World News Roundup: In State of the Union, Biden to sharpen contrast with Trump; Ship evacuated after first civilian fatalities in Houthis' Red Sea attacks and more

The only candidate in the party's ballot, von der Leyen listed the war in Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza destabilising the Middle East, and the rise of China as key challenges for the 27-nation European Union, a wealthy grouping of 450 million people. US threatens action against Iran at IAEA over continued 'stonewalling' The United States on Thursday threatened future action against Iran at the U.N. nuclear watchdog if Tehran keeps "stonewalling" the watchdog by denying it the cooperation and answers it seeks on issues including long-unexplained uranium traces.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Israeli tank in 'likely scenario' fired machine gun at reporters after deadly shelling, report finds

An Israeli tank crew killed a Reuters reporter in Lebanon in October by firing two shells at a clearly identified group of journalists and then "likely" opened fire on them with a heavy machine gun in an attack that lasted 1 minute and 45 seconds, according to a report into the incident published on Thursday. The report by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) - which was contracted by Reuters to analyse evidence from the Oct. 13 attack that killed visuals journalist Issam Abdallah - found that a tank 1.34 km away in Israel fired two 120 mm rounds at the reporters.

Namibian communities demand return of land in dispute over German genocide legacy

Namibian communities whose ancestors were massacred by German colonial forces and had their property seized more than a century ago are calling for fresh talks with Berlin to negotiate the return of ancestral land. Germany agreed in May 2021 to fund projects worth 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) over 30 years to make up for the property seizures and killings by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908, after the tribes rebelled against German rule.

"Fight for life" by mothers whose daughters are still hostages in Gaza

Simona Steinbrecher holds up two images of her daughter, Doron. One shows a young woman with twinkling eyes and a big smile. The other, from a video distributed by Hamas 107 days into the war, shows an emaciated, pale woman, with an almost lifeless gaze. Doron, a 30-year-old veterinary nurse managed to telephone her mother Simona moments before she was abducted to Gaza from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities worst hit in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.

Ship evacuated after first civilian fatalities in Houthis' Red Sea attacks

India's navy evacuated all 20 crew from a stricken vessel in the Red Sea on Thursday, after a Houthi attack killed three seafarers in the first civilian fatalities from the Yemeni group's campaign against the key shipping route. The Iran-aligned militants fired a missile at the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence on Wednesday about 50 nautical miles off the port of Aden, setting it ablaze.

In State of the Union, Biden to sharpen contrast with Trump

U.S. President Joe Biden will use his fourth State of the Union address on Thursday night to sharpen distinctions between him and Republican opponent Donald Trump, tout the country's strong economy, push the rich to pay more taxes and try to ease voters' concerns about his advanced age. Biden's annual address, an event that stems from the U.S. Constitution's requirement that a president report information to Congress "from time to time" on the state of the union, will be held at 9 p.m. (1400 GMT) before a rare joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and a nationally televised audience.

Turkish opposition disarray lifts Erdogan's hopes of winning back Istanbul

Disunity among Turkey's opposition parties has boosted President Tayyip Erdogan's hopes that his AK Party can regain control of Istanbul in this month's municipal elections, pollsters say, following his victory in last year's presidential vote. The outcome of the March 31 election in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, is seen as key in deciding the political fate of its mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, 52, long touted as a potential leader of the main opposition CHP and possibly a future president.

Gaza ceasefire possible, US says; South Africa again asks World Court to intervene

The U.S. said on Wednesday that talks on a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza could still reach an agreement between Hamas and Israel as the enclave's humanitarian crisis prompted South Africa to ask the World Court for new emergency measures. Negotiators from Hamas militants, Qatar and Egypt - but not Israel - are trying to secure a 40-day ceasefire in time for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins early next week.

EU's von der Leyen wins conservatives' backing to lead bloc for 5 more years

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday won the backing of the EU's leading political group, the centre-right European People's Party, to head the bloc's powerful executive for another five years. The only candidate in the party's ballot, von der Leyen listed the war in Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza destabilising the Middle East, and the rise of China as key challenges for the 27-nation European Union, a wealthy grouping of 450 million people.

US threatens action against Iran at IAEA over continued 'stonewalling'

The United States on Thursday threatened future action against Iran at the U.N. nuclear watchdog if Tehran keeps "stonewalling" the watchdog by denying it the cooperation and answers it seeks on issues including long-unexplained uranium traces. At a quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors, Washington again told Iran to cooperate with IAEA inspectors who for years have been seeking explanations from Tehran on the origin of uranium particles at undeclared sites.

Hamas delegation leaves Cairo with ceasefire talks ongoing until agreement - statement

A Hamas delegation left Cairo on Thursday, but will continue with Gaza ceasefire talks until an agreement is reached with Israel, the Palestinian group said in a statement, with a Hamas official blaming Israel for the lack of progress. "Hamas's delegation left Cairo this morning for consultation with the leadership of the movement, with negotiations and efforts continuing to stop the aggression, return the displaced and bring in relief aid to our people," the Hamas statement said.