Video from a Palestinian defence volunteer shows the rescue of a woman from rubble and flames in Gaza City following an Israeli bombing of a building in Al-Zeitoun neighbourhood. The post says the woman is alive and in the hospital under medical supervision.
An Israeli strike on a residential building in Gaza killed the director of the Indonesian Hospital, Marwan al-Sultan, along with members of his family. Al-Sultan had repeatedly called for the international community to help keep medical workers safe.
P Diddy supporters celebrate outside the courthouse
Supporters of Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs were elated outside the courthouse after rulings announced the former rap mogul’s acquittal on three of five charges. Chaos erupted outside of the New York courthouse as the musician, 55, was found not guilty of two charges of sex trafficking and one charge of racketeering conspiracy.
Combs was, however, found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. As the scenes unfolded outside the court, some fans went so far as to drizzle baby oil on each other’s bodies outside the Lower Manhattan establishment.
Footage shows how one supporter removed her bright blue wig and danced around in her underwear while she was covered in oil. The videos also showed how baby oil was being sprayed on a large crowd.
The baby oil is a reference to the drug-fuelled sex parties, or “freak-offs,” that had been a frequent topic of discussion during the case. During raids of Combs’ LA and Mimi homes in March last year, thousands of bottles of baby oil were found. Police swiftly had to step in to remove some of those taking part in a bid to retain the peace.
In the footage, obtained by The Mirror US, a group of people can be seen dancing in celebration. They cheered after stripping down and dousing each other with baby oil with onlookers watching in shock.
The musician’s mother, Janice Combs, was also seen doing a celebratory jig while the court was adjourned. Combs had earlier thanked his mum after the verdict reading.
He had dropped to his knees in the gallery as he propped up his elbows on his chair and buried his head into his hands in prayer. Kicking off a round of applause that saw his family and legal team join in, Combs said: “”Thank you. Love you mom. I love you. I love you. I love you. “
Throughout the case, Combs had pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. Additionally, he vehemently denies all allegations of wrongdoing against him, including those alleged in civil lawsuits.
Following the verdict, Combs’ son, Christian, known professionally as King Combs, was asked how his dad was. He replied with a short response saying: “Great,” while his daughters added: “Good, happy.”
Combs’ attorney also told the court that his client had been given “his life” by the jury. He had faced the prospect of spending the rest of it behind bars.
However, Marc Agnifilo added that the musician would be “nothing short of a fool” if he violated any of the conditions laid out by the court, should he be released from custody.
Agnifilo said: “He treasures, I assure you, the opportunity that he has been given, and he will not run afoul of anything this court imposes on him. ” He went on to say that he should be “released on appropriate conditions,” as he had been acquitted on racketeering and sex trafficking.
Khan Younis, Gaza – At the sight of her son Ahmed’s bullet-riddled body laid out in the courtyard of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, Asmahan Shaat collapsed on the ground, overcome by grief. Her screams echoed through the air, her voice choked by shock and sorrow.
She kissed the 23-year-old’s face, hands and feet as she cried. Her six other children and relatives tried to hold her back, but she pushed them away.
“Leave me with him. Leave me with him,” she cried. “Ahmed will speak again. He told me, ‘Mom, I am not going to die. I’ll bring you something from the aid centre in Rafah. ’”
Ahmed had left the displaced family’s shelter in al-Mawasi before dawn on Thursday to collect food. He never returned.
His cousin, Mazen Shaat, was with him. Mazen said Ahmed was shot in the abdomen when Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd near the United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution centre in Rafah. Others were also killed and wounded.
In just one month, 600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,200 wounded by Israeli fire near GHF aid distribution sites, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office, and the number of deaths at these centres climbs on a near-daily basis. What were meant to be lifelines – facilitated by the US while bypassing United Nations agencies – have instead become fatal chokepoints.
Human rights organisations and UN officials have criticised the GHF model as militarised, dangerous and unlawful. A report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Friday quoted Israeli army soldiers saying they had been ordered to shoot into unarmed crowds, even when no threat was present.
Asmahan’s grief turned to fury: “Is it reasonable that my son should die because he went to bring us food? Where is the world that calls itself free? How long will this torture go on? ”
Gaza’s population of 2 million people, worn out by 21 months of relentless bombing and displacement, has been pushed to the brink of famine by Israel’s restrictions that have, since March 2, allowed only a trickle of humanitarian items through the sealed crossings it controls.
Inside the morgue at Nasser Hospital, not far from where Ahmed lay, 25-year-old Shireen threw herself on the body of her husband, Khalil al-Khatib, 29. She was barely able to stand as she sobbed.
“Khalil, get up. Your son Ubaida is waiting for you,” she cried. “I told him this morning, ‘Daddy will come back soon. ’ We don’t want food – we want you. ”
Khalil had also left from al-Mawasi in search of aid. His father-in-law, Youssef al-Rumailat, said Khalil was careful to avoid Israeli tanks and never expected to be targeted.
“He was a gentle man,” Youssef said. “He feared for his safety in a place where everything has become deadly, so he hadn’t been able to provide anything for his children. His son Ubaida, who just turned five, would ask for bread or rice. And he’d cry because he couldn’t provide that or milk for his youngest, born just days into the war. ”
“They use our desperation,” Youssef said bitterly. “Nothing is more painful for a man than not being able to provide for his family. These places are now death traps. This is not aid. This is annihilation. ”
Youssef said the family, like many others, has lost all trust in the new humanitarian mechanism. “We don’t want this blood-soaked aid. Let us go back to the UN system. At least we weren’t being killed trying to eat. ”
The GHF, launched in May with Israel’s coordination, was intended to deliver food directly to southern Gaza. However, its deliveries are not routed through traditional humanitarian agencies like UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has accused – without providing conclusive evidence – of ties to Hamas. Critics said this exclusion has contributed to a breakdown in oversight, coordination and safety.
While Israel said it facilitates aid deliveries and targets only perceived threats, testimonies and reports paint a starkly different picture.
Mustafa Nabil Abu Eid, 31, displaced from Rafah to al-Mawasi, was returning from the Rafah distribution point with his friend Abdullah Abu Ghali, 39. They were carrying a few bags of pasta, rice and lentils in their backpacks.
Mustafa described the trip as a “death journey”.
“We walk about 2km [1. 2 miles] just to reach the edge of the zone,” he said. “Then we wait – hours sometimes – until tanks move back. When they do, we run across open ground. You don’t know if you’ll get food or be killed. ”
He said he’s often asked why people still go.
“There’s no choice. If we stay in the tents, we die from hunger, disease, bombing. If we go, we might die, but we might also bring something back for our kids. ”
Mustafa has five children. His eldest, Saba, is 10. His youngest – twins Hoor and Noor – just turned three.
“They cry from hunger. I can’t bear it. We search for life through death. ”
Aid agencies have warned that famine is already present in parts of Gaza. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported in June that the entire population is facing acute food shortages with more than one million people at risk of starvation. Children are dying from malnutrition and dehydration.
With UNRWA’s operations severely restricted and the GHF offering limited, inconsistent and dangerous access to food, desperate civilians have little choice but to risk their lives for basic sustenance.
Since the American-Israeli aid initiative began on May 27, 39 people remain unaccounted for, presumed missing or killed near the aid zones, according to Gaza’s government. Some have likely been buried in unmarked graves or remain trapped under rubble or in inaccessible terrain.
The systematic attacks on civilians at aid sites may amount to war crimes, according to international legal experts and human rights watchdogs. Under international humanitarian law, parties to a conflict must ensure the protection of civilians and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.
“Deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including aid workers and distribution points, are strictly prohibited,” the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a June statement.
But for families like the Shaats and the Khatibs, legal classifications offer little comfort.
Asmahan clings to one hope – that her son’s name will not be forgotten.
“He just wanted to feed his family,” she said. “He did nothing wrong. They killed him like his life meant nothing. Tell the world: We are not numbers. We are people, and we are starving. ”
The two sides are marking 50 years of relations this month, holding talks and pledging deeper cooperation.
China and the European Union are marking 50 years of diplomatic relations this month. At the core of their partnership is trade.
They are the second and third biggest economies in the world after the United States.
The Chinese foreign minister is visiting EU headquarters this week as he seeks closer ties in what he has called a “volatile” world.
Under President Donald Trump, the US has increasingly turned to sweeping tariffs to get what it wants.
Although Beijing and Brussels are hoping to improve their economic ties, they have disagreements on a number of issues.
So what will that mean for global trade and the economic order?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Karel Lannoo – CEO, Centre for European Policy Studies
Victor Gao – vice president, Center for China and Globalisation
British number one Emma Raducanu swept aside 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova to reach the Wimbledon third round.
The 22-year-old produced an outstanding performance marked by authority and intensity on Centre Court to win 6-3 6-3 in 82 minutes.
It was a level the former US Open champion will need to replicate – if not improve – when she meets world number one and top seed Aryna Sabalenka next and equal her best run at the Championships.
Raducanu was the third British player through to the third round on Wednesday, following earlier victories for Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie.
Her victory came on a day when 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini became the fourth top-five seed to exit the women’s draw as she was upset by Kamilla Rakhimova.
After regaining her status as British number one following a run to the Queen’s quarter-finals last month, Raducanu spoke about how she is now feeling free to express herself on court.
Her final Wimbledon preparations did not go perfectly, though, and she admitted she needed to get her “head in the game” after losing to Australian teenager Maya Joint in Eastbourne last month.
But, after a comfortable opening victory over compatriot Mimi Xu, this was Raducanu at her free-flowing best.
Following an assured start, she made a deserved breakthrough in the sixth game with a stunning passing winner on the first break point of the match.
Vondrousova offered an immediate response but the Briton regained her composure and pounced again on a fourth break point opportunity for a 5-3 lead, before seeing out the set.
Raducanu did not allow her intensity to drop at the start of the second as, to the delight of her adoring home crowd, she again broke the 26-year-old Czech’s resistance with a third break point for a 2-1 lead.
She began her push for the finish line by avoiding a repeat of the immediate setback in the opening set, battling to a superb hold from two break points down.
Such was the consistency Raducanu had shown on serve, she closed in on victory untroubled, and the chair umpire had to remind the crowd to remain quiet during the points as their excitement increased.