Reuters World News Summary

Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani - said in a statement to Reuters he will "dissolve the security forces of the previous regime and close the notorious prisons." Ukraine loses ground near strategic hub of Pokrovsk Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv's military said on Wednesday, as Moscow bears down on the strategic logistics hub that is home to a unique Ukrainian coking mine.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands immediate Gaza ceasefire

The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of all hostages. The ceasefire demand in the resolution - adopted with 158 votes in favor in the 193-member assembly - was expressed in more urgent language than one urging an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza that the body "called for" in October 2023 then "demanded" in December 2023.

Brazil's Lula to undergo new surgery to minimize further brain bleeding

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will undergo a new procedure on Thursday morning to complement the surgery he went through this week to drain a bleed on his brain, the hospital said on Wednesday in a medical update that stressed he was doing well. Doctors operated on the leftist leader for about two hours on Tuesday to drain bleeding between his brain and meningeal membrane, which doctors said was linked to a late October fall at his home.

Syrian rebel leader says he will dissolve toppled regime forces, close prisons

Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani - told Reuters in a written statement on Wednesday that he would dissolve the security forces of the toppled regime of Bashar al-Assad. His forces swept across Syria in a lightning offensive that overthrew 50 years of Assad family rule, replacing it with a three-month transitional government of ministers that had been ruling a rebel enclave in Syria's northwest.

Kyiv blasts Orban for Putin call; Hungary's leader touts abortive 'Christmas ceasefire'

Ukraine blasted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for undermining Western unity by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, criticism that Budapest said showed Kyiv was not interested in a "Christmas ceasefire" in the war. Orban, who has had closer ties with Putin than any other European leader during Russia's 33-month-old war in Ukraine, said they spoke for an hour and that he believed the fighting was now in its "most dangerous weeks" to date.

Israel, Palestinians explore Gaza truce with US envoy on Mideast shuttle mission

Israelis and Palestinians are signaling new efforts to forge a ceasefire deal, even a limited one, for the first time in a year that would pause the fighting in Gaza and return to Israel some of the hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave. Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz told his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin in a phone call on Wednesday there was now a chance for a new deal that would allow the return of all the hostages, including U.S. citizens, Katz's office said.

Syria's rebel leader vows to dissolve Assad regime security forces, close prisons

The main commander of the fighters who toppled Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday that he would dissolve the security forces of the former regime, close its prisons and hunt down anyone involved in the torture or killing of detainees. Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani - said in a statement to Reuters he will "dissolve the security forces of the previous regime and close the notorious prisons."

Ukraine loses ground near strategic hub of Pokrovsk

Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv's military said on Wednesday, as Moscow bears down on the strategic logistics hub that is home to a unique Ukrainian coking mine. After months of accelerating advances towards Pokrovsk, Moscow's forces are now as close as 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) from the southern outskirts of the city, according to Ukraine's DeepState, which maps the front lines using open sources.

US general monitors first withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon

A top U.S. military officer visited Beirut on Wednesday to monitor the withdrawal of the first Israeli troops from Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement reached last month, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. Army General Michael Kurilla, CENTCOM's commander, visited the monitoring headquarters in Beirut for the ceasefire and met with the commander of Lebanon's armed forces, General Joseph Aoun, CENTCOM said in a post on X.

Europeans tell UN ready to 'snap back' Iran sanctions if needed

Britain, France and Germany have told the United Nations Security Council that they are ready - if necessary - to trigger a so-called "snap back" of all international sanctions on Iran to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon. They will lose the ability to take such action on Oct. 18 next year when a 2015 U.N. resolution expires. The resolution enshrines Iran's deal with Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Russia and China that lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

Argentina's Kirchner returns as Peronists eye comeback against Milei

Argentina's former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner took the helm of the Peronist party on Wednesday, vowing a comeback to take on the highly popular libertarian President Javier Milei, who took office last year. Kirchner has a daunting task ahead: reuniting the long-standing party that fractured after Milei's election. Until then, Milei was known as an eccentric economic commentator.

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