World News Roundup: Migrants say 'Spain or death' as Senegalese navy tackles sea crossings; Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors as deaths reach 157 and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

How Hamas aims to trap Israel in Gaza quagmire

Hamas has prepared for a long, drawn-out war in the Gaza Strip and believes it can hold up Israel's advance long enough to force its arch enemy to agree to a ceasefire, two sources close to the organization's leadership said. Hamas, which rules Gaza, has stockpiled weapons, missiles, food and medical supplies, according to the people, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation. The group is confident its thousands of fighters can survive for months in a city of tunnels carved deep beneath the Palestinian enclave and frustrate Israeli forces with urban guerrilla tactics, the people told Reuters.

Migrants say 'Spain or death' as Senegalese navy tackles sea crossings

After a fruitless 10-hour search in stomach-churning waves, the Senegalese navy patrol boat Walo had started its long journey back to port on Thursday evening when its radar picked up a neon blip - another vessel was moving fast through the dark seas. Its high nighttime speed raised the suspicions of the Walo's crew, trained to spot the differences between ordinary fishing boats and those filled with thousands of would-be migrants attempting perilous ocean missions each year to Spain's Canary Islands.

Ex-VP of China's ICBC being probed by anti-graft body

The former vice president of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Zhang Hongli, is being probed by the anti-graft body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on Saturday.

Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors as deaths reach 157

Rescue workers in Nepal began digging through the rubble of collapsed houses with their bare hands on Saturday, searching for survivors after the country's worst earthquake in eight years killed 157 people and shook buildings as far away as New Delhi. The quake struck the Jajarkot region in the west of the Himalayan nation at 11:47 p.m. (1802 GMT) on Friday with a 6.4 magnitude, Nepal's National Seismological Centre said. The German Research Centre for Geosciences measured it at 5.7 and the U.S. Geological Survey at 5.6.

Palestinians say Israeli strike hits U.N.-run school; Blinken to meet Arab leaders

Palestinians reported a deadly Israeli strike on a U.N.-run school in northern Gaza serving as a shelter on Saturday ahead of a meeting in Jordan at which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hear Arab demands for a ceasefire in the enclave. Witnesses said the strike hit Al-Fakhoura school in Jabalia, where thousands of evacuees were living. At least 15 people died and dozens more were wounded, said Mohammad Abu Selmeyah, an official in the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave.

Militants attack air force base in central Pakistan, says military

Nine Islamist militants attacked an air force training base in the central Pakistani area of Mianwali on Saturday damaging three "non-operational" aircraft, the military said, adding that all assailants had been killed by security forces. Three militants were killed before they entered the base while the others had been cornered before the clearance operation began, the military said in a statement. It did not mention any casualties amongst security personnel.

Armed men spring Guinea's ex-junta leader Camara out of prison - minister

The former head of Guinea's 2008 military junta, Moussa Dadis Camara, was sprung from prison by heavily armed men in Conakry in the early hours of Saturday along with three other high-ranking officers, Justice Minister Charles Wright said. Local residents told Reuters military vehicles and special forces were policing the streets of the Guinean capital after shots were heard in the Kaloum administrative district, where Camara and others were held at the Central House prison.

Japan PM Kishida: cooperating with Philippines, US to protect South China Sea

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday his country, the Philippines and the United States were cooperating to protect the freedom of the South China Sea as he committed to help enhance Manila's security capabilities. "In the South China Sea, trilateral cooperation to protect the freedom of the sea is under way," Kishida, on an official visit, said in an address before the Philippine congress in the capital Manila.

Western officials broach with Kyiv issue of possible peace talks with Moscow - NBC

U.S. and European officials have spoken to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, NBC quoted an unidentified senior U.S. official and one former U.S. official as saying. The war in Ukraine, now in its 21st month, has killed or wounded hundreds of thousands and destroyed swathes of the country. It has also triggered the deepest crisis in Moscow's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

EU's von der Leyen visits Kyiv ahead of report on accession progress

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Saturday ahead of a report the European Union is expected to present next week about Ukraine's progress in its membership bid. "Good to be back in Kyiv for my sixth wartime visit," von der Leyen wrote on social media platform X, posting a picture of her with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a railway station.

(With inputs from agencies.)