Browsing: Main Headlines

Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed he has set a date for a military offensive into Rafah, despite concerns that it will lead to even more civilian deaths. The southern city of Rafah is currently home to more than a million Palestinians who are sheltering there after being forced to flee. Roughly 1.5 million civilians are sheltering in tents and overcrowded camps.

Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, has suggested the country could recognise Palestinian statehood, to increase momentum towards peace. However, Hamas could have no role in its governance, Wong said.

Plans to increase football squad sizes from 23 to 26 are being considered for this summer’s European Championship in Germany. Talks have begun following conversations with coaches as the football calendar remains congested and there have been fears over injuries.

Scotland was able to see a partial eclipse, whilst the rest of the UK missed out due to cloud cover. A solar eclipse – when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, obscuring the view of the Sun from Earth – took place on Monday.

Three soldiers from a southern African military force have been killed in a mortar attack in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. All three soldiers were from Tanzania. Three others were hurt.

Nicaragua has asked the UN’s highest court to halt German weapons sales to Israel at the start of a landmark case. Germany faces accusations of breaching the UN genocide convention by sending military hardware to Israel and stopping funding of the UN’s aid agency.

As rivers swell, many citizens in the Russian city of Orenburg are bracing for widespread flooding. The seasonal floods have been far worse than usual, caused by melting snow from the Ural Mountains, triggering evacuations throughout the area.

Former US President Donald Trump has said abortion rights should be left to individual states to decide – as they have been since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022. His comments have drawn criticism from both liberals and conservatives. Many in his Republican Party had wanted him to back a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Officials in Nampula have confirmed that more than 90 people have died after a ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique. Around 130 people are believed to have been on board, and only five people have been rescued, officials added.

US airline regulators have opened an investigation after an engine cowling on a Boeing 737-800 fell off during take-off and struck a wing flap. The flight returned safely to Denver International Airport at about 08:15 local time after originally departing to Houston.