International News Roundup: Gaza Strikes, DRC Mine Collapse, Niger Airport Attack, and More
A wave of international incidents unfolded this week, ranging from deadly air strikes in Gaza to a devastating mine collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo and an attack on an airport in Niger.
Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 32 Palestinians on Saturday, according to local authorities. The civil defense agency, operated by Hamas, reported that children and women were among the dead. One attack involved helicopter gunships striking a tent sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, according to the agency. Palestinians described the strikes as the heaviest since the second phase of a ceasefire brokered by US President Trump last October came into effect earlier this month. The Israeli military confirmed conducting the strikes.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern DRC, officials said. The Rubaya mine produces about 15% of the world's coltan, a mineral processed into tantalum and used in mobile phones, according to The Guardian.
Meanwhile, in Niger, Islamic State in the Sahel claimed responsibility for an attack on the international airport and adjacent air force base in Niamey. The attack, which began shortly after midnight on Thursday, involved motorcycle-riding militants using heavy weaponry and drones, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadist activity. The militants damaged planes belonging to an Ivorian carrier and a Togolese airline. The Guardian reported that the attack was described as an "audacious assault."
In other news, a federal judge in Minnesota denied a request from the state government to block the Trump administration's deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez acknowledged that the immigration enforcement operation "has had, and will likely continue to have, profound and even heartbreaking, consequences on the State of Minnesota," according to BBC World. However, she stated that state officials had not proven that the surge of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis was unlawful. The ruling came as thousands nationwide have taken to the streets to protest the ICE surge.
Finally, in Norway, the royal family is facing unwanted public attention as Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, stands trial on 38 charges, including the rape of four women and assault. The trial, described by BBC World as "Norway's biggest trial in years," began on Tuesday at Oslo district court. Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon were not present, and the court has banned photographs of Høiby inside and outside the courtroom.
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