Noontime News Recap: Russia strikes Ukraine as Middle East tensions and global shocks mount

Ukraine said Russian overnight strikes hit a hospital in Kharkiv and damaged energy infrastructure across several regions, injuring at least 73 people in the city as the casualty toll rose.  🔗

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected in Berlin for talks with German chancellor Friedrich Merz before further discussions in Abu Dhabi, as Kyiv seeks fresh diplomatic backing while the war intensifies.  🔗

In the Middle East, Iranian officials and state media reported fresh overnight explosions on Qeshm Island after what they described as a limited US strike in the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of wider escalation around one of the world's most sensitive shipping lanes.  🔗

Israel's opposition leaders are meeting in Herzliya to coordinate their next steps after last week's closely fought election produced no outright winner, with the Eisenkot bloc backing him for prime minister.  🔗

In Europe, Montenegro's ambassador to the EU said the country believes membership by the end of 2028 is very realistic, while EU energy ministers deadlocked over a gas tax plan amid warnings that consumers still face pressure from high prices.  🔗 🔗

Britain and the European Union are reported to have reached a draft food and agriculture trade agreement ahead of the November summit, a move that could ease checks on exports across the Channel.  🔗 Separately, Britain's cyber chief warned that AI boosted attacks on critical national infrastructure could emerge within two years.  🔗

In South Asia, Cyclone Murasu made landfall near Ongole in Andhra Pradesh, bringing destructive winds, flooding and widespread disruption along India's eastern coast.  🔗

Elsewhere, Sudan accused the Rapid Support Forces of launching drone attacks from Ethiopian territory against civilian infrastructure, as power outages deepened and tensions with Ethiopia sharpened.  🔗

In the Americas, investigators in Florida said parts of a private Learjet 60 may have broken off before it crashed and killed all nine people on board, as they continue to examine the cause of the accident.  🔗

In the Balkans, Italy's Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to the victims of the helicopter crash in Bosnia and Herzegovina alongside Sergio Mattarella and Guido Crosetto.  🔗

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