World News Roundup: Migrants drown in Channel, Sunak says nothing will stop Rwanda policy; Sixteen dead, 28 missing after boat capsizes off Djibouti coast - U.N. agency and more

As Ukraine's efforts to conscript enough men to fight Russia are stymied by public scepticism, defence officials and military units are embarking on a multi-pronged charm offensive to recruit a citizens' army to resist the invasion. Sixteen dead, 28 missing after boat capsizes off Djibouti coast - U.N. agency Sixteen would-be migrants have died and another 28 are missing after a boat carrying 77 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the second such incident in two weeks, the United Nations migration agency said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

India's Modi calls rivals pro-Muslim as election campaign changes tack

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party have begun attacking opposition rivals, saying they favour minority Muslims, in what analysts see as a bid to invigorate their hardline base after general elections began last week. India began voting on Friday in a seven-phase election at which Modi seeks a rare third consecutive term, with campaigning that had so far largely focused on his record of growth and welfare as well as his personal popularity.

Judge to consider gag order violations in Trump hush money trial

The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial will decide on Tuesday whether the former U.S. president should be punished for violating a gag order that prevents him from criticizing witnesses and others involved in the case. Prosecutors are asking Justice Juan Merchan to fine Trump for criticizing porn star Stormy Daniels and his former lawyer Michael Cohen, both of whom are expected to testify. They also have highlighted Trump's claim last week that people were lying to get on the jury so they could convict him.

UN rights chief 'horrified' by mass grave reports at Gaza hospitals

U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday that he was "horrified" by the destruction of the Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities in Gaza and reports of mass graves containing hundreds of bodies there, according to a spokesperson. Palestinian authorities reported finding scores of bodies in mass graves at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis this week after it was abandoned by Israeli troops. Bodies were also reported at the Al Shifa site following an Israeli special forces operation.

Malaysian navy helicopters collide in mid-air, 10 killed

Two Malaysian navy helicopters collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for a naval parade on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew members aboard, the navy said in a statement. The incident occurred at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9.32 a.m. on Tuesday morning (0132 GMT), the navy said.

Israel military strikes northern Gaza in heaviest shelling in weeks

Israel bombarded northern Gaza overnight in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks, panicking residents and flattening neighbourhoods in an area where the Israeli army had previously drawn down its troops, residents said on Tuesday. Tanks made a new incursion east of Beit Hanoun on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip, though they did not penetrate far into the city, residents and Hamas media said. Gunfire reached some schools where displaced residents were sheltering.

Russia to step up strikes on Western weapons in Ukraine

Russia will intensify strikes on Ukrainian storage bases that house Western-supplied weapons, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday, as the United States prepares to approve and deliver a long-delayed batch of new military aid. In remarks to defence officials, Shoigu said Russia had "dispelled the myth of the superiority of Western weapons" and its forces had gained the initiative along the 1,000 km (600-mile) battle front.

Iran's Israel strike coincided with crackdown on dissent at home, activists say

The same day Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel it embarked on a less-noticed confrontation at home, ordering police in several cities to take to the streets to arrest women accused of flouting its strict Islamic dress code. Iranian authorities insist that their so-called Nour (Light) campaign targets businesses and individuals who defy the hijab law, aiming to respond to demands from devout citizens who are angry about the growing number of unveiled women in public.

Ukraine launches military charm offensive as conscription flags

Far from the trenches, at orderly new centres across Ukraine, civilian recruiters armed with laptops and info packs offer patriotic volunteers opportunities to join the war. As Ukraine's efforts to conscript enough men to fight Russia are stymied by public scepticism, defence officials and military units are embarking on a multi-pronged charm offensive to recruit a citizens' army to resist the invasion.

Sixteen dead, 28 missing after boat capsizes off Djibouti coast - U.N. agency

Sixteen would-be migrants have died and another 28 are missing after a boat carrying 77 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the second such incident in two weeks, the United Nations migration agency said on Tuesday. The boat's occupants included children, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a post on social media platform X.

Migrants drown in Channel, Sunak says nothing will stop Rwanda policy

Five people, including a child, died in an attempt to cross the English Channel from France on Tuesday, hours after Britain passed a bill to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda to try to deter the dangerous crossings. The deaths occurred after an overcrowded small boat carrying around 110 people set out to cross one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The French coastguard was still searching for any survivors.

(With inputs from agencies.)