1. Israel expects to continue full-scale military operations in Gaza for another six to eight weeks as it prepares to mount a ground invasion of Rafah, four officials familiar with the strategy said. Military chiefs believe they can significantly damage Hamas' remaining capabilities in that time.

2. Pakistan's two major parties are set to meet to try and bridge differences over forming a minority coalition government after an inconclusive election, a top party official said, underscoring its political and economic instability.

3. Russian forces claimed full control of the vast Soviet-era coke plant in the ruined Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, cementing the biggest battlefield gain in nine months after one of the most intense battles of the war.

4. Russian investigators have not yet established the cause of Alexei Navalny's death, and it is unclear how long it will take for official conclusions to be made.

5. More than 400 people have been detained at events across 32 Russian cities since his death according to rights group OVD-Info, as Russians continued to gather and lay flowers.

6. Germany is likely in recession now as external demand is weak, consumers remain cautious and domestic investment is held back by high borrowing costs, the Bundesbank said in a monthly report about Europe's biggest economy.

7. The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against ByteDance's TikTok under the Digital Services Act, according to a document seen by Reuters, to see if the social media platform is doing enough to protect children.

Source: Reuters
=FRESH NEWS