World News Roundup: Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan and wife jailed for 7 years for unlawful marriage; US conducts strikes in self-defense against six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles and more

Duterte has called for the independence of his hometown Mindanao from the Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated this week over disagreements around efforts to amend the constitution. Yemen's Houthis vow response after US, British strikes The United States and Britain launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, in the second day of major U.S. operations against Iran-linked groups following a deadly attack on American troops last weekend.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Hamas hounds Israeli forces in main Gaza cities

Palestinian gunmen kept up attacks against Israeli forces on Sunday in the Gaza Strip's two main cities, weeks after they were overrun by troops and tanks, in a sign Hamas still maintains some control ahead of any potential truce. Nearly four months into the war triggered by the Palestinian Islamist group's deadly cross-border rampage in Israel, there was persistent fighting in Gaza City in the north of the densely populated enclave, and in Khan Younis to the south.

Israel pressures Gaza cities, health officials say 18 die in airstrikes

Israeli airstrikes killed 18 Palestinians in the Gaza cities of Rafah and Deir Al-Balah, Gaza health officials said on Saturday, as residents of the enclave feared Israel would expand its ground offensive into those last remaining areas where people have sought shelter. Rafah is on Gaza's southern border with Egypt and more than half the enclave's 2.3 million population have fled there as the Israel Defense Forces press their nearly four-month-old war against the militant Hamas group.

Philippines ready to use 'forces' to quell any secession attempt- official

The Philippine government is ready to use "authority and forces" against attempts to divide the nation, a security official said Sunday, after former President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to separate some southern islands from the rest of the archipelago. Duterte has called for the independence of his hometown Mindanao from the Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated this week over disagreements around efforts to amend the constitution.

Yemen's Houthis vow response after US, British strikes

The United States and Britain launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, in the second day of major U.S. operations against Iran-linked groups following a deadly attack on American troops last weekend. The strikes late on Saturday hit buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems, launchers and other capabilities the Houthis have used to attack Red Sea shipping, the Pentagon said, adding it targeted 13 locations across the country.

Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan and wife jailed for 7 years for unlawful marriage

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined on Saturday by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage broke the law, his party said. It was the third ruling against Khan this week and comes ahead of national elections on Thursday that he is barred from contesting.

US conducts strikes in self-defense against six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles

The U.S. Central Command said on Saturday that U.S. forces conducted strikes in self-defense against six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea. U.S. forces identified the cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region, the statement added.

El Salvador President Bukele poised for another landslide as voters head to polls

Salvadorans head to polls on Sunday in elections expected to hand President Nayib Bukele another landslide victory, with many happy to overlook the young leader's authoritarian drift after he crushed gang violence paralyzing life across the country. Wildly popular, Bukele, 42, has campaigned on the success of his draconian security strategy that saw authorities suspend civil liberties to arrest thousands of suspected gang members without charges. The detentions lead to a collapse in nationwide murder rates and transformed the poor Central American nation that was once among the world's most dangerous.

Namibia's President Hage Geingob, 82, dies after cancer diagnosis

Namibia's President Hage Geingob, 82, died in hospital early on Sunday, the presidency said, weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer. Geingob had been in charge of the thinly populated and mostly arid southern African country since 2015, the year he announced he had survived prostate cancer.

U.S. launches retaliatory strikes in Iraq, Syria; nearly 40 reported killed

The United States launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and militias it backs, reportedly killing nearly 40 people, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops. The strikes, which included the use of long-range B-1 bombers flown from the United States, were the first in response to the attack last weekend in Jordan by Iran-backed militants, and more U.S. military operations are expected in the coming days.

Forest fires kill 51 in Chile, menace urban areas

Forest fires raging in central Chile have killed at least 51 people and the death toll is likely to keep climbing, authorities said on Saturday, as emergency services battled to snuff out flames threatening urban areas. Black smoke billowed into the sky over many parts of the Valparaiso region, home to nearly one million inhabitants in central Chile, while firefighters using helicopters and trucks struggled to quell the fires.