United Nations (United States) (AFP) – The UN humanitarian agency OCHA is warning of “almost inevitable” widespread starvation in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The Hamas attack on October 7 that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people in Israel and Israel’s military retaliation has killed over 29,500 people.
Birzeit (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – At the Palestinian Museum in the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of Birzeit, Gaza’s art and heritage is on display as an “ongoing artistic demonstration” in solidarity with the war-ravaged coastal territory. Sparked by the militant group Hamas’s unprecedented 7 October attack on Israel, Gaza’s bloodiest war has devastated the Hamas-ruled strip, with its rich cultural heritage becoming just one of the many casualties of Israel’s retaliatory offensive.
A baby Siberian tiger has been born at Copenhagen Zoo, in a boost to conservation efforts for the endangered big cats. According to the zoo, barely 500 of these rare tigers still live in the wild, mainly in the Russian Far East, northeast China and possibly North Korea.
Kfardebian (Lebanon) (AFP) – Hundreds of Lebanese glide on pristine white slopes at a luxury ski resort north of Beirut, eager to disconnect from news of the war in Gaza as Hezbollah and Israel exchange near-daily fire on Lebanon’s southern border. Only around 80 kilometres separate the snowy mountain town of Kfardebian from border regions where the violence has displaced nearly 90,000 people, according to the United Nations.
Doha (AFP) – Qatar is “hopeful” of a Gaza war ceasefire and is pushing for an agreement before Ramadan, its foreign ministry spokesperson says. The gas-rich Gulf state, which hosts Hamas’s political bureau, has been a key mediator in negotiations involving the Palestinian militant group, Israel, the United States and Egypt.
Hong Kong activists stage a rare public protest against government plans for a new national security law, saying it lacks democratic oversight and human rights safeguards.
“The defeat of Russia is indispensable to security and stability in Europe,” says French President Emmanuel Macron after hosting a meeting of European leaders to discuss Ukraine.
Vatican City (AFP) – More than 250 years since its last restoration, the Canopy of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome is undergoing major works in preparation for the World Jubilee in 2025, when more than 30 million pilgrims are expected to visit. The Canopy is one of the most famous works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, sometimes dubbed “the second Michelangelo”, and was created in collaboration with Francesco Borromini.
Geneva (AFP) – UN chief Antonio Guterres warns that deadlock in the organisation’s Security Council on the wars in Gaza and Ukraine risks “fatally” undermining its authority, stressing the need for “serious reform”. As one of five permanent members of the 15-member council, the United States — Israel’s biggest ally — has a veto that it has wielded three times so far to bar the body from calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian Territory, while Russia has exercised its veto to prevent any action on the war in Ukraine.
London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp hails Liverpool’s League Cup final triumph against Chelsea as the “most special” trophy of his career, after Virgil van Dijk clinched a 1-0 win for the Reds with a dramatic header two minutes from the end of extra-time at Wembley. The victory was all the sweeter for Klopp as it came during an injury-hit period for his club that forced him to field a remarkably inexperienced team, bringing on four academy players dubbed “Klopp’s kids”.
Sao Paulo (AFP) – Thousands of Brazilians pour into the streets of Sao Paulo as ex-president Jair Bolsonaro flexes his political muscle, hitting out at an election ban that has seen him barred from seeking office for eight years. The far-right ex-army captain denies charges he plotted a coup to stay in power after losing an election in October 2022 and prevent the winner of the vote, leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from taking office.
Rafah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinians pull a dead boy out from the rubble and bury the victims in a recently opened cemetery after Israeli strikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. International concern is mounting over a long-feared Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, where many Gazans fleeing the fighting have been displaced, with dire warnings of mass civilian casualties. Israel insists the proposed operation will help it achieve “total victory” over Hamas “within weeks”.
