Global Pulse: World News Roundup

This digest covers significant world news including Israeli tank advances in Gaza, U.S. immigration policy changes under President Biden, a defense pact between Russia and North Korea, and extreme heat threats. Other stories include opinions on Ukraine's stance by Russia's Putin, polls indicating a likely defeat for UK's Conservative party, and ongoing operations and security concerns in Gaza and the Red Sea.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Israeli tanks push deeper into Rafah, forcing people to flee again

Israeli tanks backed by warplanes and drones advanced deeper into the western part of the Gaza Strip city of Rafah on Wednesday, killing eight people, according to residents and Palestinian medics. Residents said the tanks moved into five neighbourhoods after midnight. Heavy shelling and gunfire hit the tents of displaced families in the Al-Mawasi area, further to the west of the coastal enclave, they said.

Biden policy is welcome relief for Americans with spouses in the country illegally

When news broke of U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to provide a path to citizenship for certain immigrants who entered the country illegally and are married to U.S. citizens, Pennsylvania-based immigration lawyer Bridget Cambria didn't need long to think of clients it could help. Over the years, she had met with many such couples, explaining to them how difficult it was going to be for the immigrant spouse to get U.S. legal permanent residency. The process, in most cases, required the immigrant to leave the country, potentially enduring years of family separation before being eligible to return.

Russia's Putin and North Korea's Kim sign mutual defence pact

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a deal with North Korea's Kim Jong Un on Wednesday that included a mutual defence pledge, one of Russia's most significant moves in Asia for years that Kim said amounted to an "alliance". Putin's pledge overhauls Russia's entire post-Soviet policy on North Korea just as the United States and its Asian allies try to gauge how far Russia could deepen support for the only country to have tested a nuclear weapon this century.

Explainer-How extreme heat threatens health and safety

With extreme heat gripping much of the Northern Hemisphere this week, authorities and public health experts have issued heat warnings to help keep people safe. Parts of China, India, the Middle East, southern Europe and the United States are bracing for the possibility of new record highs.

Russia's Putin praises Vietnam for its stance on Ukraine

Russia's President Vladimir Putin praised Vietnam for its "balanced" stance on the Ukraine war and listed progress on payments, energy and trade in an opinion piece published on Wednesday in the newspaper of Vietnam's Communist Party. In the piece timed for Putin's state visit to Vietnam, he applauded the Southeast Asian Communist-ruled country for supporting "a pragmatic way to solve the crisis" in Ukraine, in comments published in the Nhan Dan newspaper.

Analysis-With defence pledge, Putin makes shift towards North Korea

Vladimir Putin, on his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, signed a mutual defence pledge with Kim Jong Un on Wednesday, underscoring just how far Russia has recast its relations with the only country to test a nuclear weapon this century. Putin, who is locked into a major confrontation with the West over Ukraine, cemented his pivot to North Korea after nearly two decades of supporting United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang.

UK PM Sunak's Conservatives set for heavy election defeat, polls forecast

Three opinion polls on Wednesday predicted a record defeat for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives at a July 4 election, forecasting the Labour Party would comfortably win a large majority after 14 years in opposition. Polling by YouGov showed Keir Starmer's Labour was on track to win 425 parliamentary seats in Britain's 650-strong House of Commons, the most in its history. Savanta predicted 516 seats for Labour and More in Common gave it 406.

U.S. military's stop-start Gaza pier to resume operations, officials say

The U.S. military's on-again, off-again floating pier in Gaza is expected to resume operations on Thursday to unload sorely needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the pier had been re-attached to the shore on Wednesday after being temporarily removed last Friday due to poor sea conditions.

Shipping industry urges Red Sea action as Houthis sink second vessel

Urgent action must be taken in the Red Sea to stop attacks on merchant shipping by Yemen's Houthis, leading industry groups said on Wednesday, after the sinking of a second ship. Iran-aligned Houthi militants first launched drone and missile strikes on the important trade route in November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In more than 70 attacks, they have also seized one vessel and its crew and killed at least three seafarers.

Russian President Putin arrives in Vietnam for state visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Vietnam early on Thursday for talks with the country's Communist leaders on the final stop of his two-nation tour of Asia after concluding a defence pact with North Korea. Putin's aircraft touched down at Hanoi's airport, where he was met on a red carpet by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha and top party diplomat Le Hoai Trung.

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