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At least ten Palestinians, including six children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on Sunday while waiting to collect water, according to emergency service officials. Their bodies were taken to al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, which also treated 16 injured people, including seven children, a hospital doctor confirmed. Witnesses reported that a drone launched a missile at a group gathered with empty containers beside a water tanker in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli military has been approached for comment. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its field hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza, had handled more mass casualty cases in the past six weeks than in the previous year. Footage shared online, which has not been independently verified, showed graphic scenes of bloodied children and bodies lying motionless, amid frantic cries and chaos. Locals rushed to help the injured, using private cars and donkey carts for transport. The strike occurred amid intensified Israeli aerial assaults throughout the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s Civil Defence Agency reported 19 more deaths on Sunday from three separate strikes targeting residential buildings in central Gaza and Gaza City. Taka gains strength as dollar rate falls by nearly Tk 3 The ICRC said its Rafah facility received 132 patients with weapon-related injuries on Saturday, 31 of whom died. Most patients had gunshot wounds, and those who could speak said they had been trying to reach food distribution points. Since new food distribution sites opened on 27 May, the hospital has treated over 3,400 weapon-wounded individuals and recorded more than 250 deaths—surpassing all mass casualty cases seen there in the previous year. "The alarming frequency and scale of these mass casualty incidents underscore the horrific conditions civilians in Gaza are enduring," the ICRC stated. On Friday, the UN human rights office reported 789 aid-related deaths. Among them, 615 occurred near sites operated by the US- and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which began functioning on 27 May inside military zones in southern and central Gaza. Another 183 deaths were recorded near UN and other aid convoys. The Israeli military acknowledged that civilian casualties have occurred and said it is working to minimise "possible friction between the population and the [Israeli] forces as much as possible". In response, the GHF accused the UN of citing "false and misleading" data from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. GHF leader Johnnie Moore previously told the BBC he did not deny deaths near their aid locations but insisted, “100% of those casualties are being attributed to close proximity to GHF and that is not true.” On Saturday, Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza reported 24 deaths near a food distribution point. Witnesses claimed Israeli troops had fired on civilians trying to collect food. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said there were “no known injured individuals” from IDF fire, though a military official stated warning shots were used to disperse people perceived as threats. International news outlets, including the BBC, are not permitted to enter Gaza by Israel. Israel launched its ongoing military offensive following Hamas's attack on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 57,882 people have been killed in the territory since then. Most of the population has been displaced multiple times, with over 90% of homes believed to be damaged or destroyed. Gaza's basic infrastructure has collapsed, leading to severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter. The UN said 75,000 litres of fuel were delivered this week for the first time in 130 days—"far from enough to meet the daily needs of the population and vital civilian aid operations". On Saturday, nine UN agencies warned that the fuel shortage in Gaza had reached "critical levels", threatening the operation of hospitals, water and sanitation systems, and bakeries. "Hospitals are already going dark, maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer move," the UN said. Source: With input from BBC

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country would be willing to restart nuclear negotiations with the United States, provided there are firm guarantees that no further attacks will take place, according to Iranian state media. Speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran on Saturday, Araghchi emphasized that Iran has always been open to dialogue over its nuclear program. However, he stressed that any future talks must come with assurances that they won't escalate into conflict. “There must be a guarantee that resuming talks will not result in war,” he said. He referenced recent hostilities, including a 12-day Israeli bombardment targeting Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, as well as a U.S. airstrike on June 22. These events, he said, have significantly complicated any path forward through negotiation. “If the U.S. and others truly want to return to talks, they must first guarantee that such attacks will not happen again,” Araghchi stated. In the wake of the attacks, Iran halted its cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, prompting international inspectors to leave the country. Araghchi clarified that Iran would now respond to inspection requests on a “case-by-case” basis, aligned with national interests. He also cited safety concerns, noting the danger of radioactive material leaks and leftover ammunition at damaged sites. He reiterated Iran’s commitment to uranium enrichment within its borders, a point of contention with the U.S. President Donald Trump, who has demanded that Iran stop enrichment entirely. Israel justified its actions by claiming Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon. However, both U.S. intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency have stated that Iran has not had an active nuclear weapons program since 2003. Still, Tehran’s uranium enrichment has reached 60%—just below the 90% needed for weapons-grade material. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian revealed in an interview on Monday that the recent U.S. strikes caused extensive damage to Iran’s nuclear sites—so much so that officials have not yet been able to fully assess the destruction.  

Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air India flight that crashed last month were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel, a preliminary investigation report said early Saturday. The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change to the switch setting, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff. The Air India flight — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on June 12 and killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, which is one of India’s worst aviation disasters. The plane was carrying 230 passengers — 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian — along with 12 crew members. According to the report, the flight lasted around 30 seconds between takeoff and crash. It said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, “the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another" within a second. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the flight. The movement of the fuel control switches allows and cuts fuel flow to the plane’s engines. The switches were flipped back into the run position, the report said, but the plane could not gain power quickly enough to stop its descent after the aircraft had begun to lose altitude. The report stated: “One of the pilots transmitted ‘MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY’.” Aviation expert and former airline pilot Terry Tozer said the engine cutoff switches being switched to off only seconds after takeoff was “absolutely bizarre.” “Unfortunately, the altitude was so low that the engines were only beginning to recover and they didn’t have enough time,” Tozer told Sky News. The report also indicated confusion in the cockpit moments before the crash. In the flight’s final moment, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. “The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” the report said. The preliminary report did not recommend any actions for Boeing, which said in a statement that it “stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.” “Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad,” the statement added. India’s civil aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, said the report’s findings were preliminary and one should not “jump into any conclusions on this.” “Let us wait for the final report,” Naidu told reporters. Air India, in a statement, said it is fully cooperating with authorities investigating the crash. “Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses,” it said. The plane’s black boxes — combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders — were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in India. Indian authorities had also ordered deeper checks of Air India’s entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar, a global clean energy leader – convened an exclusive, high-level business forum in Madrid to strengthen partnerships and position the company for its next phase of growth in the Iberian market. Led by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Chairman of Masdar, the Tuesday gathering assembled senior representatives from Spanish and Portuguese government entities, regulatory bodies, utilities, institutional investors, offtakers, and technology providers. The discussion centered on accelerating the Iberian Peninsula’s energy transformation and reinforcing Spain’s role as a strategic hub within Masdar’s European portfolio. A cornerstone of Masdar’s European expansion strategy is its US $1.4 billion acquisition of Saeta, finalized last year. Operating across Spain and Portugal, Saeta now serves as a primary platform for scaling Masdar’s renewable-energy footprint and advancing regional decarbonization objectives. Uzbekistan signs energy agreements with UAE's Mubadala, Masdar During his visit to Saeta’s Madrid headquarters, Dr Al Jaber met with executive leadership and employees, celebrating the successful integration and outlining an ambitious roadmap to amplify Saeta’s market impact. Masdar’s European investments continue to diversify through multiple channels. In addition to the Saeta transaction, Masdar concluded a €3.2 billion acquisition of TERNA ENERGY in Greece and entered a €1.7 billion strategic partnership with Endesa in Spain, acquiring a 49.99 percent stake in a 2.5GW portfolio of renewable assets – one of Spain’s largest clean-energy transactions in recent years. Since its establishment in 2006, Masdar has developed and partnered in projects in over 40 countries, with a mandate to increase its renewable energy portfolio capacity to 100GW by 2030.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has accused Israel of orchestrating a brutal campaign in Gaza, describing it as a calculated effort to cause widespread death and suffering. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, said Gaza has become a "graveyard for children and starving people," with residents left to choose between dying of hunger or being shot. Since May, approximately 800 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access humanitarian aid, according to the UN. Most of these deaths occurred near sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial aid organization supported by both Israel and the United States that has largely replaced the UN-led aid distribution network in the Strip. Lazzarini’s remarks followed Thursday’s deadly incident in Deir el-Balah, where Israeli forces killed 15 people — including nine children and four women — as they waited for food. That same day, 45 people were reported killed across Gaza, including 11 near a GHF distribution center in Rafah. UN data shows that since May, 819 people have died near aid sites, with 634 of them killed close to GHF centers. The remaining 185 died near other humanitarian convoys, including UN operations. At the UN headquarters in New York, the World Food Programme’s Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau described the situation in Gaza as “the worst he has ever seen.” Despite having enough food supplies to support all Gazans for two months, Skau said WFP trucks have not been allowed entry. With UN efforts sidelined, Palestinians have been forced to rely on the GHF, whose role and placement of aid centers have drawn intense scrutiny. Some analysts argue that the aid distribution system is part of an Israeli plan to push Palestinians into southern Gaza. British-Israeli analyst Daniel Levy said this is part of a deliberate strategy to displace and confine Gaza’s population — an act he likened to a second Nakba, the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948. Israel’s plan includes creating a so-called “humanitarian city” in Rafah to house Gaza’s 2.1 million people — a concept critics say resembles a concentration camp. Despite mounting criticism, GHF claimed on Friday it was “reinventing” aid distribution, using “secure and innovative channels” to deliver supplies directly to those in need. Escalating Violence and Humanitarian Collapse By Friday night, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 45 deaths since dawn. Among them, at least eight were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in Jabalia used as a shelter. One witness described finding bodies of civilians — including a young girl — in horrific condition. Elsewhere, a child was killed and others wounded when Israeli forces hit a house in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood. Gaza’s hospitals, already overwhelmed and lacking fuel, are on the verge of collapse. The Health Ministry said the lack of electricity is forcing medical facilities to shut down essential services, including kidney dialysis. With too few ambulances, civilians have resorted to transporting the wounded in animal carts. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that Israel’s restrictions on aid access are endangering countless lives. He said the denial of humanitarian assistance is “life-threatening” and emphasized that every day without a ceasefire adds to the toll of preventable deaths — including children dying in agony and civilians being shot as they try to reach dwindling supplies of food. Source: AL Jazeera 

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop carrying out broad and indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant rights groups, which accused the administration of unlawfully targeting Latino individuals across Southern California. The plaintiffs include three undocumented workers and two U.S. citizens—one of whom was detained despite showing valid identification. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, seeks to stop what advocates call unconstitutional enforcement methods, including racially motivated arrests without warrants and denial of legal counsel to detainees held at a detention facility in downtown Los Angeles. Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, rejected the allegations, calling them “disgusting and categorically FALSE.” She maintained that enforcement operations are precise and based on thorough investigation. Judge Maame E. Frimpong issued temporary emergency orders to block these practices while the case proceeds. One of her rulings also prohibits federal authorities from limiting attorney access to the downtown LA immigration facility. In her decision, Frimpong cited a “mountain of evidence” suggesting that immigration agents were indeed violating constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. The ruling follows weeks of heightened anxiety in Latino communities across Southern California, where increased immigration enforcement has targeted car washes, Home Depot parking lots, swap meets, and businesses. The raids sparked widespread protests and led to the deployment of the National Guard and Marines. One of the counties included in the ruling, Ventura, saw immigration agents raid a cannabis farm and detain dozens just as the court hearing was underway, leading to clashes and injuries. The ACLU, which helped bring the case, argued that agents are working under an arbitrary arrest quota and are relying on racial and ethnic stereotypes. The suit described how agents detained the three plaintiffs, who were Latino day laborers in construction gear, without any other identifying information. Witnesses also described agents targeting people who “looked Hispanic” at public locations. ACLU attorney Mohammad Tajsar cited the case of Brian Gavidia, a U.S. citizen who was allegedly assaulted and detained solely because he was Latino and working in a predominantly Hispanic area. Tajsar questioned why, during one car wash raid, only white workers were spared if race wasn’t a factor. Government lawyer Sean Skedzielewski countered that race was not used to make arrests. He said agents consider many factors — including past surveillance — and sometimes use detailed, individualized files. He added that Homeland Security has policies to ensure agents follow the Fourth Amendment. Order Ensures Legal Access and Limits Racial Profiling The judge also ruled that the downtown LA facility, known as “B-18,” must allow attorney visits seven days a week and ensure detainees have access to private phone calls with lawyers. Lawyers had previously reported being blocked from the facility. One attorney described an incident in which they tried to shout legal advice to detainees from a bus, but government drivers honked horns to drown them out and deployed tear gas-like chemicals. Skedzielewski said access was limited during violent protests for safety reasons but has since been restored. However, attorney Mark Rosenbaum said access was also denied on calm days, and detainees were not told they could speak to a lawyer. He also noted that poor conditions at the facility pressured detainees to agree to deportation without legal consultation. The judge’s order prevents authorities from using race, language, location, or job type as grounds for suspicion during immigration enforcement. Attorneys general from 18 Democratic-led states supported the court's ruling. A separate federal injunction in April already barred warrantless immigration arrests in parts of eastern California.

A recent Iranian missile strike on Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, a major U.S. military hub, struck a geodesic dome used by American forces for secure communications, according to satellite imagery reviewed by The Associated Press. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell later confirmed that the dome was hit by an Iranian ballistic missile. However, Qatari officials have not responded to requests for comment regarding the incident. The June 23 missile strike was Iran’s retaliation for a U.S. attack on three nuclear facilities in Iran, and it ultimately led to a ceasefire that ended a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. The response allowed Iran to save face while avoiding a broader regional escalation. Despite the hit, the overall damage to the base was limited. The U.S. had relocated aircraft from Al Udeid in anticipation of the strike, which houses the U.S. Central Command’s forward headquarters. Officials said Iran had provided advance notice of the attack, giving American and Qatari defenses time to prepare. The strike caused temporary disruptions to regional air traffic but did not trigger wider conflict. Satellite Evidence Confirms Dome Destruction Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC shows the dome — part of a $15 million communications system known as a modernized enterprise terminal — was still intact on the morning of the strike. It housed a satellite dish protected by a radome. By June 25, images revealed the dome had been destroyed, with visible burn marks and minor damage to an adjacent structure. The rest of the base appeared undisturbed. Pentagon spokesperson Parnell stated that the damage to base infrastructure and equipment was minimal, and that Al Udeid remains “fully operational” in cooperation with Qatar to maintain regional security. The destruction was first reported by Iran International, a London-based satellite news channel using separate satellite imagery. Contrasting Narratives from U.S. and Iran Former U.S. President Donald Trump described Iran’s retaliation as “very weak,” noting that 14 missiles were fired — 13 intercepted and one veering off in a “nonthreatening” direction. He thanked Iran for providing early warning, which ensured no casualties. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon commented further after Parnell’s confirmation. Trump had visited Al Udeid on May 15 during a Middle East trip. In contrast, Iranian authorities claimed a significant victory. The Revolutionary Guard called it a “destructive and powerful” missile strike, while the Supreme National Security Council claimed the base was “smashed.” An adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alleged the attack cut off communications from the base, saying, “All equipment was completely destroyed,” and that U.S. command links from Al Udeid to other military sites had been severed.

A preliminary investigation into last month’s Air India crash has revealed that the fuel control switches for both engines were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before the aircraft went down, cutting off fuel and leading to engine failure. According to the report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, this change in switch position — which occurred shortly after takeoff — caused the engines to lose thrust. The report also suggested that the pilots were confused by the switch change. Death toll in India plane crash rises to 270 as more bodies recovered The crash involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on June 12 in Ahmedabad, killing at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground. Only one passenger survived, making it one of the deadliest air disasters in India’s history. The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers — including 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian — along with 12 crew members. Investigators reported that the flight lasted only about 30 seconds. After reaching its peak recorded speed, the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were flipped from “run” to “cutoff” within a second of each other. The report does not clarify how or why this occurred mid-flight. These switches control the flow of fuel to the engines, and moving them to the “cutoff” position effectively starves the engines of fuel. Although they were returned to the “run” position, the engines could not recover power in time to prevent the crash. A distress call of “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” was recorded from one of the pilots, the report stated. Cockpit voice recordings also captured a moment of confusion, with one pilot asking the other why the fuel had been cut off — to which the other pilot replied that he had not done it. The report, still in its preliminary stage, does not suggest any corrective actions for Boeing. Air India has stated it is cooperating fully with investigators. “We are working with all relevant authorities and will continue to support the ongoing investigation,” the airline said in a statement. Black boxes, which include cockpit voice and flight data recordings, were recovered shortly after the crash and analyzed in India. In response to the incident, Indian aviation authorities have mandated additional inspections of Air India’s fleet of 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners to ensure safety going forward.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants Tuesday for the Taliban’s supreme leader and the head of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court on charges of persecuting women and girls since seizing power nearly four years ago. The warrants also accuse the leaders of persecuting “other persons non-conforming with the Taliban’s policy on gender, gender identity or expression; and on political grounds against persons perceived as ‘allies of girls and women.’” The warrants were issued against Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhunzada and the head of the Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani. The court said in a statement that the Taliban have “severely deprived, through decrees and edicts, girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion. In addition, other persons were targeted because certain expressions of sexuality and/or gender identity were regarded as inconsistent with the Taliban’s policy on gender.” Russia becomes first state to recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government The court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, sought the warrants in January, saying that they recognized that “Afghan women and girls as well as the LGBTQI+ community are facing an unprecedented, unconscionable and ongoing persecution by the Taliban.” Global advocacy group Human Rights Watch welcomed the decision. “Senior Taliban leaders are now wanted men for their alleged persecution of women, girls, and gender non-conforming people. The international community should fully back the ICC in its critical work in Afghanistan and globally, including through concerted efforts to enforce the court’s warrants," Liz Evenson, the group's international justice director, said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump has been nominated again for the Nobel Peace Prize. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump on Monday that he recommended him for the prestigious award, handing the American leader the letter he said he sent the Nobel committee. Trump has been nominated several times by people within the US as well as politicians abroad — but that's only one small step in the secretive process. Trump's previous nominations Trump's nominators have included a group of US House Republicans and two Norwegian lawmakers. The groups separately nominated him in 2018 for his work to ease nuclear tensions with North Korea. One of the Norwegians nominated him again for the 2021 prize for his efforts in the Middle East, as did a Swedish lawmaker. Not all of the nominations have been valid: The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which selects the prize winners, said in 2018 that someone using a stolen identity had nominated Trump at least twice. Nominations can be made by a select group of people and organizations, including heads of state or politicians serving at a national level, university professors, directors of foreign policy institutes, past Nobel Prize recipients and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee itself. Secret process Once all nominations have come in, the committee — made up of five members appointed by the Norwegian parliament — sifts through them and ensures they were made by an eligible nominator. A person cannot nominate themselves, according to the committee. The nominations aren’t announced by the committee, and the Nobel statutes prohibit the judges from discussing their deliberations for 50 years. But those doing the nominating may choose to make their recommendations public. Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize over Israel-Iran ceasefire Nominations must be submitted before Feb. 1 each year — meaning any recent Netanyahu nomination would be for the 2026 prize. The winners are announced every October, with award ceremonies taking place on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death. The prizes in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace were established by the will of Alfred Nobel, a wealthy Swedish industrialist and the inventor of dynamite. An economics prize was later established by Sweden's central bank and is presented at the same time. How to win the peace prize According to Nobel’s wishes, the peace prize should go to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” The peace prize committee is the only one that regularly rewards achievements made in the previous year — and the prize is the only one awarded in Oslo, Norway. For the science-related prizes, scientists often have to wait decades to have their work recognized by the Nobel judges, who want to make sure that any breakthrough stands the test of time, in Stockholm. Former US President Barack Obama won the peace prize in 2009, barely nine months into his first term. It was met with fierce criticism in the US, where many argued Obama had not been in office long enough to have an impact worthy of the Nobel. Former US President Jimmy Carter won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for work he did after leaving the White House.