BBC News Summary - 30/04/2025 12:30 GMT

• BBC News Summary - 30/04/2025 12:30 GMT

India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate

Amid growing tension with Pakistan, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has held a series of high-level meetings with Cabinet colleagues and senior military officers. Mr. Modi's government is under public pressure to respond after repeatedly accusing Pakistan of supporting Kashmiri separatists who killed 26 tourists last week.

Israeli Strike in Syria

Israel has carried out a strike on what it calls extremists in Syria, to show its support for the minority Druze community. Earlier, Syrian state media reported that at least 11 soldiers had been killed when their security outpost in the Druze-majority town was attacked.

North Korea Tests Missiles with Russian Support

North Korea has test-fired missiles from a new warship reported to have been built with Russian assistance. Moscow is believed to have supplied North Korea's military with technological assistance, while Pyongyang has sent troops to fight in Ukraine.

Turkey Expands Military Presence in Iraq

A BBC investigation has found that Turkey has significantly increased its military presence in northern Iraq, Ankara says it is pursuing the banned Kurdish militant group, the PKK.

US Backs Israel Over UN Refugee Agency

The United States has defended Israel's decision to end cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza. A State Department legal adviser told the International Court of Justice that Israel had reason to question the UN agency's impartiality.

Journalist Arrested by Israeli Forces

Palestinian journalists have condemned the arrest of the prominent local reporter, Ali Al-Shamudi, by Israeli forces. Israel accuses him of transferring funds to the Islamic Jihad group, something his family denies.

Spain Rejects Claims on Power Outage

The chairwoman of Spain's electrical network has dismissed reports that the failure of power systems across the Iberian Peninsula on Monday was due to reliance on renewable energies.

Posthumous Degree for Oxford's First Indigenous Student

Oxford University has awarded a posthumous degree to its first Indigenous student, more than 100 years after she began her studies. Makarreti Papakora died in 1930, just weeks before she was due to present her thesis.

Comprehension Questions

• India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate
• Q1: Why is Prime Minister Modi under pressure to respond to Pakistan?
• Israeli Strike in Syria
• Q2: What reason did Israel give for its strike in Syria?
• North Korea Tests Missiles with Russian Support
• Q3: What type of help is Russia believed to have given North Korea?
• Turkey Expands Military Presence in Iraq
• Q4: Why has Turkey increased its military presence in northern Iraq?
• US Backs Israel Over UN Refugee Agency
• Q5: What justification did the US give for Israel ending cooperation with the UN agency?
• Journalist Arrested by Israeli Forces
• Q6: What is Ali Al-Shamudi accused of doing by Israeli authorities?
• Spain Rejects Claims on Power Outage
• Q7: What explanation was rejected by Spain’s electrical network chairwoman regarding the power failure?
• Posthumous Degree for Oxford's First Indigenous Student
• Q8: Why didn’t Makarreti Papakora complete her thesis presentation?

Vocabulary

People & Roles