Reuters World News Summary

Independent journalist Scott Stedman told a court in New York that jailed private detective Aviram Azari worked "on surveillance and cyber-intelligence operations at the behest of Russian oligarchs," citing a mix of public reporting and confidential sources. Latin American leftist bloc condemns exclusions from U.S.-hosted summit A bloc of leftist countries meeting in Havana on Friday condemned the exclusion of certain nations from next month's Summit of the Americas, after the United States said it only wanted leaders of governments that respect democracy to attend.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

'Stop playing' with Russia, end war: Zelenskiy tells West

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West to stop playing around with Russia and impose tougher sanctions on Moscow to end its "senseless war" in Ukraine, adding his country would remain independent, the only question was at what price. Zelenskiy's criticism of the West has mounted in recent days as the European Union moves slowly towards a possible Russian oil embargo and as thousands of Russian forces try to encircle two key eastern cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.

U.S. issues sanctions targeting North Korean weapons of mass destruction program

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on two Russian banks, a North Korean company and a person it accused of supporting North Korea's weapons of mass destruction program, increasing pressure on Pyongyang over its renewed ballistic missile launches. The latest American move came a day after China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-led push to impose more United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its ballistic missile launches, publicly splitting the U.N. Security Council for the first time since it started punishing Pyongyang in 2006.

Israeli forces injure dozens in West Bank protests, Palestinian medics say

Israeli forces injured almost 90 people in protests in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said. At least one Palestinian was shot in the leg and taken to the hospital while others sustained injuries from stun grenades, rubber-coated bullets and tear gas inhalation, the statement added.

Turkey's talks with Sweden, Finland made little progress on NATO concerns: sources

Talks between Turkish officials and delegations from Sweden and Finland this week in Turkey made little headway overcoming Ankara's objections to the Nordic countries joining NATO, and it is not yet clear when further discussions will take place, according to two sources. "It is not an easy process," a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Friday. "They need to take concrete steps that will be difficult. Further negotiations will continue. But a date doesn't seem very close."

Israeli private detective used Indian hackers in job for Russian oligarchs - court filing

An Israeli private investigator currently in U.S. custody used Indian hackers to conduct surveillance operations for ultra-wealthy Russians, a reporter said in a court filing late Wednesday. Independent journalist Scott Stedman told a court in New York that jailed private detective Aviram Azari worked "on surveillance and cyber-intelligence operations at the behest of Russian oligarchs," citing a mix of public reporting and confidential sources.

Latin American leftist bloc condemns exclusions from U.S.-hosted summit

A bloc of leftist countries meeting in Havana on Friday condemned the exclusion of certain nations from next month's Summit of the Americas, after the United States said it only wanted leaders of governments that respect democracy to attend. The United States will host the Summit of the Americas from June 6 to 10 in Los Angeles, and has said it will not invite the governments of Venezuela or Nicaragua. The summit coordinator said it was up to the White House whether it would invite Cuba but said Cuban civil society activists had been asked to attend.

Iran seizes two Greek tankers amid row over U.S oil grab

Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, shortly after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast. "The Revolutionary Guards Navy today seized two Greek tankers for violations in Gulf waters," said a Guards statement, quoted by Iranian state news agency IRNA. It gave no further details and did not say what the alleged violations were.

Exclusive-How a Russian billionaire shielded assets from European sanctions

Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko ceded ownership of two of the world's largest coal and fertilizers companies to his wife the day before he was sanctioned by the European Union, according to three people familiar with the matter. Melnichenko, who built his fortune in the years following the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, gave up his stakes in the coal producer SUEK AO and fertilizer group EuroChem Group AG on March 8, the day of his 50th birthday, leaving his wife, Aleksandra Melnichenko, the beneficial ownership of the companies, the people said.

Keep the South China Sea free, Biden tells Navy graduates

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempt to divide Europe by invading Ukraine had backfired and told Naval Academy graduates their job will be ensuring maritime freedom in the South China Sea. Biden told 1,200 graduating cadets in Annapolis, Maryland, that they are entering military service at a time of many global challenges and they will be charged with helping "preserve stability in an uncertain world."

Mother's crumb of comfort after losing one of her triplets in Senegal fire

Anta Ba arrived at the gate of the Tivaouane hospital in western Senegal early on Thursday to breastfeed her baby daughter, the only one of her triplets not discharged because she was still considered too weak. But a guard stopped her and told her that there had been a fire in the neonatal unit. None of the newborns had survived.

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