Reuters World News Summary

The latest estimated death toll in Kenya has doubled as heavy seasonal rains following the worst drought in four decades have submerged towns and villages across East Africa, rendering hundreds of thousands of people homeless. US funding for Ukraine arms has poured into Pennsylvania, Arizona and Texas The Biden administration has been circulating on Capitol Hill the first breakdown of which U.S. states have benefited from the billions of dollars spent on arming Ukraine, in a move to gather more support from Republicans who have voted against aid for Kyiv.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Analysis-Canada mining deal emerges as flashpoint in Panama 2024 election

Fierce opposition to a mining deal with a Canadian firm has become a burning issue in Panama's May 2024 presidential election, with candidates pushing for more state control of the lucrative mine and the country's top court striking down the contract. Panamanians have held the biggest protests in decades to have the contract signed on Oct. 20 by Canada's First Quantum scrapped, and have pressed candidates for a tougher stance on a mine worth about 5% of national GDP and 1.5% of global copper output.

Russia's Putin, shown alongside Orthodox icon image, warns West against meddling

President Vladimir Putin, whose picture was shown between two giant images of an ancient Orthodox icon on Tuesday, warned the West ahead of elections in March 2024 that any foreign meddling in Russia would be considered an act of aggression. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, prompting Putin to pivot towards China.

Israel, Hamas due to release more people amid efforts to extend truce

Hamas and Israel were expected to release more hostages and prisoners on Wednesday, the last day of a prolonged six-day truce in the Gaza Strip conflict, as attention focused on whether mediator Qatar could negotiate another extension. The Palestinian militant group Hamas and allied group Islamic Jihad freed 12 hostages on Tuesday, bringing the total released since the truce began on Friday to 81. Those have been mostly Israeli women and children along with foreign citizens.

Argentina's Milei seeks foreign policy, IMF reset in Washington trip

Argentina's president-elect Javier Milei met on Tuesday with top U.S. officials in Washington and his economic team huddled with IMF officers as he seeks to formulate a plan to reshape the country's foreign policy and lead its economy out of crisis. Milei told reporters as he left the White House that his meeting had been "excellent." Among those in attendance were national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Juan Gonzalez, the National Security Council's senior director for the Western Hemisphere.

Sudanese general accuses UAE of supplying paramilitary RSF

A top Sudanese general has said the United Arab Emirates is sending supplies to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), publicly accusing the UAE of involvement in its war with its powerful paramilitary rival for the first time. Army leaders had previously only hinted at interference from unnamed neighbouring countries in the seven-month-old war, which has displaced more than 6 million people and triggered waves of ethnically driven killings in Darfur.

India jubilant as all trapped workers rescued from Himalayan tunnel

Rescuers on Tuesday pulled out all 41 workers trapped for 17 days inside a collapsed tunnel in the Himalayas after drilling through the debris of rock, concrete and earth to reach them, triggering jubilation across India. The evacuation of the men - low-wage workers from some of India's poorest states - began more than six hours after rescuers broke through the debris in the tunnel in Uttarakhand state, which caved in on Nov. 12.

Death toll from Kenya's El Nino floods jumps to 120

Severe flooding caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon has killed 120 people in Kenya, while people in almost 90,000 households have been forced to leave their homes, the government said on Tuesday. The latest estimated death toll in Kenya has doubled as heavy seasonal rains following the worst drought in four decades have submerged towns and villages across East Africa, rendering hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

US funding for Ukraine arms has poured into Pennsylvania, Arizona and Texas

The Biden administration has been circulating on Capitol Hill the first breakdown of which U.S. states have benefited from the billions of dollars spent on arming Ukraine, in a move to gather more support from Republicans who have voted against aid for Kyiv. While three of the eight Republican members of Congress from Pennsylvania have been voting against funding to help stop Russia's invasion, the data shows the Keystone State has received $2.364 billion - the most of any state - in spending and investments to build arms and ammunition, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Pope strips conservative US cardinal of Vatican privileges, Vatican official says

Pope Francis has removed some of the Vatican privileges of conservative American Cardinal Raymond Burke, including a large subsidized apartment and his salary, a senior Vatican official said on Tuesday. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, participated in a regular Vatican meeting when the pope made the announcement to senior aides last week.

French far-right protests over stabbing were stirred by Dublin riots - source

Night-time protests across France over the past few days by ultra-right militants chanting "Islam out of Europe" have been fanned by last week's rioting in Dublin, a French intelligence source and far-right Telegram communications indicate. The demonstrations in protest at the fatal Nov. 19 stabbing of a teenager were an attempt by the far-right "to convince the French public that immigration is the cause of crime," far-right expert and political scientist Jean-Yves Camus said.

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