The United Nations Human Rights Office said Monday nearly 6,600 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the start of Russia's invasion, though it stressed that its estimates are likely far lower than the actual figures.
The big picture: In total, its human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has so far recorded and independently verified 16,784 civilian casualties in the country, which includes 10,189 injuries.
Iran could soon “toy” with enriching uranium to the level of 90%, which can be used to build a nuclear weapon, the head of the Israeli military intelligence General Aharon Haliva said Monday.
Why it matters: Such a move by Iran will be unprecedented, but Haliva said Tehran would still need a "few years or many, many months" to build a nuclear device.
Iran's players remained stone-faced as the national anthem played ahead of their opening World Cup match against England on Monday.
Why it matters: The decision to remain silent during the anthem came a day after the team captain, Ehsan Hajsafi, spoke in solidarity with the protests in Iran, which began two months ago after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in custody after being arrested by morality police for "improper hijab."
Biden administration officials say they hope Ron Dermer, the former Israeli ambassador to Washington and incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s close confidant, will be appointed to a senior post in the new Israeli government.
Why it matters: The Obama administration had a difficult history with Dermer, but Biden officials believe they can "talk to" him and say "he understands the [U.S.-Israeli] relationship," especially amid concerns that radical right-wing politicians and those from Jewish supremacist parties will get senior jobs in the new Israeli government.
Seven European World Cup teams have abandoned plans to wear rainbow "one love" armbands in a show of inclusion and anti-discrimination after FIFA threatened that players who did so would face sporting sanctions, the soccer associations said in a joint statement Monday.
Driving the news: The captains of England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Wales had previously voiced their intent to wear the anti-discrimination armbands during their matches at the World Cup in Qatar.
China reported its first official death from COVID-19 in around six months on Sunday after an 87-year-old Beijing man died on Saturday, according to AP.
Why it matters: New coronavirus restrictions have been imposed on Beijing and other parts of the country in response to a recent spike in cases, particularly in Beijing's Chaoyang district.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine reported more than a dozen "powerful explosions" were heard near the nuclear plant Saturday night and Sunday morning, Rafael Grossi, IAEA's director general, said Sunday.
Why it matters: The explosions near the plant, which is Europe's largest nuclear power station, were from apparent shelling and ended a period of relative peace at the facility, the director said.
The World Cup kicked off in Qatar on Sunday with an elaborate opening ceremony ahead of the inaugural match between Qatar and Ecuador.
Driving the news: This is the first World Cup to take place in the Middle East, but host country Qatar has been repeatedly criticized for its human rights record and the environmental costs of holding the tournament in the region.
