World News Insights: Conflicts, Coalitions, and Cancer Battles

This summary covers major world developments, including Putin's demands on Ukraine, Israeli-Lebanon strikes, NATO's role in aiding Kyiv, Princess Kate's cancer battle, and the re-election of South Africa's Ramaphosa. Other topics include U.S. bishops' apology to Native Americans, G7's stance on China and AI, and humanitarian challenges in Gaza.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Putin demands more Ukrainian land to end war; Kyiv rejects 'ultimatum'

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday Russia would end the war in Ukraine only if Kyiv agreed to drop its NATO ambitions and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow, demands Kyiv swiftly rejected as tantamount to surrender. On the eve of a conference in Switzerland to which Russia has not been invited, Putin set out maximalist conditions at odds with the terms demanded by Ukraine, apparently reflecting Moscow's growing confidence that its forces have the upper hand in the war.

Israeli jets strike targets in Lebanon after missile barrage hits northern areas

Israeli jets and artillery hit targets in southern Lebanon on Friday after dozens of missiles were launched towards northern Israel, the military said as an escalation in cross-border strikes continued for a third day. Warning sirens sounded in border areas in northern Israel in the late morning as about 35 missiles were fired from southern Lebanon into the area around the border town of Kiryat Shmona.

NATO to take greater role coordinating military aid for Kyiv, says Stoltenberg

NATO will assume a greater role in coordinating arms supplies to Ukraine, the alliance said on Friday, taking over from the United States in a bid to safeguard the process as NATO-sceptic Donald Trump bids for a second term as U.S. president. "These efforts do not make NATO a party to the conflict but they will enhance our support to Ukraine to uphold its right to self-defence," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

Britain's Kate says she is making progress with cancer treatment, will attend event

Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, has said she is making good progress as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy but is "not out of the woods" ahead of her first public appearance on Saturday since surgery revealed the presence of cancer. In a personal written message released on Friday, Kate said she had been "blown away" by the thousands of kind messages from across the globe that followed her cancer announcement in March.

South Africa's Ramaphosa re-elected as ANC strikes coalition deal

The African National Congress and its largest rival, the white-led, pro-business Democratic Alliance, agreed on Friday to work together in South Africa's new government of national unity, a step change after 30 years of ANC rule. Once unthinkable, the accord allowed President Cyril Ramaphosa to win a second term in office. He was re-elected by lawmakers with 283 votes.

US Catholic bishops apologize to Native Americans for abuses, promise new outreach

U.S. Catholic bishops offered an apology to Native Americans on Friday for the church's role in inflicting trauma on their communities and adopted new guidelines for ministering to indigenous Catholics. The new policies, approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, call on church leaders to set up listening sessions with local Native leaders, incorporate tribal customs into sacred rites and improve access to Catholic universities and other educational opportunities for Native Americans, among other directives.

US imposes sanctions on Israeli group that attacked Gaza aid

Washington imposed sanctions on an Israeli group on Friday for attacking humanitarian aid convoys bound for starving civilians in Gaza, U.S. officials told Reuters, in the latest move targeting actors Washington believes threaten the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The sanctions target Tsav 9, a group with ties to Israeli army reservists and Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, over activities including blocking, harassing and damaging aid shipments.

G7 confronts China on commerce, pope talks about AI

Pope Francis made an historic appearance at the Group of Seven summit on Friday to speak about the pros and cons of artificial intelligence, while G7 leaders also pledged to tackle what they said were harmful business practices by China. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the summit host, invited the pope and other heads of state and government, including the prime minister of India and the king of Jordan, in an effort to show the G7 was not an aloof, exclusive club.

Mexican president-elect's motorcade suffers accident, Sheinbaum fine

Mexican president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum's motorcade suffered an accident on Friday, her team said in a statement, leaving one person dead and several injured, though the car Sheinbaum was traveling in was not involved. Sheinbaum stopped to check on the injured people, who were by then being attended to by emergency teams after the crash in Monclova, a city in northern Coahuila state, according to her team.

US preparing to temporarily remove Gaza pier due to sea conditions, official says

The U.S. military is preparing to temporarily remove its humanitarian pier off the coast of Gaza because of anticipated sea conditions, a U.S. official said on Friday, the latest challenge to the effort that has been hampered by bad weather since it was put into place in May. The floating U.S. military pier off Gaza had just resumed bringing humanitarian aid into the enclave after being suspended over the weekend.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)