Browsing: Main Headlines

Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed he has set a date for a military offensive into Rafah, despite concerns that it will lead to even more civilian deaths. The southern city of Rafah is currently home to more than a million Palestinians who are sheltering there after being forced to flee. Roughly 1.5 million civilians are sheltering in tents and overcrowded camps.

Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, has suggested the country could recognise Palestinian statehood, to increase momentum towards peace. However, Hamas could have no role in its governance, Wong said.

Plans to increase football squad sizes from 23 to 26 are being considered for this summer’s European Championship in Germany. Talks have begun following conversations with coaches as the football calendar remains congested and there have been fears over injuries.

Scotland was able to see a partial eclipse, whilst the rest of the UK missed out due to cloud cover. A solar eclipse – when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, obscuring the view of the Sun from Earth – took place on Monday.

Three soldiers from a southern African military force have been killed in a mortar attack in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. All three soldiers were from Tanzania. Three others were hurt.

Nicaragua has asked the UN’s highest court to halt German weapons sales to Israel at the start of a landmark case. Germany faces accusations of breaching the UN genocide convention by sending military hardware to Israel and stopping funding of the UN’s aid agency.

As rivers swell, many citizens in the Russian city of Orenburg are bracing for widespread flooding. The seasonal floods have been far worse than usual, caused by melting snow from the Ural Mountains, triggering evacuations throughout the area.

Former US President Donald Trump has said abortion rights should be left to individual states to decide – as they have been since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022. His comments have drawn criticism from both liberals and conservatives. Many in his Republican Party had wanted him to back a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Officials in Nampula have confirmed that more than 90 people have died after a ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique. Around 130 people are believed to have been on board, and only five people have been rescued, officials added.

US airline regulators have opened an investigation after an engine cowling on a Boeing 737-800 fell off during take-off and struck a wing flap. The flight returned safely to Denver International Airport at about 08:15 local time after originally departing to Houston.

On Sunday, Israel’s military said that it was reducing its numbers of soldiers from southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade in the area. The military stressed a “significant force” would remain in Gaza.

New Zealand authorities have announced a tightening of work visa regulations in response to what they describe as “unsustainable” levels of migration. Applicants for low-skilled positions are now required to meet English-language proficiency standards and their permitted stay has been reduced from five years to three.

A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into US billionaire Elon Musk after he said he would reactive X (formerly Twitter) accounts, that the judge had ordered to be blocked. Musk took to his social media platform saying that the restrictions on the X accounts had been lifted because the court order was unconstitutional.

Israel has said its military is prepared for any Iranian threat, following Monday’s attack on an Iranian consulate in Damascus. Iran says seven Revolutionary Guard officers were killed in the attack, which Israel is largely believed to be behind.

Profits for Samsung Electronics are expected to jump by more than 10-fold compared to a year earlier. The news comes as prices of chips have recovered from a post-pandemic slump and demand for artificial intelligence (AI) related products booms.

McDonald’s is to buy back all its Israeli restaurants after a boycott of the fast-food chain in response to the Israel-Hamas war. The company said it had reached an agreement with Alonyal for the return of 225 outlets across the country employing 5,000 people.

Israel has approved opening two humanitarian aid routes into Gaza following a strike on a food charity – which killed 7 aid workers, including three British ex-servicemen. Since the attack on the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charities have been pausing aid going into the territory due to concerns over staff safety.

Australia’s leading television network has refuted claims that it engaged in the payment of sex workers and illegal substances to secure an interview with an alleged rapist. Former Seven Network producer Taylor Auerbach made the allegations while providing testimony in a defamation lawsuit.

The secretary-general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has said the US and Europe need each other during a ceremony commemorating NATO’s 75th anniversary. Stoltenberg said that while the US provides security for Europe, it also relies on the military capabilities, intelligence, and diplomatic influence of its European allies.

British billionaire Joe Lewis, involved in an insider trading scheme, avoided prison on Thursday. Instead, a New York judge imposed a $5 million fine and three years of probation.

Following the killing of seven of its aid workers in an Israeli airstrike, World Central Kitchen (WCK) has halted its operations in the Gaza Strip, leaving many Palestinians uncertain about how they will provide for their families.

More than 600 legal experts, including three former Supreme Court justices, are urging the UK government to halt arms sales to Israel, citing concerns over potential violations of international law.

A member of the Israeli cabinet has rejected allegations that Israeli forces intentionally targeted seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza. José Andrés, the founder of WCK, has accused Israel of systematically targeting his team members, vehicle by vehicle.

Finnish police have said that the 12-year-old suspected of fatally shooting a boy at his school and causing serious injuries to two girls was driven by experiences of bullying.

In response to a recent surge in gang violence, tens of thousands of individuals have evacuated the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, in recent weeks. According to UN estimates, over 53,000 people have left the city of 3 million between March 8th and March 27th.