Category: World

Israel is facing strong criticism after it stopped sending food and supplies into Gaza. They also warned of “more consequences” for Hamas if a fragile ceasefire is not extended. Mediators from Egypt and Qatar accused Israel of breaking humanitarian laws by using starvation as a weapon.

Hamas rejected Israel’s terms to extend the Gaza ceasefire, calling their actions “a war crime” and an attack on a truce that took a year of hard negotiations to establish in January. During the first phase of the ceasefire, humanitarian aid had increased after months of hunger in Gaza.

The second phase might involve Hamas freeing dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for Israel pulling out of Gaza and agreeing to a lasting ceasefire. This phase’s negotiations should have started a month ago, but they haven’t begun yet.

Israel mentioned a new US proposal to extend the ceasefire through Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, and the Jewish Passover, which ends on April 20. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under this proposal, Hamas would release half of the hostages immediately, and the rest when a permanent ceasefire is reached. Currently, there are 59 hostages, with 35 believed to be dead.

The US did not comment immediately but Netanyahu stated that Israel is working closely with the Trump administration and that ceasefire will continue only if Hamas keeps releasing hostages.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the ceasefire saved many lives and if things fall apart now, people will suffer again. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called Israel’s action “alarming” because international humanitarian law requires aid to be allowed in. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged everyone involved to work together to keep the peace in Gaza and to let aid flow back in while also releasing all hostages.

Five humanitarian groups asked Israel’s Supreme Court for permission to allow aid back into Gaza, saying stopping it breaks international laws that should not be influenced by politics. The war has made most of Gaza’s 2 million people rely on international aid, and before the recent halt, about 600 aid trucks were delivering supplies every day.

Residents expressed fear that prices will soar due to the closures. Fayza Nassar from the crowded Jabaliya refugee camp said this would worsen the already bad situation. “There will be famine and chaos,” she said.

Hamas warned that if the ceasefire agreement is delayed or canceled, it would have serious humanitarian effects on the hostages. They stated that the only way to free hostages is through the current deal. Families of the hostages stressed the urgency of the situation to the Israeli government, saying negotiations shouldn’t be postponed.

Throughout the war, Israel has been accused of blocking aid, imposing a siege on Gaza early on and facilitating only limited aid under US pressure. UN agencies and charity groups claim Israel has not allowed enough aid for 15 months. The International Criminal Court had previously stated there was reason to believe Israel used starvation as a weapon and even issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

Israel denied these claims, stating they provided enough aid and blamed shortages on problems with the UN’s distribution. They also accused Hamas of misusing aid, a claim repeated by Netanyahu.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed over 48,000 Palestinians, with many being women and children. This brutality began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in around 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.

In the past week, there have been serious clashes in Benin between armed groups and the military, resulting in the deaths of ten people, including one soldier. This West African country is facing an increase in attacks on military positions, especially in the northern region, where poorer communities reside. These attacks are often blamed on jihadist groups from neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and Niger.

Recently, the army conducted an operation that reportedly killed nine armed attackers. This action came after a soldier died, and two others were hurt by an explosive device in a nearby area. Although the southern city of Cotonou continues to attract international tourists, the northern parts of Benin have seen more violence.

The violence near the Niger border has become more frequent, raising concerns about safety in the region. A local military officer mentioned successful operations that destroyed an important base used by these armed groups.

For years, regions in Burkina Faso and Niger have faced threats from groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, taking advantage of local tensions and weak government presence. Earlier this year, six Beninese soldiers were killed in an attack, and in January 2022, Benin sent nearly 3,000 soldiers to patrol its borders. The United States and Benin recently signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation between their armed forces.

Experts warn that focusing heavily on military responses may not solve the deeper issues that help these groups recruit members.

On Sunday, Israel decided not to let any goods or supplies enter the Gaza Strip. They warned of “serious consequences” if Hamas, the group controlling Gaza, does not accept a new plan to extend a shaky ceasefire that started in January after many talks. Hamas accused Israel of trying to spoil the peace agreement, saying stopping the aid was “cheap extortion” and against the rules of the truce.

Both sides have not officially said the ceasefire is over yet. The first phase, which included sending more help to Gaza, ended on Saturday. They have not yet talked about what will happen next, where Hamas would release more hostages in return for Israel pulling back and a longer-lasting ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned that if the negotiations are not going well, Israel could start fighting again. He stated that Hamas must free hostages if they want the pause in fighting to continue. Israel also said they are working closely with the U.S. government on this issue.

The new U.S. proposal, shared by Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, suggests extending the ceasefire through Ramadan (the Muslim holy month that just began) and the Jewish holiday of Passover, which ends on April 20. The plan includes Hamas releasing half of the hostages on the first day and the rest when a complete peace agreement is reached.

Hamas warned that delaying or canceling the ceasefire could harm the hostages and said the only way to free them was by sticking to the original deal. This deal didn’t mention when all hostages would be released.

During the first ceasefire phase, Hamas freed 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. However, the truce has faced many problems, with both sides accusing each other of breaking the rules. Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of many Palestinians, with claims that some were in areas they shouldn’t have been.

International aid to Gaza has been a concern, as earlier, Israel completely closed off supplies during the war. Even with some easing due to U.S. pressure, there have been criticisms about not enough aid being sent. The situation in Gaza is very serious, with many people facing hunger.

The war started after Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Currently, 59 hostages are still held captive, with many of them believed to be dead. On the other hand, reports say that more than 48,000 Palestinians have died due to Israel’s military operations, many of them women and children.

The ongoing conflict has left most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people relying heavily on international aid for food and basic needs.

In July 2023, some cocaine was found in a cabinet near the Oval Office. Donald Trump thinks it might belong to either Joe Biden or Hunter Biden, especially since the Biden family was at Camp David that weekend.

After the drug was discovered, there was a 11-day investigation to figure out where it came from. Trump said that experts should have found fingerprints, but it looked like someone tried to erase them.

He called the finding a “terrible thing” because those areas have many fingerprints on them. In an interview with Ben Domenech from The Spectator World, Trump said, “Those bins are very loaded up with fingerprints.” He claimed that the package of cocaine was cleaned off and “stone cold,” hinting that someone was trying to hide what happened.

Trump said he plans to dig deeper into the situation, stating that there were “bad things” going on in the White House and implied that the details were being kept secret.

The Secret Service mentioned that without any physical proof, the investigation can’t point to one person because so many people walk through where the cocaine was found.

As the conversation continued, Trump criticized the media, claiming that outlets like CNN and CBS were protecting Biden instead of holding him accountable. He specifically called out 60 Minutes and Jake Tapper from CNN for not doing their job.

This weekend, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) made fun of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which surprised many people around the world. James Austin Johnson played Trump, while Bowen Yang was Vice President JD Vance, and Mikey Day acted as Zelensky. A special surprise guest was Elon Musk, who was portrayed by Mike Myers.

The sketch started with a funny voiceover saying that Trump and Zelensky’s meeting went “really, really well,” making everyone feel safe and happy about the world. Trump introduced himself in a funny way, calling himself the “President and CEO of the Gaza Hotel and Casino” because he wanted to make that area a top vacation spot. He joked about trying to trap Zelensky, saying, “It’s going to be a big, beautiful trap.”

As the skit went on, “fake Trump” joked about Zelensky’s outfit, saying he dressed like a character from Star Trek. In reality, Zelensky wore a simple black outfit. During the meeting, Trump was nervous about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and made strange requests, like asking Zelensky to tell Putin he loves him.

SNL’s version showed Trump and Vance interrupting Zelensky a lot, which made it hard for him to speak. Vance said, “You haven’t said thank you for the last 15 seconds,” poking fun at their serious discussions.

At one point, “fake Trump” played a card game where he joked he had all the best cards like “skip” and “draw four.” He even made fun of visiting Ukraine, calling it a mess, but still acted like they should visit.

Then, Elon Musk showed up wearing a red chainsaw and a funny t-shirt, asking Trump, “What are you doing in my office?” Trump joked back that he felt “comfortable” around Musk. They also joked about firing employees and how they didn’t bother to learn who they were.

The funny sketch ended with Trump hinting at releasing some controversial “Epstein Files” soon, saying, “You will see all the names, from A to S. No T

On Sunday, Firefly Aerospace, an American private space company, successfully landed its Blue Ghost spacecraft on the Moon! This means Firefly is the first commercial company ever to land on the Moon. They celebrated this big achievement on social media, saying, “We did it! This small landing on the Moon is a huge step for commercial space exploration. Congrats to everyone at Firefly, our partners, and NASA for making this happen!”

The mission, also known as “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” launched on January 15 using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It is part of a collaboration with NASA to reduce costs and help return astronauts to the Moon through the Artemis program.

Before landing, Firefly shared an update on social media, saying, “In just 2 hours, Blue Ghost will start its journey to the Moon’s Mare Crisium. There will be a short communication blackout while this happens. After that, we will check to make sure everything is okay!”

The Blue Ghost lander, which is about the size of a hippopotamus, is carrying 10 special tools. These include a lunar soil analyzer and a computer that can work in space radiation. It will also help test if a global satellite navigation system can work on the Moon.

One exciting task for the Blue Ghost is to record a lunar sunset, which will help scientists understand why dust lifts off the Moon’s surface, creating a glowing horizon. This mysterious glow was first seen by Apollo astronaut Eugene Cernan.

This mission comes at a crucial time for NASA. There is discussion about possibly changing or even stopping the Artemis lunar program to focus more on exploring Mars, which is important to President Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

Pope Francis is resting and doing okay as he recovers from double pneumonia. He missed his regular Sunday blessing again because he’s still not strong enough to appear in public. This is the third weekend in a row he has skipped delivering the Angelus prayer. The Vatican planned to share his prepared message instead.

Doctors said the Pope had a quiet night in the hospital and showed signs of improvement, even though he had a hard time breathing before and needed help with oxygen. He is 88 years old and has had lung issues for a long time, having had part of his lung removed when he was younger. He went to the hospital on February 14 due to worsening bronchitis that turned into pneumonia in both lungs.

The good news is that he can now breathe without the ventilator for long periods and his body is responding better, which is a sign that his health is improving. Doctors still advised caution, so he isn’t completely out of danger yet. He is eating, drinking, and doing breathing exercises, and even spent some time in his private chapel.

Many people are praying for Pope Francis as the Vatican celebrates a special Holy Year, bringing many pilgrims to Rome. They walk through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica and pray in Assisi, the town named after his saintly namesake, St. Francis. People visiting from different places, like Rev. Jacinto Bento from the Azores Islands, expressed their sadness over the Pope’s health.

In a twist of fate, Pope Francis was supposed to meet hospital staff for a special audience, but he had to stay in the hospital. Monsignor Claudio Giuliodori, of the Catholic University connected to the hospital, said they understood and continued to pray for him.

At the Gemelli hospital, the atmosphere is better, with shared feelings of hope and support for the Pope.

Melbourne, we all know how tough it can be during scorching hot days. Not only do they make us feel drained and cranky, but new research from the United States shows that long days of heat might also make us age faster!

When the temperature rises, it doesn’t just affect how we feel. It can change our body’s cells and how they express genes, which are like little switches that control everything in our body. If we experience a lot of heat, our body starts to work differently – and that might make us feel older sooner.

In the study, nearly 3,700 people, mostly older adults, were observed to see how extreme heat affects them over time. Researchers took blood samples and looked at changes in the genes to check how much these individuals aged biologically due to heat.

Here’s the surprising part: being exposed to intense heat made older people age faster—by more than two years in just six years! That means someone who has lived for six years felt like they had lived eight years just because of the extreme heat.

This is especially important for Australians, as we’re likely to face more heatwaves in the future. It’s clear we need to learn more about how to cope with rising temperatures.

A big fight between father and son is causing chaos at City Developments Ltd (CDL), a major property company in Singapore. Kwek Leng Beng, the 84-year-old chairman, and his son, Sherman Kwek, the CEO, are arguing publicly. This family battle has become very serious, with accusations of bad business choices and rule-breaking.

The problems started when CDL suddenly stopped trading its shares and cancelled a meeting about its finances. Kwek Leng Beng accused his son of trying to take control of the company. Sherman, along with some board members, had brought in new directors, which the elder Kwek saw as a takeover attempt. To fight back, Kwek Leng Beng filed a lawsuit to prevent these changes in the company’s leadership.

Sherman Kwek, who is 49 and graduated from Boston University, denied that he tried to push his father out. He called his father’s legal actions an “ambush.” He suggested that Catherine Wu, an advisor on the board, is the real problem, saying she has been interfering in company affairs.

This disagreement has revealed deeper issues within CDL, which is not just Singapore’s biggest property company but also part of a family worth $11.5 billion. Earlier this year, Kwek Leng Beng tried to fire Sherman as CEO, citing a big financial loss of $1.4 billion back in 2020 and poor investments in the UK. CDL’s stock has also been performing poorly under Sherman’s leadership since 2018.

The father feels it’s important to protect the family’s legacy and believes that Sherman’s actions could jeopardize everything they have built over the years. Kwek Leng Beng stated that “people make mistakes, but breaking corporate rules is unacceptable.” He added that firing his son wasn’t easy but necessary to protect the company.

Shares of CDL are still on hold, and major financial firms have downgraded the company. CDL has grown a lot since Kwek Leng Beng and his family started it as a struggling business in 1971. Now, it includes hotels, apartments, and offices around the world.

With the courts now involved, this family fight is far from over. Sherman defends his decisions as good for the company, while Kwek Leng Beng insists that undermining his power is an attempt at a takeover. He believes the court will ultimately decide who is right.

Elon Musk and his partner Shivon Zilis have welcomed their fourth child, a son named Seldon Lycurgus. Shivon, who works at Neuralink, shared the special news on social media while celebrating their third child Arcadia’s first birthday. Now, Elon and Shivon are proud parents of four kids, including twins named Strider and Azure.

In her post, Shivon didn’t say when Seldon was born but wanted to share the happy news. Elon replied with a heart emoji to show his excitement.

People online had mixed reactions about their son’s unique name. One person joked, “White people love to be called Seldon Lycurgus,” while another said it sounds like something from the show Doctor Who.

This news comes shortly after another influencer, Ashley St. Clair, hinted that she had a child with Elon Musk. She mentioned that he saw the baby for the first time on September 21, 2024, and they spent two hours together.

Let’s talk about Seldon Lycurgus’s name. “Seldon” might come from a character named Hari Seldon in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books. He was known for predicting the future using “psychohistory.”

“Lycurgus” refers to an ancient Spartan leader who established a strict and organized society in Sparta. He created laws that Spartans respected and admired.

Elon Musk has six children from his previous marriage to author Justine Wilson, but sadly, one of them passed away when they were just an infant. He also has three children with Canadian musician Grimes.