Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

UK top court gives landmark ruling on ex-UBS banker's divorce case

The ex-wife of a former UBS executive on Wednesday lost an appeal against her divorce award at Britain's top court, in a ruling lawyers said could have implications for wealthy people who move assets to shield them from inheritance tax. Clive Standish, the Swiss bank's chief financial officer from 2004 until 2007, last year successfully challenged his ex-wife Anna Standish's original 45 million-pound ($62 million) award from what was then a 133 million-pound estate.

Trump urges Hamas to accept 'final proposal' for 60-day Gaza ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran-backed Hamas militants on Tuesday to agree to what he called a "final proposal" for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel in Gaza that will be delivered by mediating officials from Qatar and Egypt. In a social media post, Trump said his representatives had a "long and productive" meeting with Israeli officials about Gaza.

Hong Kong proposes registration system for same-sex couples

The Hong Kong government has proposed to establish a registration system for some same-sex couples to receive legislative recognition, according to an official document released on Wednesday.

Russia urges Azerbaijan to repair ties with Moscow amid diplomatic crisis

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday urged Azerbaijan to restore its ties with Moscow to a level befitting "strategic cooperation" after saying that certain forces were trying to wreck the two countries' relationship. The diplomatic row began last week after two ethnic Azerbaijanis died during police raids in Russia and escalated after Baku then arrested two Russian state journalists and a further roughly 15 more Russians on suspicion of drug trafficking and cybercrime.

US charges two Chinese nationals with attempting to recruit US service members

U.S. prosecutors have charged two Chinese nationals with acting as agents of China's security service, accusing them of gathering intelligence about U.S. Navy bases and trying to identify Navy members willing to spy for Beijing, the Justice Department said. The suspects facilitated a "dead-drop payment" of at least $10,000 in a locker at a recreational facility in Northern California in 2022 in exchange for U.S. national security information that had already been passed to Chinese intelligence, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Germany says Russia using media platform Red to sow discontent

Russia is using the online media outlet Red to sow discontent in German society as part of a disinformation campaign waged alongside its war in Ukraine, the foreign ministry in Berlin said on Wednesday. "Red presents itself as a revolutionary platform for independent journalists. However, it has close links with the Russian state media outlet RT," a spokesperson for the foreign ministry told reporters in Berlin.

UK PM gives full backing to Reeves after she appeared upset in parliament

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave Rachel Reeves his full backing on Wednesday after the finance minister appeared visibly upset in parliament following a series of U-turns on welfare that blew a hole in her budget plans. Reeves had sat beside Starmer during the weekly prime minister's questions, and cameras caught her looking exhausted and upset.

Iran enacts law suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian put into effect on Wednesday a law passed by parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, Iranian state media reported. Iran has threatened to halt cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel's air strikes, which began a day after the IAEA board voted to declare Iran in violation of obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Hamas orders Gaza clan leader to surrender, accuses him of treason

The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza on Wednesday ordered the leader of a well-armed Bedouin clan defying the group's control of the Palestinian enclave to surrender and face trial, accusing him of treason. A ministry statement said the decision was taken by what it called a "Revolutionary Court". Yasser Abu Shabab, who does not recognise the authority of Hamas and accuses the militants of hurting the interests of Gaza, had 10 days to surrender, it said.

Dalai Lama says he will be reincarnated, Trust will identify successor

The elderly Dalai Lama assured his followers on Wednesday that upon his death he would be reincarnated as the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and spelt out a succession process that sets up a renewed clash with China. The eagerly awaited statement, made days before the frail Nobel peace laureate turns 90, puts to rest speculation, started by the Dalai Lama himself, that he may be the last of Tibet's spiritual leaders, ending a line that stretches back centuries. Speaking during a week of celebrations in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala to mark his birthday, the Dalai Lama said a non-profit institution he has set up will have the sole authority to identify his reincarnation, countering China's insistence that it will choose his successor.

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