbours to invite only a non-political figure to an upcoming regional summit in a snub to the leader of the Feb. 1 coup. The junta's foreign ministry said in a press release that the heads of state or government of Myanmar enjoyed equal and full rights to participate in summits of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Biden, Macron discussed European defense, will meet in Rome -White House

U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday discussed security cooperation in Africa, Europe and the Indo-Pacific, as the two countries work to mend fences after a rift over a U.S. security pact with Britain and Australia. Biden and Macron plan to continue their discussions when they meet this month in Rome at a summit of leaders from the Group of 20 major economies, the White House said.

Exclusive-U.S. hopes to soon relocate Afghan pilots who fled to Tajikistan, official says

The United States hopes to soon relocate around 150 U.S.-trained Afghan Air Force pilots and other personnel detained in Tajikistan for more than two months after they flew there at the end of the Afghan war, a U.S. official said. The State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to offer a timeline for the transfer but said the United States wanted to move all of those held at the same time. The details of the U.S. plan have not been previously reported.

U.N. plane aborts landing as air strike hits Ethiopia's Tigray

An Ethiopian government air strike on the capital of the northern Tigray region on Friday forced a U.N. aid flight to abort a landing there, the United Nations said. In neighboring Amhara region, people were fleeing intensified fighting.

UK police investigating 2017 Manchester attack arrest a man

British police investigating the 2017 Manchester Arena suicide bombing attack arrested a man on Friday on suspicion of a terror offence, Greater Manchester Police said. The 24 year-old man was arrested as he returned to Britain via Manchester Airport on suspicion of engaging in the preparation of acts of terrorism/assisting others in acts of preparation, the police force said in a statement.

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