IDF says close to capturing Hezbollah’s historic Bint Jbeil stronghold – The Times of Israel

  1. IDF says close to capturing Hezbollah’s historic Bint Jbeil stronghold  The Times of Israel
  2. A Hezbollah commander describes battling Israel in Lebanon  NPR
  3. IDF destroys, captures Bint Jbeil stadium, site of Nasrallah’s infamous ‘spider web’ speech  The Times of Israel
  4. Israel presses assault on Lebanon border town ahead of US-hosted talks  Reuters
  5. In New War With Israel, Hezbollah Defies Notion That It Was Crippled  The New York Times
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A Closed Strait of Hormuz Risks a Global Food Security Crisis – War on the Rocks

  1. A Closed Strait of Hormuz Risks a Global Food Security Crisis  War on the Rocks
  2. Farmers warn of food price spike as war drives up fuel and fertilizer costs  PBS
  3. UN Warns of Food Risks From Fertilizer, Energy Trade Curbs  Bloomberg.com
  4. Diplomatic push underway on Hormuz fertiliser proposal, UN says, as shortages bite  Reuters
  5. Strait of Hormuz Blockade Could Further Hit Fertilizer Prices  Successful Farming
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Uber adds fuel surcharge for non-EV fares in Australia amid petrol price rises

Trips in electric vehicles will be exempt from the temporary fee of 5 cents a kilometre, rideshare firm says

Uber customers in Australia will be charged a fuel surcharge for almost two months from Wednesday unless they ride in an electric vehicle.

Trips in petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles will attract an extra fee of 5 cents a kilometre from 15 April to 8 June, Uber announced on Monday.

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I do not fear Trump, says Pope Leo after US president calls him ‘weak’

Leader of Catholic church says he will continue to speak out against war after president’s extraordinary criticism

Pope Leo said he did not fear the Trump administration and would continue to speak out against war after Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against him in which he said he did not think the Chicago-born pontiff was “doing a very good job”, while also suggesting he should “stop catering to the radical left”.

In remarks that have been widely criticised, the US president used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo while he flew from Florida to Washington on Sunday night, then continued in comments on the tarmac to reporters. “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he said.

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‘This scene is alive’: Abidjan art week showcases city as growing cultural hub

Late-night gallery tours and new venues signal a city staking its claim as a regional arts capital

On a recent weekday evening, the doors of more than a dozen galleries and museums across Abidjan stayed open till midnight, several hours later than usual, as art enthusiasts went around town on a bus tour. It was the Night of the Galleries, designed for people to drop in after work and enjoy Abidjan art week to the fullest.

The after-hours special showcase was first tested in January 2024 on the sidelines of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament hosted and won by Côte d’Ivoire. The tradition continued this year during the art week’s third edition, which ran from last Tuesday to Sunday.

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Monday briefing: Hungary chooses Péter Magyar over Viktor Orbán

In today’s newsletter: Orbán concedes defeat after 16 years in power, ushering in a new era for Hungary’s relations with the EU, US and Russia

Good morning. The people of Hungary are waking up in an unfamiliar political landscape – one in which Viktor Orbán, who has served as prime minister since 2010, is stepping aside after defeat to Péter Magyar, whose Tisza party has won an election likely to reshape the country’s ties with the EU, the US and Russia.

Less than three hours after polls closed on Sunday, Orbán conceded defeat after what he described as a “painful but unambiguous” result. Magyar, who has pledged to repair Hungary’s strained relationship with the EU, crack down on corruption and channel funds towards long-neglected public services, said Tisza voters had rewritten Hungarian history and that “truth prevailed over lies”.

Middle East | Donald Trump has said the US will begin blockading the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to take control of the strategic waterway from Iran in the aftermath of failed peace negotiations.

Carers | Thousands of unpaid carers will continue to be hit with hefty and potentially unfair benefit repayment demands, as a government initiative gets under way to fix welfare injustices that have drawn comparison to the Post Office scandal

UK news | The Home Office is to announce the closure of 11 asylum hotels this week as part of its pledge to close all such facilities by the end of this parliament.

Ireland | Police have cleared a blockade of central Dublin by farmers and hauliers who were protesting about fuel prices, signalling a possible end to six days of protests that have rocked Ireland.

UK politics | Ministers are planning to reshape Britain’s relationship with the European Union, with new legislation that could result in the UK signing up to EU single market rules without a normal parliamentary vote.

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Scores Killed in Nigerian Military Strikes as Clashes With Militants Intensify – The New York Times

  1. Scores Killed in Nigerian Military Strikes as Clashes With Militants Intensify  The New York Times
  2. Nigeria military to investigate deadly air strike on bustling market  Financial Times
  3. At least 100 dead in Nigeria after air force ‘misfire’ on market, sources say  AP News
  4. Nigerian airstrike hits market, 200 feared dead in northeast Yobe state  Reuters
  5. Jilli air strike: Dozens of Nigerian civilians reportedly killed in Borno market  BBC
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A stampede at a Haitian mountaintop fortress kills at least 25 people and injures dozens – NPR

  1. A stampede at a Haitian mountaintop fortress kills at least 25 people and injures dozens  NPR
  2. At least 30 killed in crush at historic fortress in Haiti  The Guardian
  3. Stampede at Haiti’s Citadelle Laferrière Mars a Haitian Source of Pride  The New York Times
  4. At least 30 feared dead in crush at Haitian tourist site  BBC
  5. Stampede at historic fortress Citadelle Henri in Haiti killed at least 25 people  CBS News
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