Reuters World News Summary

Netanyahu's televised remarks to his cabinet were spare on detail and come after opposition leaders last week suspended negotiations pending the formation of a key panel for selecting judges. Start of truce period brings lull in fighting to Sudan's capital The start of a 72-hour ceasefire aimed at calming more than two months of conflict between rival Sudanese military factions brought a lull in clashes in Khartoum early on Sunday following battles and air strikes overnight, residents said.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Uganda sends more troops to pursue attackers who killed 37 students

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday ordered more troops to western Uganda where attackers from a group with links to Islamic State killed at least 37 secondary school students. Members of the rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed the students late on Friday at Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Scholz faces tricky balancing act in Germany-China talks

Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces a delicate balancing act this week at German-Chinese government consultations in Berlin, seeking to maintain good ties with Germany's largest trade partner while complying with a G7 pledge to "de-risk" from Beijing. Scholz receives Chinese premier Li Qiang for dinner in the chancellery on Monday evening ahead of the seventh round of bilateral, biennial talks which are also the first face-to-face session since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amid US-China rivalry, a landmark science deal faces new scrutiny

For over 40 years, a landmark agreement between the United States and China has yielded cooperation across a range of scientific and technical fields, a powerful sign that the rivals could set aside their disputes and work together. Now with bilateral relations in their worst state in decades, a debate is underway within the U.S. government about whether to let the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement (STA) expire later this year, three officials familiar with the discussions said.

Blinken to wrap up rare visit to China, may meet Xi Jinping

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet China's top diplomat and perhaps its president on Monday, the final day of a rare visit to Beijing aimed at preventing the strategic rivals' many disagreements from further deteriorating relations.

The first U.S. secretary of state to visit China in five years, Blinken held more than 7-1/2 hours of "candid" and "constructive" talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday, although they did not appear to make concrete progress on disputes that include Taiwan, trade, human rights and fentanyl.

North Korea says botched satellite launch was 'gravest failure'

North Korea has said its botched military satellite launch last month was the "gravest failure" at the ruling party's latest key meeting, state media KCNA reported on Monday.

The enlarged plenary meeting was held between Friday and Sunday, ordering workers and researchers to analyze the failed military satellite launch and prepare for another in the near future.

Israel's Netanyahu seeks 'active steps' on judicial overhaul this week

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would pursue "active steps" on a contested judicial overhaul this week after what he described as months of wasteful compromise talks with the political opposition. Netanyahu's televised remarks to his cabinet were spare on detail and come after opposition leaders last week suspended negotiations pending the formation of a key panel for selecting judges.

Start of truce period brings lull in fighting to Sudan's capital

The start of a 72-hour ceasefire aimed at calming more than two months of conflict between rival Sudanese military factions brought a lull in clashes in Khartoum early on Sunday following battles and air strikes overnight, residents said. Sudan's army and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to refrain from attacks and from seeking military advantage during the ceasefire period, which started at 6 a.m. (0400 GMT), as well as allowing for delivery of aid, Saudi and U.S. mediators said. Several previous truces have failed to stop the fighting.

Russia reports fierce fighting as African peace mission leaves empty-handed

Russia reported fierce fighting on Sunday on three sections of the front line in Ukraine, a day after hosting an African peace mission that failed to spark enthusiasm from either Moscow or Kyiv. A Russian-installed official said Ukraine had recaptured Piatykhatky, a village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, and were entrenching themselves there while coming under fire from Russian artillery.

Ukraine targets initial $40 billion for 'Green Marshall Plan'

War-torn Ukraine is seeking up to $40 billion to fund the first part of a "Green Marshall Plan" to rebuild its economy, a senior Ukrainian government official told Reuters ahead of a summit this week. Politicians and financiers will discuss the country's short-term funding issues as well as look at long-term reconstruction efforts at the two-day meeting, starting in London on Wednesday and co-hosted by Ukraine and Britain.

Analysis-Mali faces spectre of anarchy after demanding UN's departure

Mali's unexpected demand for the departure of U.N. peacekeepers may herald a sudden end to a decade-long mission that has struggled to protect civilians and its own troops, raising fears the country could slide deeper into chaos amid an Islamist insurgency and the possible revival of a separatist uprising. The U.N. mission, known as MINUSMA, has been hobbled by restrictions on its air and ground operations since Mali's ruling junta joined forces with Russian military contractor Wagner Group in 2021, limiting its effectiveness against an Islamist insurgency that took root a decade ago and has since spread across West Africa.

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