Israel shatters Gaza ceasefire after IDF strikes kill more than 400 Palestinians | First Thing
Good morning.
More than 400 people have been killed and hundreds more injured as Israeli military forces hit dozens of targets across Gaza early this morning, in effect ending the increasingly shaky ceasefire that had halted violence in the devastated Palestinian territory since mid-January.
Palestinian health authorities have raised the death toll from the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip to at least 404 (up from 326). At least four government officials are among the dead, according to reports and Gazaâs government media office.
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Why has Israel resumed large-scale airstrikes on Gaza? The Israeli government has been threatening to launch an offensive for weeks and says targeting the Hamas leadership will bring about the release of more hostages. Many hostage families in Israel dispute this.
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What does this mean for the ceasefire? The grim reality is that the fragile two-month pause in hostilities between Israel and Hamas is over. It appears very unlikely a deal that would end the new Israeli attacks can be achieved soon.
Trump could reshape judiciary with 300 judge appointments, analysis shows
Donald Trump is poised to reshape the US judiciary over the next four years through hundreds of potential appointments of rightwing judges, a progressive advocacy group has said.
The Trump administration has suffered several legal setbacks and was accused of violating a judgeâs order by deporting about 250 Venezuelan alleged gang members to El Salvador.
Trump, a Republican, appointed 226 judges to the federal courts during his first term as president. The total was narrowly eclipsed by his successor, the Democrat Joe Biden, with 228, including record numbers of women and people of color.
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How many could Trump appoint? Demand Justice shared data with the Guardian identifying more than 300 potential judicial appointment opportunities for Trump.
Trump and Putin to hold call on US plans for Ukraine ceasefire
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will speak on the phone today discussing the next step in the US presidentâs plans for bringing about a ceasefire in Ukraine.
On Sunday, Trump said negotiators had already talked about âdividing up certain assetsâ, including power stations. The legal status of Russia-occupied territories is also believed to be on the table.
Much to Europeâs frustration, it once again finds itself not at the table and having to rely on readouts from Washington or Moscow containing only what they choose to disclose.
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When will the call take place? Kremlin officials say it is scheduled for between 1pm and 3pm GMT.
In other news âŠ
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The decision to shutter two offices at Nasa risks âdramaticallyâ increasing the costs of space exploration, while handing Elon Musk more influence, fired workers have warned.
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The US defense department webpage celebrating a Black Medal of Honor recipient that was removed and had the letters âDEIâ added to the siteâs address has been restored â and the letters scrubbed â after an outcry.
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The Trump administration fired most of the board of the US Institute of Peace (USIP), even though it is a congressionally funded, independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization that is not part of the executive branch.
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Universal Music Group has moved to dismiss Drakeâs defamation suit, characterising it as âa misguided attemptâ by the Canadian rapper to âsalve his woundsâ after he âlost a rap battleâ with rival Kendrick Lamar.
Donât miss this: From London to Lviv â how Trumpâs new world order has shaken Europe
In recent weeks, the US president has appeared to herald the end of Pax Americana, which has left Europeans grappling in different ways with new and unsettling realities, writes Daniel Boffey:
In London, rightly or wrongly, and perhaps out of sheer necessity, the idea of the special relationship remains a comfort blanket. There is a new steely resolve in Brussels but the temptation persists to push back decisions. A leading German politician described the incoming government in Berlin as âdemocracyâs last bulletâ but some worry they will shoot themselves in the foot. Austrians cling to their traditional neutrality as if that alone will keep them safe. In Poland, there is, perhaps, the greatest clarity as to what they think must be done.â
Climate check: Countries must bolster climate efforts or risk war, Cop30 chief executive warns
Countries looking to boost their national security through rearmament or increased defence spending must also bolster their climate efforts or face more wars in the future, one of the leaders of the next UN climate summit has warned. Some countries could decide to include climate spending in their defence budgets, suggested Ana Toni, Brazilâs chief executive of the Cop30 summit.
Last Thing: Once named worldâs ugliest animal, blobfish wins New Zealandâs fish of the year
It was once crowned the âworldâs ugliest animalâ but now the disgruntled-looking gelatinous blobfish has a new gong to its name: New Zealandâs fish of the year. The winning species of blobfish, Psychrolutes marcidus, lives in the highly pressurised depths off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia. âIt sort of sits there and waits for prey to come very close and practically walk into its mouth before it eats them,â said Konrad Kurta, a spokesperson from the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust that runs the annual competition.
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