Reuters World News Summary

The justices put on hold the criminal case being pursued by Special Counsel Jack Smith and will review a lower court's rejection of Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution because he was president when he took actions aimed at reversing President Joe Biden's election victory over him. Eight EU countries call for sanctions on Russian judiciary over Navalny's death Eight European Union countries called on Wednesday for sanctions on Russia's prosecutors, courts and penitentiary officials over the death earlier this month of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a letter seen by Reuters showed.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Pro-EU Moldova dismisses breakaway region's request for Russian help

Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region asked Russia on Wednesday to help its economy withstand Moldovan "pressure," at a meeting of hundreds of officials dismissed by the pro-European Chisinau government as a propaganda event to gain headlines. The region, long seen as a potential flashpoint with Russia in Europe, held a "congress of deputies of all levels" after Moldova required Transdniestrian firms to pay import duties to the central budget from January.

Navalny to be buried in Moscow on Friday, wife fears possible arrests

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny's funeral will be held in Moscow on Friday, his wife Yulia announced, but she said she was unsure if it would pass off peacefully and that plans for a civil memorial service had been blocked. Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokesperson, posted on X that a service for Navalny would be held on Friday afternoon in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the Moscow district of Maryino where Navalny used to live.

Five suspects in Ecuador presidential candidate killing to go on trial, attorney general says

Five suspects accused of involvement in the assassination of Ecuadorean anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was gunned down in Quito last August, will go to trial, the attorney general's office said on Wednesday. A sixth suspect will be released according to a judge's ruling, the office added in a post on social media.

Canada will reinstate some visa requirements for Mexicans, says CBC

Canada will reinstate some visa requirements for Mexican nationals on Thursday in a bid to curb the flow of asylum seekers, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp said, citing a senior official. Last month the premier of Quebec, the second most populous of Canada's 10 provinces, urged Ottawa to stem the flow of refugees and to compensate the province for costs.

G7 finance meeting marred by divisions over seizing Russian assets

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Wednesday publicly challenged U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's view that it would be legal to monetize some $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, revealing deep divisions among Group of Seven countries. Le Maire, speaking after a G7 finance officials meeting, rejected the U.S. position and said France was convinced there was no sufficient basis in international law to proceed, and further work was required.

Masked men in Gaza enforce prices in street markets

Armed, masked men in Gaza have started patrols to stop traders profiteering in Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are taking shelter from Israel's air and ground campaign, a member of the vigilante group said. Nearly five months into the war, prices have soared in Gaza with all commercial imports cut off when hostilities began on Oct. 7, and only limited quantities of humanitarian aid coming in.

US Supreme Court to decide Trump criminal immunity claim in 2020 election case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide Donald Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss, giving him a boost as he tries to delay criminal prosecutions while running to regain the presidency. The justices put on hold the criminal case being pursued by Special Counsel Jack Smith and will review a lower court's rejection of Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution because he was president when he took actions aimed at reversing President Joe Biden's election victory over him.

Eight EU countries call for sanctions on Russian judiciary over Navalny's death

Eight European Union countries called on Wednesday for sanctions on Russia's prosecutors, courts and penitentiary officials over the death earlier this month of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a letter seen by Reuters showed. The letter, sent to the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, was signed by the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania Latvia, Poland, Sweden and Romania.

Hamas raises stakes in Gaza truce talks by calling for Ramadan march

Hamas called on Wednesday for Palestinians to march to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque at the start of Ramadan, raising the stakes in ongoing negotiations for a truce in Gaza, which U.S. President Joe Biden hopes will be in place by then. The call by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh followed comments by Biden that an agreement could be reached between Israel and Hamas as soon as next week for a ceasefire during the Muslim fasting month expected to start this year on March 10.

ICC orders record $56 million compensation for Uganda victims

Nearly 50,000 victims of Ugandan militia commander Dominic Ongwen should get a total of over 52 million euros ($56 million) in compensation, International Criminal Court judges ruled on Wednesday, in a record reparations order. Judges said Ongwen, a former child-soldier who rose through the ranks to become one of the top commanders of the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, did not have the resources to pay the compensation himself.

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