Day News Recap: Gaza deaths mount as Russia escalates threats and US faces pressure on Iran, arms and security

Gaza remained the deadliest focus, with the UN human rights chief warning that rubble clearing in the territory may be destroying evidence of war crimes and concealing human remains, as rescue work and post strike recovery continue.  🔗

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In Gaza City, at least 20 people were killed when a war damaged apartment block collapsed in Tal al Hawa, with rescuers saying nearly 100 others were feared trapped, while a separate Israeli drone strike in Sheikh Radwan killed a paramedic and a 15 year old schoolboy in what was described as a double tap attack.  🔗 🔗

The Trump administration is also reported to be preparing a multibillion dollar weapons sale to Israel that would include 60,000 2,000 pound bombs, adding to the pressure around the Gaza war and the wider regional conflict.  🔗

Across the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis exchanged fresh strikes, with the group saying it fired drones and missiles at Saudi cities and Saudi warplanes responding, while Saudi oil disruption continued to hit European cargoes after last week's drone strikes on the East West pipeline.  🔗 🔗

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China said it wanted early reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and stronger dialogue with Iran, as Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi headed to Beijing for talks with Wang Yi, and the US House voted again to end war powers for Iran without congressional approval.  🔗 🔗 🔗

In Europe and the wider security picture, Russia escalated its rhetoric by threatening Warsaw with destruction if Poland joined military action against Russia, even as NATO fighter jets shot down a drone over Lithuania in the first such incident officials said had happened there.  🔗 🔗

Ukraine also came under renewed attack, with Russian drone strikes hitting a passenger bus in Dnipropetrovsk region and killing five people, while Russia began early voting in occupied and frontline areas ahead of its parliamentary election.  🔗 🔗

Elsewhere in Europe, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers convicted Hashim Thaci and three other former KLA leaders of war crimes, sentencing Thaci to 25 years, while France's incoming ambassador to Washington was cleared after a diplomatic spat over a UN vote and Rachida Dati went on trial in Paris in the Carlos Ghosn graft case.  🔗 🔗 🔗

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In the Americas and beyond, the US confirmed it has deployed a weapon in Earth's orbit, raising fresh space arms race concerns, while the Justice Department and prosecutors unsealed cases accusing five men of Russian intelligence linked assassination plots against Ukraine allies overseas.  🔗 🔗 🔗

Other developments included a Russia linked hacking group using Claude AI for espionage, disinformation and drone swarm tooling, Western agencies warning of an Iranian spyware campaign targeting dissidents abroad, and Amnesty International accusing Iran of crimes against humanity over the 2022 protest crackdown.  🔗 🔗 🔗

Further afield, India protested to Pakistan over a reported naval collision in the Arabian Sea, Djibouti sought urgent aid as arrivals from Yemen rose beyond capacity, Sudan's West Kordofan mine collapse left at least 70 dead, and the Sahel was warned to be on track for record jihadist violence this year.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

Political and legal flashpoints also continued in the US and Asia Pacific, where a Republican lawmaker moved to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Senate blocked a Trump backed crypto bill, the administration said it would comply with the Supreme Court on mail ballot restrictions, and the Bangsamoro election ended in a hung parliament.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

Other notable stories included US visa restrictions on some South Africans, Alex Saab's guilty plea in a US money laundering case, Sweden's opposition narrowly holding a lead in the election count, North Korea condemning a new US South Korea defence pact, and a Seoul court ordering Pyongyang to pay damages over the Kaesong liaison office demolition.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

In business and diplomacy, Norway's sovereign wealth fund faced renewed scrutiny over its Israeli holdings, Canada said it would pursue a unique security and economic alliance with the EU, the UK was in talks to join a Canada led defence bank, airBaltic filed for US Chapter 11 protection, and Queensland moved to repeal a housing rule affecting workers near the Byerwen coal mine.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

Finally, the US Speaker rejected an AI moratorium, China opened the Xiangshan Forum with a warning against coercion and historical revisionism, and a US judge blocked Donald Trump's name from being placed on the Kennedy Center as a board vote moved to close the venue for two years.  🔗 🔗 🔗

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