🇪🇹⚡- Ethiopian forces, ENDF, have opened a second front against the Tigray Defense Forces, TDF, in the Alamata direction of southern Tigray.

The ENDF continue to advance north along the A2, capturing Limat. More significantly, Ethiopian forces have launched a second offensive from the east in an attempt to semi-encircle Alamata. The ENDF have captured Chercher, while heavy fighting continues for Bala.

Ethiopian troops have also amassed south of the Deguyat Mountains, indicating that a third front could soon be opened.

🇬🇧⚡️- The platforms banned for under 16s in Britain starting next year have been announced:

TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky, Reddit, Facebook, Twitch, Kick, and Threads will require age verification for use.

🇺🇸🏌️‍♂️🏆⚡️- Team USA has done it again, winning the Presidents Cup! After falling behind early, the Americans came storming back to pull off a dramatic comeback at Medinah. The win extends the United States' incredible run, giving them their 11th straight Presidents Cup title. The International Team last won the competition in 1998. An absolutely incredible comeback. Another Presidents Cup for the Americans.

🇯🇴⚡️- Initial reports of explosions in the vicinity of Irbid, northwestern Jordan.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- BREAKING: Eight U.S. Marines were wounded two weeks ago when an Iranian cruise missile struck a ship they were operating aboard in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials told NBC News.

🇱🇧🇮🇱⚡️- Israeli airstrikes reported throughout southern Lebanon.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- "After Trump turned down Iran's seven-day ceasefire proposal, the mediators [Pakistan and Qatar] are pressuring Iran to accept concessions on its nuclear program to help restart negotiations with the US," - The Wall Street Journal.

🇪🇹🇪🇷⚡- The governor of the Afar region, pro Addis Ababa, has claimed Eritrean soldiers are participating in the TDF (Tigray separatists) and Uguugumo (Afar separatists) offensive in northern Ethiopia.

🇪🇹⚡- BREAKING: Ethiopian Armed Forces, ENDF, have entered the southern outskirts of Alamata, southern Tigray region.

🇬🇧⚡- UK diesel prices have hit an all-time high.

🇪🇹 - Current situation in northern Ethiopia:

While the Ethiopian military, ENDF, continues its successful advance in the Alamata direction, southern Tigray, and holds the line around Sekota, Tigray-Amhara regional border, it continues to lose territory to Uguugumo forces across the vast, open terrain of northwestern Afar.

Map key:
- Purple: Uguugumo,
- Red: Tigray Defense Forces,
- Blue: Fano.

Rerum Novarum’s proprietary maps are now available at MINIMAP.TECHNOLOGY

🇪🇹 - Scenes from Alamata city, southern Tigray region, as Ethiopian military forces patrol the streets.

🇻🇦🇫🇷⚡️- Despite initially refusing to meet the Pope besides the arrival meeting at the Elysée, Emmanuel Macron has made last minute changes earlier this morning to assist the Pope in Metz during his last day in France.

Emmanuel Macron sat besides Pope Leo during his speech on European unity earlier today and he is currently in the Saint-Etienne Cathedral of Metz as the final mass is about to begin. Emmanuel Macron spoke to Pope Leo privately today and will do so again before his departure from France. According to sources close to the French president, his initial conversation at the Elysée on peace, AI and Lebanon motivated Emmanuel Macron to further discuss with the Holy Father.

Note: Metz is in Moselle, one of the three French departments where the "Concordat" applies, meaning the French law on secularism does not technically apply here. It is likely why Macron allows himself to be more involved politically in the Pope's tour here.

🇬🇧⚡- Prime Minister Andy Burnham is currently chairing a COBRA meeting over the security incident yesterday at RAF Fairford.