Ceasefire in the wider Gaza Strip: Israel is not taking part in the talks in Cairo and accuses Hamas of not wanting to provide the list of hostages still alive. Zelensky returns to ask the West to speed up the delivery of more weapons to Russia, blaming allies' “political games” that the Ukrainian president says are undermining Kiev's defenses. Haley wins the Republican primary in Washington, the first victory for Trump's rival. And the tycoon insults them and the US capital. China is seeking to improve relations with the United States, regardless of who the next American president is.
The La Cumbre volcano in the Galapagos Islands has erupted
State of alarm in the archipelago of Galapagos , in Ecuador, due to the eruption of the La Cumbre volcano on the island of Fernandina. Although the area is not inhabited, the administration of the Galapagos National Park still sounded the alarm. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, which is monitoring the development of the situation, has since announced that it will carry out monitoring to record any changes in the ecosystem, since “eruptions are part of the natural cycle of islands and islands.” the respective ecology and biodiversity have”. According to the ministry, the outbreak does not pose a threat to tourism and sites open to visitors have not been closed. Government authorities also said it was unknown how long the phenomenon would last and whether material ejected from the volcano would reach the sea.
Spain: Fire in a building near Alicante, at least 3 dead
At least three people, two adults and a minor, died in a fire that broke out overnight in a residential building in Villajoyosa, a Spanish town in the province Alicante . This was reported by the Efe news agency based on information from local emergency services. No further information about the deceased is currently available. Another 15 people received medical treatment for smoke inhalation. According to emergency services, the fire was reported shortly after 2 a.m. and was declared extinguished at 7:34 a.m.
Egyptian media are reporting noticeable progress in the negotiations on Gaza
The intermediaries of Egypt Several Egyptian media outlets, including state broadcaster Al Qahera, reported that Qatar, the United States and Hamas envoys had made “significant progress” toward a ceasefire in Gaza. Talks in Cairo continued for a second day, but Israeli delegates still did not show up. A six-week ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza are on the table.
Haiti: Second prison attacked, terror in the capital
In the capital of Haiti , residents of Port au Prince continue to experience moments of horror with gunshots and bodies scattered on several streets, while the first internet disruptions are recorded due to damage to fiber optic cables that occurred in the clashes. In one neighborhood, barricades with burning tires were erected. According to some local media, a second prison with around 1,400 inmates was also raided. The country's main soccer stadium was occupied and ransacked by gunmen who also held a staff member hostage for hours, the Haitian soccer federation said.
Iran, 213 seats awarded plus 60 runoffs, results today
While in Iran To date, the final results of the elections to Parliament and the Council of Experts are expected to be announced on Friday – marked by a record negative turnout and the almost obvious victory of the Conservatives – the electoral center announces that of the 290 parliamentary seats so far have already been at least 213 seats will be awarded, while at least 60 seats in 15 provinces will be decided by voting. In Tehran province, 14 out of 30 deputies were elected, while the remaining 16 will go to the second round, in which 32 candidates are running. Among the candidates elected in the capital is outgoing parliament speaker Mohammadbagher Qalibaf, a conservative. As far as the expert council is concerned, the spokesman for the electoral committee, Mohsen Eslami, announced that 72 out of 80 seats have been allocated so far.
Johansson (EU), repatriations increased by 15% in 2023
“Last year we increased returns by 15%, we have a better system and we are finally working in 'Team Europe' mode.” The Commissioner for Home Affairs said this: Ylva Johansson , which arrives at the EU Council, stipulates that ministers in Brussels will take note of progress on the migration pact. This week, Johansson will travel to Mauritania with his Spanish and Belgian colleagues to sign a migration agreement.
Tajani, Italy will promote a new humanitarian initiative in Gaza
“Italy will promote a new humanitarian initiative to help Palestinian civilians. I will invite all actors from the United Nations Center in Rome to the Farnesina.” The Foreign Minister said this in an interview with the press Antonio Tajani . “The situation is very complex, but we must not give up,” adds Tajani. Hamas did not provide requested information about the hostages. I hope that Qatar, Egypt and the US can convince the parties to agree to a ceasefire by the start of Ramadan.”
Then Tajani adds: “Our strategic goal is the 'Two Peoples, Two States' formula, where Israel can be safely recognized by the Arab world and the Palestinians can have their own institutional reality.” Now the ceasefire must start with the release of all Israeli hostages.” For the minister, it is “essential to the goal of bringing all the aid needed to the areas, much more than what can be distributed by dropping food parcels from planes.”
Gantz's visit to the USA upsets Prime Minister Netanyahu
An Israeli official said a Cabinet minister's trip to Washington angered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The dispute between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz highlights the growing cracks in the wartime government and divisions between Israel and the United States as the conflict in Gaza continues. There are disagreements between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden over how to ease the suffering of Palestinians and create a vision for the post-conflict period in Gaza. Talks were underway in Egypt to negotiate a ceasefire, but a government official said Israel did not send a delegation because Netanyahu had not received a response from Hamas on key issues.
Kamala Harris, immediate six-week ceasefire in Gaza
“There must be an immediate ceasefire.” Gaza of at least six weeks, as provided for in this agreement. This was said by American Vice President Kamala Harris, who will receive Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz in Washington tomorrow. “What we see every day in Gaza is devastating. We have received reports of families eating leaves or animal feed. Women give birth to malnourished babies with little or no medical care. Children are dying from malnutrition and dehydration,” he added.
China's military budget for 2024 will be at a reasonable level
China's military spending budget for 2024 will “remain at an appropriate and stable level, in line with social development and defense needs.” That's what he said Lou Qinjian , Speaker of the National People's Congress, on the eve of the start of the annual session of the Beijing Parliament's legislature. “Compared to GDP, it will be a lower percentage than other countries. “We will keep spending low,” Lou added in the press conference in which he presented the work of Congress, without giving further details. In 2023, Beijing's military budget increased by 7.2% from 7.1% in 2022, reaching 1,560 billion yen compared to 1,450 billion yuan. The data for 2022 and 2023 was essentially stable when expressed in dollars (around 230 billion), due to the exchange rate effect, although the spending trend increased, considering that in 2021 it was +6.8 % was.
Media: Wave of resignations for Israeli army spokesman
The number two speaker unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) , Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Hagari and a large number of senior officials in the IDF Information System have announced their resignation: This was reported by Israeli broadcaster Channel 14. Channel 14 sources say the resignations were for “professional and personal” reasons. The broadcaster, in turn, describes such a large-scale withdrawal from the army in the midst of an ongoing war as “unusual.” In addition to Hagari, the resignation would also affect fellow Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, IDF spokesman for foreign media. Channel 14 then names, among others, the officers Merav Granot and Tzupia Moshkovich.
Moscow, bomb damages railway bridge in the south, trains stopped
An explosion caused by a bomb damaged a pillar of a railway bridge in the southern Russian region of Samara and brought rail traffic to a standstill, writes the Tass agency, citing local sources.
Moscow summons German ambassador for secret talks
The Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned the German ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Lambsdorff, because of the intercepted secret conversation between German soldiers about possible attacks on the Russian bridge in Crimea. This is what the Tass agency writes, citing a source.
IDF launches operations in West Bank for Ramadan, 1 dead
The Israeli Army (IDF) launched today in West Bank a series of anti-terrorism operations ahead of Ramadan, a religious holiday that intelligence officials say could trigger a wave of violence in the West Bank next week. This was reported on military radio, according to which the most serious incidents today occurred in the al-Amari refugee camp (Ramallah), where a young Palestinian was killed in a firefight between militiamen and army and border guard authorities.
The news was confirmed by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Another major anti-terror operation is also underway in Tulkarem, where military bulldozers are busy, among other things, removing asphalt from some streets to neutralize bombs. One of the military vehicles was damaged by an explosion. Another point of tension is in Nablus, where the army last night blocked a group of Orthodox Jews trying to reach a place of prayer known as “Joseph's Tomb.” Military radio reported that some members of the group still managed to reach the shrine and were exposed to gunfire along the way. They were then rescued and arrested.
The meta-giant is on a collision course with the Australian government
Half , the largest social media network and parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has set itself on a collision course with the Canberra government after it decided to stop paying Australian publishers to republish news on its sites under current contracts expire this year. Meta announced yesterday that it will not renegotiate new contracts – a move that publishers say will cost them millions of dollars in funding and lead to job losses.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed great disappointment with Meta's decision, calling it “untenable” and announced action against the tech giant. “It is absolutely crucial that the media functions and is adequately funded,” he added. “It is dishonest that a company can profit from the investments of others, and not just capital investments, but from the work of journalists. It is a failure to live up to our commitment to the sustainability of Australian media.”
The News Media Bargaining Code was introduced three years ago to force companies like Facebook and Google to compensate publishers for reproducing news stories. The two broadcasters had signed a number of deals in 2021 with editors including the national ABC Radio-TV, Guardian Australia, News Corp Australia, Seven West Media and Nine Entertainment, the parent company of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers in Melbourne.
Crew Dragon Shuttle launched, 3 Americans and a Russian on board
The shuttle Crew Dragon Endeavour was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Falcon 9 rocket. This began the Crew-8 mission that brought NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, as well as cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the International Space Station, according to the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
Media: At least 6 dead in new Israeli attack on Rafah
At least six Palestinians were killed and several others injured in a new Israeli airstrike on a residential building east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip today. Gaza . This was reported by the Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera. Seven more people were killed in another bomb attack in the north of the Palestinian city that night. According to the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza since October 7 is at least 30,410 dead and more than 71,700 injured.
China: Improving Relations Regardless of Next President
There China The aim is to improve relations with the USA, regardless of who the next American president is, says Beijing.
USA 2024: Haley wins the Washington primaries, Trump insults her
Haley wins the Republican primary in Washington, the first success for Trump's rival. And the tycoon insults them and the US capital: “Chicken Brain spent all his money in this useless swamp,” the tycoon attacks. The U.S. Supreme Court said it will issue a number of rulings today, including potentially disqualifying Trump from the Colorado primary.
Zelensky returns and asks the West to speed up the delivery of more weapons
Zelensky returns to call on the West to speed up the delivery of other weapons against Russia, blaming allies' “political games” that the Ukrainian president says are undermining Kiev's defenses.
Israel leaves negotiations, Gaza media ceasefire fades
ceasefire a Gaza further afield: Israel is not taking part in the talks in Cairo and accuses Hamas of not wanting to provide the list of hostages still alive. Against Netanyahu's advice, War Cabinet member Gantz goes to Harris today. The US Vice President is calling for an immediate six-week ceasefire and the opening of aid crossings. At least twelve people died in a raid on Nuseirat refugee camp last night. Another 7 in Rafah this evening. Local media are reporting a wave of resignations among Israeli Army (IDF) spokesmen.
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