Morning news brief: Hamas chief wants ceasefire; Kyiv's Kursk offensive, and more

Newly-appointed Hamas leaderYahya Sinwar is in favour of a ceasefire deal, according toQatari and Egyptian mediators. The truce and hostage talks have been ongoing for months as the war drags on. However, the indication bySinwar is expected to revitalise the talks. In other news, Ukraine has continued its offensive in Russia's Kursk region. Kyiv said its main aim was to destabilise Moscow with this move.

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A Ukrainian security official said on Sunday (Aug 11) that the aim of the military's offensive in Russia's Kursk region was to stabilise the situation in Russia.

Qatari and Egyptian mediators in the ongoing Gaza war told Israel that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wants a ceasefire deal, just three days ahead of a fresh round of truce talks, CNN reported on Sunday (Aug 11) citing an Israeli source.

The helicopter that crashed into a hotel roof in the northern Queensland city of Cairns in Australia on Monday (Aug 12), killing the pilot, may have been stolen, according to a report innews.com.au.

The initial autopsy report into the brutal rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor in the Indian city of Kolkata said that the victim's body had multiple injury marks. Citing the report, the news agency PTI reported during the weekend that the trainee doctor was bleeding from her eyes and mouth.