At least seven people were killed and 20 injured in an attack on a hospital and market in South Sudan on Saturday, a medical charity has said, as fears mount that the country could return to all out civil war.

Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), condemned the early morning attack on its hospital in Old Fangak, Jonglei State, in the northeast of the country.

MSF said helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on their pharmacy and fired on the town for 30 minutes.

The pharmacy burned to the ground and all medical supplies were lost in the attack, destroying the last remaining hospital in the area. A nearby civilian market was also bombed by a drone, according to MSF.

“This attack has severely compromised our ability to provide lifesaving care in Old Fangak – the only hospital serving over 110,000 people in the area,” MSF said.

It’s not immediately clear why the hospital was targeted, or by whom, but the attack comes amid fears the country is on the brink of returning to civil war amid growing tensions between South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar – who lead rival factions in a unity government formed following a peace deal in 2018. Machar was arrested in March and accused of trying to stir up a rebellion.

MSF called on all parties to the conflict to respect and protect civilians and humanitarian infrastructure, adding that Saturday’s deadly attack was the second assault on its facilities in less than a month. On April 14, armed men looted an MSF hospital in Ulang, Upper Nile State, cutting off access to secondary healthcare for thousands, the charity said.

Fangak County Commissioner Biel Boutros Biel, in an audio message aired on local TV, alleged government forces – the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) – had carried out the attack on the hospital and market, which he said had displaced more than 30,000 civilians.

Fangak county is ethnically Nuer and has been traditionally associated with the opposition party loyal to Vice President Machar.

“The government is using natural resources to kill its own people because of their identity as Nuer,” and perceived loyalty to opposition groups, Biel said, referencing a recent government directive labeling nine counties, including Fangak, as “hostile.” He condemned the violence, urging the global community to act.

A day prior to the attack, the embassies of Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the US, alongside the EU, warned of South Sudan’s rapidly deteriorating security situation and demanded President Kiir release Vice President Machar from house arrest.

“All parties must end the use of violence as a political tool,” the countries said in a joint statement.

A fragile ceasefire

South Sudan split from the rest of Sudan in 2011 after decades of pro-independence unrest but has since struggled to keep the peace in its territory.

It is divided along ethnic lines – between the majority Dinka tribe, which Kiir hails from, and Machar’s Nuer ethnic group, the second-largest in the country.

It plunged into a civil war in 2013 after Kiir removed Machar as vice president, with the ensuing five-year conflict killing an estimated 400,000 people before the two sides reached a fragile ceasefire and power-sharing agreement in 2018.

The country, which has never held a national election, is now governed by a coalition led by President Kiir and five vice presidents, one of whom is Machar, the leader of the SPLM/A-IO party.

Following Machar’s arrest in March, the SPLM/A-IO issued a statement saying his detention “effectively brings the (peace) agreement (between him and Kiir) to a collapse.”

According to a 2025 UN Refugee Agency report, the situation in South Sudan is one of Africa’s most severe refugee crises, with 2.3 million refugees and asylum-seekers in neighboring countries and a further 2 million South Sudanese internally displaced within their own country by conflict or natural disasters.

British counter-terrorism police have arrested five men, including four Iranian nationals, on suspicion of planning a terrorist act, a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police said on Sunday.

The investigation relates to a suspected plot to target a specific location, according to the statement, which added that the men were arrested during raids at a number of addresses across the country on Saturday.

“This is a fast-moving investigation and we are working closely with those at the affected site to keep them updated,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

The Met Police have not said which site was the target of the alleged attack. It said the men were arrested in the Greater Manchester and London areas, as well as in the southern town of Swindon.

“The investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter,” said Murphy.

Four of the men are Iranian nationals, ranging in age from 29 to 46, and have been detained under Britain’s Terrorism Act, the police statement said. The nationality of the fifth man, whose age was not provided, was still being established and the Met statement said he had instead been detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

All five remain in police custody.

“We understand the public may be concerned and as always, I would ask them to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us,” Murphy said.

Additional details of the suspects arrests:

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday it will mobilize thousands of reservists in the coming days, in what appears to be an expansion of its offensive in Gaza.

The move, which comes amid a deadlock in ceasefire talks, follows reports that the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Friday presented a plan for intensifying pressure on Palestinian militant group Hamas to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan 11, reported that Zamir’s plan included evacuating Palestinian civilians from northern and central Gaza ahead of expanded operations in those areas, mirroring tactics used earlier this year in southern Gaza’s Rafah.

Citing unnamed officials, Kan 11 said Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet was expected to approve the plan Sunday.

The news has prompted concern among families of the 59 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

In what it described as “an urgent and heartfelt” appeal, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters warned Saturday that “any escalation in the fighting will put the hostages — both the living and the deceased — in immediate danger.”

“The vast majority of the Israeli public views the return of the hostages as the nation’s highest moral priority,” it added.

Negotiations to secure the release of the remaining hostages have been stalled for weeks.

Talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly collapsed. Hamas is demanding a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has accused Hamas of rejecting “reasonable offers.”

On Thursday, Netanyahu said explicitly for the first time that defeating Israel’s enemies was more important than securing the release of the remaining hostages, in remarks that drew a backlash from representatives of their families. Previously, he had described defeating Hamas and securing the release of the hostages as the primary goals of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Saturday it was rescheduling Netanyahu’s May 7-11 visit to Azerbaijan “to a later date.”

Citing an “intense diplomatic and security schedule,” it said the change came following “developments in Gaza and Syria.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

A sea of people filled Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach on Saturday as pop superstar Lady Gaga played a colossal free concert in the Brazilian city, with more than two million fans said to have attended.

Guests started queuing from early Saturday morning to secure a good spot for the show, which is paid for by local authorities. Organizers said about 2.1 million revelers were estimated to have been in the crowd.

“I feel the city is more crowded this time, but I’m very excited”, said the film maker.

Many fans – which the star refers to as her “Little Monsters” – had dressed up in Gaga-themed costumes, referencing major hits like “Poker Face,” “Born This Way” and “Bad Romance.”

Lady Gaga’s trip to Brazil is part of a global tour to promote “Mayhem,” her new album. The genre-hopping singer and actor, 39, was in Mexico City last week, where she played two concerts.

The night before the Rio concert, the pop star surprised beachgoers on Copacabana by taking the stage for a rehearsal.

“I’ve missed you so much”, she said between applause, during her first performance in Brazil since 2012. “I know that this is not the first show here, I know this is just a rehearsal, it feels like it’s the real show,” she added before breaking into “Alejandro.”

“The truth is that the energy here in Copacabana is incredible,” Abril said. “Rio is incredible and it always lends itself to parties and magical moments.”

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a drone attack on a military air base and other facilities in the vicinity of Port Sudan Airport, a Sudanese army spokesperson said on Sunday, in the first RSF attack to reach the eastern port city.

No casualties were reported from the attacks, the spokesperson said.

The RSF has not commented on the incident.

The RSF has targeted power stations in army-controlled locations in central and northern Sudan for the past several months but the strikes had not inflicted heavy casualties.

The drone attack on Port Sudan indicates a major shift in the two-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The eastern regions, which shelter a large number of displaced people, had so far avoided bombardment.

The army has responded by beefing up its deployment around vital facilities in Port Sudan and has closed roads leading to the presidential palace and army command.

Port Sudan, home to the country’s primary airport, army headquarters and a seaport, has been perceived as the safest place in the war-ravaged nation.

In March, the army ousted the RSF from its last footholds in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, but the paramilitary RSF holds some areas in Omdurman, directly across the Nile River, and has consolidated its position in west Sudan, splitting the nation into rival zones.

The conflict between the army and the RSF has unleashed waves of ethnic violence and created what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with several areas plunged into famine.

The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the army and RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule. It ruined much of Khartoum, uprooted more than 12 million Sudanese from their homes and left about half of the 50 million population suffering from acute hunger.

Overall deaths are hard to estimate but a study published last year said the toll may have reached 61,000 in Khartoum state alone in the first 14 months of the conflict.

Singapore’s People’s Action Party won its 14th successive election on Saturday to extend its unbroken six-decade rule, delivering a strong mandate to its new premier as the city-state braces for economic turbulence from a global trade war.

The PAP, which has ruled since before Singapore’s 1965 independence, won 87 of the 97 parliamentary seats up for grabs, with victories by huge margins in many of the 33 constituencies as the opposition failed to extend gains in previous contests.

The election was a bellwether of the popularity of the PAP amid some signs of disenchantment with its tight grip on power in the Asian financial hub, whose six million people have known no other kind of government.

Though the PAP has consistently won about 90% of seats, its share of the popular vote is closely watched as a measure of the strength of its mandate, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong eager to leave a mark on his first election in charge after one of the PAP’s worst performances on record last time.

The PAP had yet to be formally declared winner but took 65.57% of the vote, according to local media, surpassing the 61.2% achieved in the 2020 contest.

The outcome will be seen as a ringing public endorsement of US-educated Wong, 52, who became Singapore’s fourth prime minister last year, promising continuity as well as new blood and a new style of leadership.

He took over at the end of the two-decade premiership of Lee Hsien Loong, the son of former leader Lee Kuan Yew, founder of modern Singapore.

Recession risk

Wong must address high living costs and a shortage of housing: persistent problems in one of the world’s most expensive cities, which faces a risk of recession and job losses if its trade-dependent economy takes a hit from the trade war triggered by steep US tariffs.

Wong thanked his constituents, saying: “We are grateful once again for your strong mandate, and we will honor it.”

Though the PAP win maintains the status quo, the margin of victory in most races was significant, with the opposition decimated and PAP candidates winning more than two-thirds of the vote in 18 of 33 constituencies.

“The voters have spoken and they have voted for stability, for continuity, for certainty – and they voted to give Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a strong mandate,” said Mustafa Izzuddin, adjunct senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore.

Although a PAP defeat was always extremely unlikely, some analysts had said the election could have altered the future political dynamic if the opposition had made more gains, with some younger voters keen for fresh voices, greater scrutiny and more robust debate.

But that could take time. Like previous elections, Saturday’s was a lopsided affair, with 46% of all candidates representing the PAP.

The ruling party ran in all seats, compared to just 26 for the Workers’ Party, which won the 10 seats PAP did not win.

The PAP has a big membership to draw from, influence in state institutions and far greater resources than its untested opponents.

Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the PAP’s decisive win came down to Singaporeans backing a known quantity at a time of uncertainty.

“It’s a flight to safety – not wanting to change to a new party amidst the greatest global trade tensions in decades,” he said.

“Just because they are a rock in times of trouble – the same issues are there (that) they need to address.”

Flights resumed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv after a failed interception of a missile from Yemen on Sunday forced it to halt operations temporarily.

Israel’s military said the missile landed in the airport’s vicinity after “several attempts” at intercepting it failed, adding that “the results of the interception are under review.”

The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles at Israel, but this appears to be the first time one has landed near the country’s main international airport, a major breach of security at a tightly protected site.

“We will attack whoever attacks us sevenfold,” Israel Katz, the defense minister, said in a statement.

The attack prompted the airport to briefly suspend flights. Trains to and from the airport were also halted and police asked the public to refrain from arriving in the area.

The incident underscores the Houthis’ continued ability to strike distant targets despite a sustained US military campaign and may raise questions about Israel’s capacity to intercept such attacks.

Pictures from the scene showed debris from the impact of the missile on the grounds of the airport, littering the road toward the main terminal. A video shared on social media appeared to show the impact of the missile at the airport and a cloud of black smoke rising from the strike.

Sunday’s strike marks the third consecutive day of missile launches from Yemen toward Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the latest missile, but a spokesman for the militant group has said previous launches targeted military facilities in Israel. Yahya Saree said over the weekend that the rebels fired “Palestine 2” ballistic missiles “in support of our brothers and sister in Gaza.”

Israel has carried out several strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, including the targeting of a power plant and maritime ports in January.

The US military has carried out far more extensive strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in recent weeks, aiming to the group, whose attacks on Red Sea shipping have significantly disrupted global trade.

The campaign is also aimed at stopping launches targeting Israel, as well as commercial and US Navy vessels operating in the Middle East. Early last month, the cost of US the effort had approached $1 billion in just three weeks, including the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers and the use of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of high-end munitions.

But it has largely failed to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to launch ballistic missiles against Israel. The country’s vaunted missile defense system routinely intercepts the launches, but some have gotten through.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

A four-year-old girl and a man have been killed after a driver crashed an SUV into the entrance of Manila International Airport on Sunday, the Philippine Red Cross said.

The driver crashed the car through the outer railing and onto a walkway where people were standing outside the departure area at Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1 just before 9 a.m., the Philippine Red Cross said in a statement.

“The incident tragically resulted in the casualties of two individuals – a male adult and a 4-year-old girl,” it said.

The driver is in police custody and individuals are being treated for injuries, the airport’s operator said in a statement, though it did not specify how many people were hurt.

There is currently no indication from police that the crash was deliberate.

The Philippine Red Cross said it deployed 18 volunteers and five ambulances to respond to the crash, including a rescue vehicle for “potential extrication operations,” according to the statement.

Videos shared on social media by the news agency of the Philippine government showed chaos at the airport, and a black SUV crashed into the entryway of the terminal. People could be heard screaming and crying in the video, which appeared to show several people injured on the ground and baggage strewn about, as first responders attended to the scene.

“At this time, we are awaiting official confirmation on the cause of the incident and reports of injuries,” the statement from the airport’s operator said.

“We understand the concern this incident has caused, especially as images have circulated on social media,” said the statement.

“We urge the public not to speculate and to wait for verified updates, which will be issued as soon as they become available.”