Reuters World News Summary

The United States also began retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. military said, after a drone attack in Jordan this week killed three U.S. troops, developments likely to increase concern about spiralling tensions in the Middle East. Cuban president sacks economy minister as controversy grows over price hikes Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel sacked economy minister Alejandro Gil on Friday, state media reported, as controversy continued to grow over the delay of recently announced measures to hike the price of fuel and transportation fares in the communist-run country.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

US imposes new sanctions over Iranian arms, cyber activity

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile and drone procurement programs as well as officials it said were involved in hacking U.S. infrastructure, as Washington looks to increase pressure on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement it had imposed sanctions on four Iran- and Hong Kong-based companies involved in providing materials and technology to Iran's ballistic missile and drone programs as well as a Hong Kong-based firm for selling Iranian commodities to Chinese entities.

Brazil's military reinforces border with Venezuela and Guyana due to Esequibo

A convoy of military trucks and armored vehicles set off for Brazil's northern border on Friday to reinforce the presence of the Brazilian army in response to tensions over Venezuela's claim to Guyana's Esequibo region. More than two dozen armored cars arrived in Manaus by river transport and some left by road for Boa Vista, capital of Roraima state, where the local garrison will be increased to 600 soldiers, the army said in a statement.

North Korea tested firing cruise missiles on Feb 2 -KCNA

North Korea tested its cruise missiles as well as new land-to-air missiles off its west coast on Feb. 2, state media reported on Saturday, confirming a barrage of launches for weapons it said are aimed at enhancing defense capabilities. The launch on Friday marked the fourth time in just over a week that Pyongyang has launched such missiles.

Argentina lawmakers advance Milei's 'omnibus' reform bill over key hurdle

Argentina's lower chamber of deputies gave overall approval to libertarian President Javier Milei's sweeping "omnibus" reform bill in a vote on Friday after days of debate, paving the way for a decisive vote in the Senate. The controversial reform package was approved on a vote of 144 votes in favor, and 109 against.

Romanian agreement with farmers and hauliers ends protests

Romania's coalition government said on Friday it had reached an agreement with farmers and hauliers to end weeks of protests against high business costs, even as farmers elsewhere in the EU continued to block roads and border crossings. The protests stem from anger about low prices for produce, rising costs, imports of cheap foodstuffs and constraints imposed by the European Union's drive to fight climate change.

US carries out retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran-linked targets

The United States carried out retaliatory airstrikes on Friday in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it backs, the U.S. military said, after a deadly attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops and injured some 40 others. The strikes are believed to be just the first in a multi-tiered response by President Joe Biden's administration to the attack last weekend carried out by Iran-backed militants.

Ukraine tells White House of plan to fire top commander -sources

The Ukrainian government has informed the White House that it plans to fire the country's top military commander overseeing the war against Russian occupation forces, two knowledgeable sources said on Friday. The move to oust General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, who has clashed with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over military strategy and other issues, follows a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year that failed to recover significant amounts of Russian-held territory.

Canada considers sanctions on settlers in West Bank over violence

Canada is looking at imposing sanctions on "extremist" settlers in the West Bank, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, a day after U.S. action against four Israeli men accused of being involved in violence in the occupied territory.

"We are looking into how to make sure that those responsible for extremist violence or extreme settler violence in the West Bank are held to account for it," Trudeau told reporters in Waterloo, Ontario.

Gazans fear Israeli attack on their last refuge; US launches retaliatory strikes

Israeli forces shelled the outskirts of Rafah on Friday, the last refuge on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where hundreds of thousands displaced people, penned against the border fence, feared a new assault with nowhere left to flee. The United States also began retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. military said, after a drone attack in Jordan this week killed three U.S. troops, developments likely to increase concern about spiralling tensions in the Middle East.

Cuban president sacks economy minister as controversy grows over price hikes

Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel sacked economy minister Alejandro Gil on Friday, state media reported, as controversy continued to grow over the delay of recently announced measures to hike the price of fuel and transportation fares in the communist-run country. The Council of State, under Diaz-Canel`s direction, has appointed Central Bank president Joaquín Alonso, 60, to replace Gil.

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