Reuters World News Summary

The withdrawal by Muharrem Ince, one of four contesting Sunday's presidential vote, could reshape the last days of campaigning in what is seen as Erdogan's biggest test in his two-decade reign. U.S., China look to move beyond balloon incident to stabilize ties President Joe Biden's national security adviser met China's top diplomat this week and both sides recognized the need to move beyond an alleged spy balloon incident that caused a pause in relations between the superpowers, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Israel kills senior Gaza commanders as rockets cause first death in Israel

Israel killed the head of Islamic Jihad's rocket force and his deputy, pressing an operation that has cost 30 lives in Gaza including women and children, while Palestinian cross-border rocket salvoes inflicted a first fatality in Israel on Thursday. Amid mediation efforts by Egypt, neither side seemed ready to douse the worst flare-up since August, now in its third day.

Desperate and bewildered, migrants stuck at US gates as Title 42 ends

Hundreds of migrants from around the world seeking a better life in the United States have instead found themselves trapped in squalid conditions near the Mexican border, tantalizingly close to their destination, and desperate. On the eve of the expiration of Title 42, the COVID-era provision blocking most asylum-seekers from seeking legal entry into the United States, hundreds of migrants have camped out at the border between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego.

Erdogan's rival boosted by withdrawal, poll lead ahead of Turkey vote

The man challenging Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey's presidential elections this weekend received a boost on Thursday when a small party candidate abruptly withdrew and a closely-watched poll gave him a more than five percentage point advantage. The withdrawal by Muharrem Ince, one of four contesting Sunday's presidential vote, could reshape the last days of campaigning in what is seen as Erdogan's biggest test in his two-decade reign.

U.S., China look to move beyond balloon incident to stabilize ties

President Joe Biden's national security adviser met China's top diplomat this week and both sides recognized the need to move beyond an alleged spy balloon incident that caused a pause in relations between the superpowers, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday. The White House hoped the eight hours of talks in Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat Wang Yi would pave the way for more communications between the world's two biggest economies, the official said.

Judge frees former justice minister arrested for Brasilia riots

The official in charge of Brasilia's public security when government buildings were stormed by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Jan. 8 was freed on Thursday after almost four months under arrest for his alleged role. Anderson Torres was Bolsonaro's justice minister and became the city's security chief on Jan. 2 and took off on holiday to the United States four days later. He was arrested on his return.

Russia denies reports of Ukrainian breakthroughs along front lines

Russia's defence ministry on Thursday denied reports that Ukrainian forces had broken through in various places along the front lines and said the military situation was under control. Moscow reacted after Russian military bloggers, writing on the Telegram messaging app, reported what they said were Ukrainian advances north and south of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, with some suggesting a long-awaited counteroffensive by pro-Kyiv forces had started.

Sudan's rival forces agree to protect civilians but no ceasefire

Sudan's warring factions early on Friday committed to protect civilians and the movement of humanitarian aid, but did not agree to a ceasefire and remain far apart, U.S. officials said. After a week of talks in the Saudi port of Jeddah, Sudan's army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) signed a declaration that they would work towards a short-term ceasefire in further talks, they said.

US envoy says Russian ship picked up weapons in South Africa

The United States envoy to South Africa said on Thursday he was confident that a Russian ship had picked up weapons in South Africa last year, in a possible breach of Pretoria's declared neutrality in the Ukraine conflict. The rand and South Africa's 2030 government bond extended losses after the U.S. assertion as currency traders said they were worried that South Africa could now face Western sanctions.

Top Pakistan court rules Imran Khan's arrest unlawful, streets are quiet

Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest was unlawful, two days after his detention on graft allegations triggered deadly violence, escalating his tussle with the powerful military. The protests coincide with Pakistan's worst economic crisis in decades, with record high inflation, anaemic growth and IMF funding delayed for months, prompting concerns that the country could default on its external payment obligations.

US lawmakers introduce bill to combat normalization with Syria's Assad

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill on Thursday intended to bar the American government from recognizing Bashar al-Assad as Syria's president and to enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions - a warning to other countries normalizing relations with Assad. The bill, first reported by Reuters, would prohibit the government from recognizing or normalizing relations with any Syrian government led by Assad, who is under U.S. sanctions, and expands on the Caesar Act, which imposed a tough round of sanctions on Syria in 2020.

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