Reuters World News Summary

Director-general of security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, said in an annual speech on Wednesday evening his agency had recently confronted a spy ring from a country he did not name, which had recruited an unnamed former politician several years ago. G20 finance chiefs fail to reach joint statement amid Gaza, Ukraine debate Finance leaders from the world's largest economies failed to agree on a joint statement as they wrapped up talks on Thursday, with divisions over the wars in Gaza and Ukraine overshadowing efforts to forge a consensus on global economic development.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

US judge blocks Texas law cracking down on illegal border crossings

A federal judge in Texas on Thursday blocked the Republican-led state's new law giving officials broad powers to arrest, prosecute and order the removal of people who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. District Judge David Ezra in Austin agreed with Democratic President Joe Biden's administration that the law known as SB4 interferes with the federal government's powers under the U.S. Constitution to enforce U.S. immigration laws and the ability of migrants to apply for asylum and other humanitarian aid.

Haiti PM commits to elections by 2025, CARICOM to send team

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has committed to holding general elections by Aug. 31 next year, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) said in a statement on Thursday, a day after the conclusion of a regional summit in Guyana. CARICOM said it would send an assessment team to evaluate electoral needs by March 31 of this year to support planning and establishment of the relevant institutions.

More than 100 killed while seeking aid in Gaza, overall death toll passes 30,000

Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces on Thursday shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery, but Israel blamed the deaths on crowds that surrounded aid trucks, saying victims had been trampled or run over. At least 112 people were killed and more than 280 wounded in the incident near Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said.

Australia PM supports spy chief decision not to name ex politician who 'sold out'

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday he supported the spy chief's decision not to name a former politician who had "sold out" to a foreign intelligence service. Director-general of security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, said in an annual speech on Wednesday evening his agency had recently confronted a spy ring from a country he did not name, which had recruited an unnamed former politician several years ago.

G20 finance chiefs fail to reach joint statement amid Gaza, Ukraine debate

Finance leaders from the world's largest economies failed to agree on a joint statement as they wrapped up talks on Thursday, with divisions over the wars in Gaza and Ukraine overshadowing efforts to forge a consensus on global economic development. Brazil, which hosted finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of Twenty (G20) major economies, issued its own summary in lieu of a shared communique. India took a similar tack in its G20 presidency last year, but still rallied most of the G20 in condemnation of Russia for invading Ukraine.

Bangladesh building fire kills at least 43, injures dozens

A massive fire raced through a six-storey building in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka late on Thursday, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens, the country's health minister said. The fire originated in a restaurant and quickly spread to other floors, fire service officials said.

Putin warns West of risk of nuclear war, says Moscow can strike Western targets

President Vladimir Putin told Western countries on Thursday they risked provoking a nuclear war if they sent troops to fight in Ukraine, warning that Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West. The war in Ukraine has triggered the worst crisis in Moscow's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Putin has previously spoken of the dangers of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, but his nuclear warning on Thursday was one of his most explicit.

Ukraine repels Russian attacks but situation is difficult, top general says

Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops from the village of Orlivka, west of Avdiivka, but the situation on the eastern front remains difficult, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Thursday. Orlivka is less than 2 kilometres (1-1/2 miles) northwest of Lastochkyne, which was occupied this week by Russian forces.

US Senate defeats bid to stop F-16 fighter jet sale to Turkey

The U.S. Senate on Thursday soundly defeated an effort to stop the $23 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits to Turkey, which President Joe Biden's administration approved after Turkey approved Sweden's joining the NATO alliance. The Senate voted 79 to 13 against a resolution of disapproval of the sale introduced by Republican Senator Rand Paul.

Exclusive-A halt to Gaza fighting would trigger Lebanon ceasefire talks, PM says

A halt to fighting in the Gaza Strip as early as next week would trigger indirect talks to end hostilities along Lebanon's southern border with Israel, Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati said on Thursday. In an interview with Reuters, Mikati said he was confident that the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah would cease fire if Israel did the same, ending nearly five months of cross-border shelling and airstrikes.

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