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UN probe finds mass killings, gang rapes by Sudan’s RSF amount to genocide

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  A UN Fact-Finding Mission found that the paramilitary’s systematic campaign of violence in Darfur amounted to genocide. Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed genocide in the western city of el-Fasher, carrying out mass killings, gang rapes and deliberate starvation as part of an intentional policy, a United Nations investigation has found. The UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan released its findings on Wednesday, concluding that the RSF’s systematic campaign of violence against civilians during and after its siege of the capital of North Darfur state amounted to genocide, building on a February report that had already identified hallmarks of the crime. The mission’s chairman warned that the findings have urgent lessons for el-Obeid, another major city now ringed by RSF forces, where the UN human rights chief has warned a “catastrophe” is unfolding. In Wednesday’s report, survivors in el-Fasher described being raped in rooms where bodies of recently killed ‌ci...
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US approves sale of Tomahawk missiles to Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says

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  The United States committed to granting formal approval for the sale of Tomahawk missiles and ground-based Typhoon launchers by August, although the number of missiles acquired would remain classified. The United States has approved the sale of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday, despite previous doubts over a planned deployment. "On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Ankara, we agreed with the American government that American Tomahawk missiles will be purchased by us and stationed in Germany," Merz told MPs in a statement to parliament. The move will "close an important strategic gap in our defences," he said. "At the same time we will work on developing our own European systems and stationing them in Europe." Merz did not say when he expected the Tomahawks to be delivered. The missiles are mainly launched from submarines and warships and can travel more than 1,600 kilometres. A German governmen...
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Trump targets Spain, NATO backs Ukraine: Is the alliance still united?

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  While NATO members have agreed to boost defence spending, Trump’s attacks on Spain and Greenland have threatened unity. NATO concluded a two-day summit in Turkiye’s Ankara on Wednesday afternoon, with members discussing defence budgets and support for Ukraine , but with simultaneous talk of unity and discord underscoring an uncertain path ahead for an alliance that has been the bedrock of the West’s security architecture for more than 75 years. While allies appeared aligned on several key issues, United States President Donald Trump used the summit to criticise NATO partners over defence spending, including Spain, on which he imposed a trade embargo. Despite this, Trump described the summit as “tremendously successful”. “It was amazing, actually,” he told reporters. “The unity in that room was incredible, really a love, it was sort of pretty wild.” Here are key developments at the summit — some demonstrating consensus, others revealing fissures. Leaders agree to increase defence...
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Iran prepares to bury slain leader Khamenei after mass funeral processions

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The late supreme leader will be buried in his hometown, the eastern holy city of Mashhad.   Huge crowds have gathered in the eastern holy city of Mashhad as Iran prepares to bury its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The burial in Khamenei’s hometown on Thursday follows a week of mass funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies held across Iran, including a day dedicated to neighbouring Iraq. There were marathon ceremonies to project strength and unity amid the US-Israel war on Iran, which began with strikes by the two countries on Tehran that killed Khamenei and several of his relatives on February 28. Despite a promised pause in US attacks, Khamenei’s burial ceremony comes after the US and Iran traded attacks for a second day. After massive processions in Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, Khamenei’s remains arrived on Thursday at Mashhad international airport, footage shared by the official news agency IRNA showed. Iraq’s paramilitary group Popular Mob...
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FIFA World Cup: Refereeing chief denies bias claims in Argentina-Egypt game

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  Pierluigi Collina said that such allegations of bias could provoke threats against referees and their families. FIFA refereeing chief ‌Pierluigi Collina has defended the officiating in Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the World ⁠Cup round of ⁠16, dismissing allegations of bias and saying match officials operated with complete independence. In an interview published on FIFA’s website on Thursday, Collina said criticism of referees was part ⁠of football, but he condemned the questioning of the officials’ integrity after Egypt complained about the officiating following the defeat. “With such a high number of matches played in a relatively short period of time, it is normal that some things do not go as expected,” Collina said. “When that happens, they [referees] are ready to work even harder to ensure they are fully prepared for the next match. “Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no pl...
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Ukraine targets Russian oil depots and tankers in drone attacks

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Ukraine hit two oil tankers in Sea of Azov and several oil facilities across Russia in drone attacks.   Ukraine has attacked several Russian oil facilities and set two tankers ablaze in the Sea of Azov, the latest in a series of strikes on Russian energy sites that have caused a fuel crisis. Drones hit oil depots in the Tver and Stavropol regions overnight into Thursday. In the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian drones set two oil tankers ablaze, according to Rostov Governor Yury Slyusar, who said one of the ships was still burning and the crews were evacuated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his defence forces also hit a reserve fuel storage facility about 800km (500 miles) from the front line, and an oil-pumping station in Ufa nearly 1,500km (930 miles) from Ukraine’s border. He said they also struck an oil-loading terminal in the Rostov region, about 200km (125 miles) from the front line. It was unclear if that was the same strike described by Slyusar. Kyiv’s attacks on Russia...
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Flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak kills 39 in southern China

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  About 130,000 people have been evacuated from the Guangxi region while thousands of rescuers have been deployed. Flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak has killed 39 people in southern China, most of them after a dam breach inundated the city of Nanning. Ding Wei, the city’s vice mayor, announced the toll at a news briefing on Thursday, up sharply from a previous count of six, after record rainfall breached reservoirs and sent torrents of water through towns and cities in the Guangxi region. The dam breach in Nanning killed 26 people, Ding said. About 130,000 people have been evacuated from the region, and drones and thousands of boats have been used in a huge relief and rescue operation to reach people trapped by the waters. Heavy rain battered southern Guangxi for days, with cumulative rainfall of 10-40cm (4-16in) in some areas and more than 90cm (35in) in hard-hit areas, the national meteorological centre said. More than 8,000 people and about 5,700 boats have been deployed in th...
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