Global Affairs: From Fauci's Testimony to Sheinbaum's Historic Win

This summary covers significant global news, including Dr. Anthony Fauci's denial of suppressing the COVID lab leak theory, U.S. efforts for a Gaza ceasefire, Hunter Biden's trial, ANC's governance decisions in South Africa, Netanyahu's address to the U.S. Congress, Modi's potential third-term victory, Iran’s nuclear issues, G7’s support for Gaza peace, and Claudia Sheinbaum's historic win in Mexico.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Four more Israeli hostages died in Gaza captivity, Israel's military says

The Israeli military said another four Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 had died in captivity and that their bodies are being held by the Palestinian Islamist group. The four men were identified as Chaim Peri, 80, Yoram Metzger, 80, Amiram Cooper, 84, and Nadav Popplewell, 51.

Fauci denies suppressing COVID lab leak theory before US House panel

Former top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci strongly denied suppressing the theory that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak in China, telling lawmakers he never influenced research on the origins of the virus. In his first time addressing the allegations publicly since a 14-hour hearing held behind closed doors in January, Fauci also reiterated that he believes the most likely origin of the pandemic was animal-to-human transmission.

US seeks UN backing for proposed Gaza ceasefire deal

The U.S. said on Monday it wants the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution backing the proposal outlined by President Joe Biden to end fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It circulated a one-page draft text, seen by Reuters, to the 15-member council. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., France, Britain, China or Russia to pass.

Hunter Biden jury sworn in, will hear evidence of addiction and a gun buy

A jury was sworn in on Monday for the trial of Hunter Biden on gun charges, a historic criminal prosecution of a sitting president's son with the potential to influence the 2024 presidential election. Hunter Biden, 54, went on trial at the federal courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware, four days after Republican Donald Trump, the Democratic president's rival for the Nov. 5 U.S. election, became the first former president found guilty of a crime.

All eyes on ANC as it discusses who to enlist to govern South Africa

South Africa was on tenterhooks on Monday for the African National Congress to signal whom it will choose as a partner to govern the nation after it lost its majority in last week's election for the first time in 30 years of democracy. The ANC had comfortably won every previous election since the end of apartheid in 1994 but this time voters weary of joblessness, inequality and rolling power blackouts gave it just 40.2% of the vote, down from 57.5% five years ago.

No date set for Netanyahu's address to US Congress, Israel says

No date has been set for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, his office and congressional sources said on Monday, following reports that the leader's speech had been set for June 13. Without citing a source, a Punchbowl News reporter said on X.com that Netanyahu would address a meeting of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate on June 13. Politico and Bloomberg later reported the same date, citing unnamed sources.

India's Modi eyes biggest win yet when votes counted in giant election

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to win a record-equalling third consecutive term in office on Tuesday when the 642 million votes cast in the world's largest election are counted. Exit polls have projected a big win for Modi and if they are confirmed - they have often got the outcome wrong in India - Modi's Hindu nationalists will have triumphed in a vitriolic campaign in which parties accused each other of religious bias and of posing a threat to sections of the population.

Exclusive-Europeans' draft IAEA resolution presses Iran on particles, inspectors

A draft resolution European powers submitted to the U.N. nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors on Monday for a vote this week presses Iran again to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites and also covers issues such as its barring of inspectors. The text seen by Reuters follows a resolution passed 18 months ago ordering Tehran to urgently comply with a years-long International Atomic Energy Agency investigation into those traces. The new text calls on Iran to cooperate without delay, including by letting the IAEA take samples if the agency needs to.

G7 leaders 'fully endorse' Biden's Gaza peace plan

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies "fully endorse and will stand behind the comprehensive" ceasefire and hostage release deal for the Gaza war outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden and call on Hamas to accept it, a statement said on Monday. The deal "would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian assistance for distribution throughout Gaza, and an enduring end to the crisis, with Israel's security interests and Gazan civilian safety assured," the statement said.

Historic win gives Mexico's Sheinbaum a landslide, spooks markets

Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and protege of Mexico's popular outgoing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, won a landslide to become the country's first female leader, though the scale of her victory sparked jitters in the markets. Former Mexico City mayor Sheinbaum, 61, won the highest vote percentage in the history of Mexico's democracy, according to preliminary results from the electoral authority. She secured 58.8% of the votes with 82% of the ballots counted.

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