The United States has paused strikes on Iran for a third consecutive night after top military officials advised President Donald Trump to halt the bombing campaign. Diplomatic negotiations have continued to avoid a return to all-out war. Oil prices fell on Monday as markets responded to the pause in combat. Tehran announced on Sunday it would pause what it called 'retaliatory' attacks against US allies in the region.
Pentagon updates casualty figures
The Pentagon updated its official war casualty database over the weekend, adding more than 140 wounded service members. According to the new figures, 18 US troops have been killed and 624 wounded since the US launched its war against Iran on 28 February. Axios reported that Admiral Bradley Cooper, the top US military commander in the region, had told Trump the US military campaign had reached the limits of its effectiveness. Trump is said to be weighing up diplomatic and military options in the nearly five-month-old conflict.
Katy Perry condemns use of her song in war video
Pop star Katy Perry has condemned the White House after it used her hit song 'Firework' in a TikTok video showing US military strikes on Iranian targets. Perry said: 'I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it. I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength … my music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare.'
Netanyahu accuses New York mayor of fomenting hate
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was 'fomenting hate' by calling Netanyahu a war criminal who should be arrested over Israel's war in Gaza if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly. 'He's supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers – Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone,' Netanyahu said, adding: 'But he's trying to turn one group against the other.' The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued a warrant accusing Netanyahu of being 'allegedly responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.'
Berlin Pride attack suspect shot dead
German officials said a man suspected of driving a van into a crowd near Berlin's Pride festival then going on a knife rampage in an Islamist terror attack has been shot dead by police. One woman was killed on Saturday evening and 29 others were injured in the attack that took place in the Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate at about 10pm local time, close to one of Europe's biggest LGBTQ+ celebrations. Police confirmed on Sunday evening that the chief suspect had been shot dead.
Shooting at Seattle food festival leaves two dead
Two people were killed and five others wounded in a shooting on Sunday evening during the Bite of Seattle food festival at an events complex near the Space Needle, a city fire department spokesperson said. Susan Gregg from Harborview Medical Center said it had admitted four victims including a toddler, a 23-year-old man and two women. One patient was in critical condition.
Other notable news
An Oklahoma woman known for posting on social media about parenting was fatally shot in an apparent murder-suicide by her husband shortly after she published a clip alluding to allegations he had molested a minor. A former FDA head said it was 'not standard' for Taylor Farms to ask the White House to delay a cyclospora-related recall. Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries said Trump's Republican party has 'nothing to run on' for the congressional midterm elections. Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar joined the small club of five-time Tour de France champions. Experts warned that misleading TikTok health claims pose a 'huge danger to public safety' after research showed AI-generated doctors gaining millions of views by spreading dubious advice.
Uganda begins emergency food handouts
Uganda has launched emergency food relief distribution after at least 19 deaths from hunger were reported in an area of prolonged drought in the east of the country. Health facilities report treating hundreds of children for severe malnutrition. Experts attribute the region's recurring food insecurity to climate crisis shocks, environmental degradation such as deforestation and overgrazing, as well as poverty and low agricultural productivity.
Climate check: US heatwave and European wildfires
At least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings across central and southern parts of the United States on Sunday as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day. Meanwhile, Europe is suffering a spate of dangerous wildfires. Kate Lamb explains what a 'fire cloud' is, and how the unprecedented phenomenon – pyrocumulonimbus – could exacerbate the effects of the blazes.
International Cowboy Day in Nairobi
Celebrations for International Cowboy Day took place at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi, Kenya, featuring revellers in cowboy attire dancing to country music. A spectacular set of photos captured the event.
