Reuters World News Summary

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced Daoud Zubeidi's death, citing information from Israeli authorities, and armed groups vowed revenge. Germany's conservatives on track to win key state vote Germany's conservative CDU party was on track to win a regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday, but the Green party could emerge as "kingmaker" in a potential coalition with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats and the FDP.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Honduras arrests accused drug cartel leader sought by U.S. for extradition

Honduran authorities arrested accused cartel leader Herlinda Bobadilla on Sunday, following an extradition request for her and her sons by the United States. Police arrested Bobadilla after an "intense confrontation," during which her son Tito Montes Bobadilla was killed, according to a tweet by National Police Commissioner Gustavo Sanchez Velasquez. Three other people were also arrested, Sanchez said without naming them. Police did not provide further details of the incident.

Kim Jong Un orders North Korea military to 'stabilize' drug supply amid COVID outbreak

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided an emergency politburo meeting and ordered the military be used to stabilize the supply of medicines in Pyongyang as the country battles its first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, state media reported on Monday. North Korea acknowledged for the first time last week that it is battling an "explosive" COVID-19 outbreak, with experts raising concerns that the virus could devastate a country with limited medical supplies and no vaccine programme.

Battle rages for Ukrainian region of Donbas

Russia pummelled positions in the east of Ukraine on Sunday, its defence ministry said, as it sought to encircle Ukrainian forces in the battle for Donbas and fend off a counteroffensive around the strategic Russian-controlled city of Izium. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) secretary general, meanwhile, told a meeting in Germany that Ukraine could win the war, calling for more military support and fast-track approval of Finland and Sweden's expected bids to join the alliance.

Burning munitions cascade down on Ukrainian steel plant - video

White, brightly burning munitions were shown cascading down on the Azovstal steel works in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol in what a British military expert said looked like either an attack with phosphorus or incendiary weapons. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said "delicate" negotiations were proceeding on rescuing Ukrainian servicemen holed up beneath the vast complex.

Lebanon holds first parliament election since financial collapse, blast

Lebanese voted on Sunday in the first parliamentary election since the country's economic collapse, with many saying they hoped to deal a blow to ruling politicians they blame for the crisis even if the odds of major change appear slim. The election is seen as a test of whether the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies can keep their assembly majority amid soaring poverty and anger at parties in power.

NATO expects Turkey not to hold up Finland, Sweden membership

NATO and the United States said on Sunday they were confident Turkey would not hold up membership of Finland and Sweden in the Western military alliance, as the two Nordic states took firm steps to join in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on Sunday that his country would apply to join NATO, while Sweden's ruling Social Democrats announced an official policy change that would pave the way for their country to apply within days.

UK's Johnson sees room for a deal on N.Ireland post-Brexit trade

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted to resolve a standoff with the European Union over Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trade rules, but he kept open the option of unilateral action that the EU says could start a trade war. Johnson was due to travel to Belfast on Monday to urge local political leaders to form a new power-sharing government, a key institution under the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.

Palestinian militant dies of wounds, days after clashes with Israeli troops

A Palestinian gunmen, brother of a prominent militant in the occupied West Bank, died in an Israeli hospital on Sunday, two days after being wounded in clashes with Israeli forces. The Palestinian Health Ministry announced Daoud Zubeidi's death, citing information from Israeli authorities, and armed groups vowed revenge.

Germany's conservatives on track to win key state vote

Germany's conservative CDU party was on track to win a regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday, but the Green party could emerge as "kingmaker" in a potential coalition with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats and the FDP. An exit poll by infratest dimap, published by broadcaster ARD, had the CDU taking 35.7% of votes, while the Social Democrats were on 27.0%.

Mali's military junta pulls out of regional G5 Sahel force

Mali is pulling out of a multi-national military force in West Africa's Sahel region combatting an Islamist insurgency, the country's military junta said in a statement on Sunday. The G5 Sahel force, which includes troops from Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, was set up in 2017 to counter jihadists who have swept across the region in recent years, killing thousands of people and forcing millions to flee their homes.

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