World News Roundup: Pope Francis urges diplomatic solution to Ukraine war on anniversary of invasion; Belarus' Lukashenko says he'll run for president in 2025 and more

Russia's defence ministry said its troops had pushed back Ukrainian forces near Klishchiivka, Dyleyevka and Kurdiumivka in the Donetsk region and taken better positions near Avdiivka which fell to Russia earlier this month. Italy and Canada sign security deals with Ukraine The leaders of Canada and Italy signed security agreements with Ukraine on Saturday after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Kyiv marked the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

How Russia's military uses volunteer fighters to plug gaps in Ukraine

When Russian forces withdrew from the town of Balakliia in eastern Ukraine in late 2022, pursued by Ukrainian troops and under artillery fire, they left a poorly equipped group of volunteers to guard their retreat. The force of around 50 men came from the National Army Combat Reserve - known by its Russian acronym BARS - a loose assembly of units totaling several thousand fighters that Russia's defense ministry has deployed in Ukraine to supplement its regular forces.

Russia says its forces take better positions near Avdiivka and Donetsk

Russia said on Sunday that its forces had taken more advantageous positions near Avdiivka and Donetsk after President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to push further into Ukraine after two years of full-scale war. Russia's defence ministry said its troops had pushed back Ukrainian forces near Klishchiivka, Dyleyevka and Kurdiumivka in the Donetsk region and taken better positions near Avdiivka which fell to Russia earlier this month.

Italy and Canada sign security deals with Ukraine

The leaders of Canada and Italy signed security agreements with Ukraine on Saturday after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Kyiv marked the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. Canada and Italy join Britain, Germany, France and Denmark in concluding 10-year security deals with Kyiv that are intended to shore up Ukraine's security until it can reach its aim of becoming a member of the NATO military alliance.

Alexei Navalny's body handed over to his mother, spokeswoman says

The body of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in prison last week, has been handed over to his mother, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday. Yarmysh said she did not know if the authorities would allow a funeral to be held "the way the family wants and the way Alexei deserves".

Pope Francis urges diplomatic solution to Ukraine war on anniversary of invasion

Pope Francis on Sunday called for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine that would lead to a just and lasting peace, as the second anniversary of Russia's invasion was marked a day earlier. "So many victims, wounded, destruction, anguish, and tears in a period that is becoming terribly long and whose end is not in sight. It is a war that not only devastates that region but also unleashes global waves of hate and fear", Pope Francis said during his weekly Angelus message.

Young Indian protesters determined to secure agrarian reforms from Modi govt

Farmers in India's northern Punjab state demanding higher prices for their crops from the national government are relying on young students to ensure the agitation's momentum does not fizzle out. Eighteen-year-old Simranjeet Singh Mathada is one of thousands of college students who have been waking up at 3 am for almost two weeks to help cook meals at community kitchens, fill tankers with potable water and load tractor trailers with supplies before heading to the protest site some 200 km (125 miles) from the capital, New Delhi.

Israel, Hamas skirmish in Gaza as truce efforts pick up pace

Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen clashed throughout the Gaza Strip over the weekend, as mediators picked up the pace of talks over a possible ceasefire to free hostages held by Hamas and bring a measure of Ramadan respite to the battered enclave. Prospects for securing any truce looked uncertain, however, with Israel saying it was, in parallel, planning to expand its sweep to destroy Hamas, while the Islamist faction stood firm on its demand for a permanent end to the nearly five-month-old war.

India's Assam scraps colonial-era Muslim marriage law

India's Assam state has scrapped an 89-year-old law that allowed marriage involving underage Muslims, against opposition from leaders of the minority community who called the plan an attempt to polarise voters on religious lines ahead of elections. Assam, which has the highest percentage of Muslims among Indian states at 34%, has previously said it wants to implement uniform civil laws for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance, as the state of Uttarakhand did earlier this month.

Ukraine's top general, defence minister visit posts near front line

Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov visited command posts near the front line to analyse the battlefield and boost defences, the top general said on Sunday. Kyiv's military is struggling to stave off Russian forces along the sprawling front line as Moscow's full-scale invasion passes its two-year mark.

Belarus' Lukashenko says he'll run for president in 2025

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said he would run for president again in 2025, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported on Sunday. "Tell them (the exiled opposition) that I'll run," Lukashenko told journalists at a polling station after voting in parliamentary and local council elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)