World News Roundup: Air raids, tank fire shake Sudan's capital region despite truce pledge; Pope, in Hungary, warns of rising nationalism in Europe, appeals for migrants and more

Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have fled for their lives in a power struggle between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15 and disabled an internationally backed transition toward democratic elections. Pope, in Hungary, warns of rising nationalism in Europe, appeals for migrants Pope Francis, starting a trip to Hungary, on Friday pointedly warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe and told the Budapest government that accepting migrants along with the rest of the continent would be a true sign of Christianity.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Air raids, tank fire shake Sudan's capital region despite truce pledge

Strikes from the air, tanks and artillery shook Sudan's capital of Khartoum on Friday and the adjacent city of Bahri came under heavy bombardment, witnesses said, even though the army and a rival paramilitary force agreed to extend a truce by 72 hours. Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have fled for their lives in a power struggle between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15 and disabled an internationally backed transition toward democratic elections.

Pope, in Hungary, warns of rising nationalism in Europe, appeals for migrants

Pope Francis, starting a trip to Hungary, on Friday pointedly warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe and told the Budapest government that accepting migrants along with the rest of the continent would be a true sign of Christianity. In a hard-hitting speech to government leaders including Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has had a series of run-ins with the European Union, Francis also urged a rejection of "self-referential forms of populism" and strictly nationalist interests.

Russia sacks deputy defence minister sanctioned by West over Mariupol - reports

Russian Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, who was sanctioned by the West and dubbed the "Butcher of Mariupol" for his role in the Ukraine war, has been removed as deputy defence minister, according to a military blogger and a leading news website. Mizintsev orchestrated the siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in the early months of the war last year. In September, he was appointed deputy defence minister in charge of logistics and supplies.

Chinese migrants find tips on social media for long trek to U.S.-Mexico border

Lihua Wu's journey to the United States started when she scrolled past the words "The Route", one of several common hashtags on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, advising migrants on the irregular overland trek across Latin America to the United States, also known online as "the Big Beautiful." By the time the single mother and her five-year-old daughter were apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on a dirt road near the U.S.-Mexico border just before midnight on April 2, Wu said she had relied on social media for detailed instructions for her trip, including footwear (Crocs as well as hiking boots) and how to find and pay for a reliable local guide.

Hamas armed wing announces suspension of bitcoin fundraising

The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Thursday it would stop receiving fundraising via the crypto currency bitcoin, a method it has used for years, citing an increase in "hostile" activity against donors. "This comes out of concern about the safety of donors and to spare them any harm," the group said in a statement late on Thursday, adding that it had seen increased efforts to prevent people and groups sending it bitcoin funds.

Kyiv says counterattack nearly ready with 'iron fist'; Russian strikes kill 17

Kyiv said on Friday it was nearly ready to launch a huge ground assault to retake occupied land, after Russia hurled missiles at cities as people slept overnight, killing at least 17 people in its first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months. The war is coming to a crucial juncture after a months-long Russian winter offensive that gained little ground despite the bloodiest fighting so far. Kyiv is preparing a counter-offensive using hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles sent by the West, hoping to drive Russia out of the nearly a fifth of the country that it occupies and claims to have annexed.

Analysis-Skilled, educated and washing dishes: how Italy squanders migrant talent

Marilyn Nabor, an experienced high school mathematics teacher in the Philippines, moved to Italy 14 years ago with high hopes of honing her craft in the country of Galileo and Fibonacci. Now aged 49, she works as a housekeeper in Rome, counting cobwebs and crockery, and has abandoned hope of returning to her former calling. "This country does not recognise our diploma or curriculum from the Philippines," she said. "I cannot get professional work."

New bodies aim to boost Ukraine defence ministry's efficiency, transparency

Two new advisory bodies will help make Ukraine's defence ministry more efficient and transparent, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Friday. The Office for the Support of Changes and the Public Anti-Corruption Council were set up earlier this month following allegations that the ministry bought food for troops at inflated prices.

Charles' coronation seized on by republicans as chance to ditch monarchy

When King Charles III is crowned in a lavish ceremony next week, Britain's main anti-monarchist movement will gather along the procession route next to a statue of Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, leading to a short-lived republic. Supporters of Republic, a group founded in 1983 that campaigns for an elected head of state, are planning their biggest ever protest. They believe Charles' accession to the throne presents their best chance of ending the monarchy, which traces its history back more than 1,000 years.

China flies combat drone around Taiwan; US Navy plane transits strait

A Chinese uncrewed combat aircraft has flown around Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said, showcasing Beijing's ability to attack its fall-back east coast bases, as a U.S. maritime patrol aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military pressure on the island over the past three years as it tries to force Taipei to accept its sovereignty claim.

(With inputs from agencies.)