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Ten children are among those injured in the missile attack on apartment buildings as rescue teams search for survivors. A Russian missile has hit two apartment buildings in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing three people and injuring at least 38, with rescue teams sifting through rubble in a night-time search for survivors. Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, put the provisional injury toll from the attack on Tuesday at 28 adults and 10 children. “Two buildings were hit, one five storeys, one nine storeys,” Lysak wrote on Telegram. “The number of injured is constantly rising as is the number of children injured.” Video of the scene showed a blaze that erupted at the top of one apartment block and rescue teams carrying the injured out of shattered building entrances. “The emergency services and residents who care are rescuing residents blocked in their apartments and are continuing to search for anyone who might be under the rubble,” Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote. “Four people have already been rescued.” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was born and raised in Kryvyi Rih, said on Telegram that search operations “will continue as long as they are needed.” In his evening address, he said: “We will inflict losses on the Russian state in response – quite rightly. They in the Kremlin must learn that terror does not go unpunished for them.” The city of Kryvyi Rih has been frequently targeted by Russian forces throughout the conflict. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/12/russian-missile-attack-apartment-buildings-kryvyi-rih-ukraine

Israel sabotaging ceasefire negotiations: Palestinian refugee rights groupBadil, a resource centre for refugee rights, has blamed Israel for sabotaging ceasefire talks.It cites the following examples: The call for a permanent ceasefire is denied by Israel for the sake of a temporary truce or pauseInstead of the provision of unrestricted humanitarian aid, Israel weaponises aid and obstructs UN agencies’ operationsInstead of a military withdrawal from Gaza, Israel plans to “redeploy” Israeli forces in the besieged enclaveThe call to allow the return of all displaced Palestinians is denied. Instead, Israel proposes the return of only women and children Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/3/13/israels-war-on-gaza-live-netanyahu-vows-to-finish-the-job-in-rafah

The first fatal attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea since Iran-backed Houthi rebels began targeting ships late last year has laid bare the enormous challenge of restoring safe passage along one of the world’s most important trade routes. At least three crew members were killed and four others injured in the assault Wednesday on the M/V True Confidence, a Liberian-owned bulk carrier, one of the ships that transport dry cargo such as grain and iron ore. The deadly strike marks a significant escalation of the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and and comes despite a US-led naval coalition to protect the crucial waterway. It also follows an assault late last month that sank a cargo ship, which is now discharging fertilizer into the ocean. Fewer ships appear to be transiting through the Red Sea and adjoining Suez Canal after the latest attack, according to maritime risks analytics company Windward. Transits have already dropped substantially since December when carriers started avoiding the area and rerouting vessels around the southern tip of Africa. Windward said the number of bulk carriers anchoring outside ports to the north and south of the Suez Canal surged 225% Wednesday compared with the previous day. “Our data shows that 61% of these (anchored) after 13:30 UTC (18:30 ET), which was the time of the attack,” Windward CEO Ami Daniel told CNN. He expects the attack will lead to even larger numbers of bulk carriers avoiding the Canal, through which 10-15% of world trade and 30% of container trade passes. “The propensity that something will happen is higher than people thought and the severity of the impact, once something happens, is (worse) than people thought,” he added. Windward data shows that last month the number of bulk carriers in the Red Sea was already at its lowest level in two years. Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/07/business/houthi-red-sea-attack-shipping-costs/index.html

Security forces gunned down two militants including a terrorist ring leader in separate operations in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday night, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. In a brief statement released on Thursday, the ISPR said that a terrorist ring leader named Shamrooz alias Sheenay was killed in an intense exchange of fire between the militants and security forces during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber district. Meanwhile, another terrorist named Mansoor was also neutralised in a separate operation in the Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing stated. It said that the slain terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as extortion and target killings of innocent civilians, and were highly wanted by law enforcement agencies. The statement said that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the slain terrorists. ISPR further stated that sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. The area locals appreciated the operations conducted by the forces and expressed their full support to the military in eliminating the menace of terrorism. Pakistan witnessed a spike in terrorist attacks in Balochistan and KP provinces during the past few months which also marred the pre-election phase in some provincial pockets. In response, the security forces also intensified actions against the terrorism-hit areas and achieved success by restoring peace in the affected parts, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan. Last week, three terrorists were gunned down and four others injured during an exchange of fire with Pakistani security forces in an IBO in KP’s Karak district.  Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1165566-security-forces-kill-terrorist-ring-leader-another-militant-in-kp-ibos

US’ Austin stresses ‘critical need’ to surge Gaza aid in call with GallantUS Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has told his Israeli counterpart that it is a “critical need” to surge humanitarian aid through all possible entry points in Gaza.Austin spoke on the phone with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant about Israeli operations in Gaza, according to a statement by Pentagon.In the call, Austin also stressed the need to ensure the safe distribution of aid once delivered to Gaza.“Austin and Minister Gallant discussed the urgent need to secure the immediate release of hostages held captive by Hamas,” the Pentagon statement said.Click here to share on social media

Police conducted search operation around Adiala Jail, where Imran Khan is also imprisoned  The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police Thursday said three alleged terrorists were collared and an Adiala Jail’s map, explosive devices and weapons were recovered from them. Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani said police recovered weapons, ammunition and explosive devices including automatic weapons, a hand grenade and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from the terrorists’ possession. Following the arrest, police and other law enforcement agencies conducted a search operation around Adiala Jail, where former prime minister Imran Khan is also imprisoned. The CPO said the terrorists hailed from Afghanistan and further investigation from them was underway. Earlier on November 7, 2023, police found a suspicious bag laden with an explosive device near Adiala Road in Gorakhpur, Rawalpindi, just one kilometre away from the Adiala jail ahead of the hearing of the cipher case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder. Law enforcement agencies have already expressed concern about the security of Khan as all of the case hearings are held under tight security inside the prisons. He was shifted to Adiala from Attock on September 26 amid tight security, a day after the Islamabad High Court’s order in this regard. An 18-vehicle convoy — including 15 vehicles of Islamabad police — two armoured vehicles and an ambulance had escorted Khan via motorway. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1165492-ctd-rawalpindi-catches-three-terrorists-carrying-adiala-jail-map-weapons

Ocean temperatures hit a record high last month, which was also the warmest February on record globally, scientists in the European Union have said. The average global sea surface temperature stood at 21.06 degrees Celsius (69.91 degrees Fahrenheit) in February, surpassing the previous record of 20.98C (69.77F) set in August 2023, in a dataset that goes back to 1979, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the average air temperature in February was 13.54C (56.4F), 1.77C (3.18F) warmer than the pre-industrial average for the month. It marked the ninth consecutive month that was the warmest on record for the respective month of the year. Earlier, January had also been recorded as the warmest first month of the year, surpassing the previous warmest January in 2020, as per C3S’s records going back to 1950. Last month, after scientists warned of the hottest January on record as the world continued a run of exceptional heat fuelled by climate change, C3S Deputy Director Samantha Burgess said, “Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to stop global temperatures increasing.” The C3S scientists said while the El Nino climate pattern continued to weaken in the equatorial Pacific in February, marine air temperatures remained at an unusually high level. Marine scientists warned this week that a fourth global mass coral bleaching event is likely unfolding in the Southern Hemisphere, driven by warming waters and possibly the worst in the planet’s history. Si Corals bleach under heat stress, expelling the colourful, helpful algae that live in their tissues, leaving behind a pale skeleton. This makes them vulnerable to starvation and disease, and many die. This can lead to the collapse of fragile reef ecosystems, with coastlines left unprotected from erosion and storms and fisheries falling short. El Nino, borne out of warmer than usual surface waters in the Eastern Pacific, alongside human-caused climate change, is fuelling the extra heat. “What is more surprising is that sea surface temperatures are at record levels over regions far away from the centre of the El Nino action, such as the tropical Atlantic and Indian Ocean,” said climate scientist Richard Allan of the University of Reading. This, he said, pointed to the strong influence of rising greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. While the global average sea surface temperature record excludes the polar oceans, things are in bad shape there, too. Antarctic sea ice reached its annual minimum extent in February, registering its third-lowest extent on record at 28 percent below average. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/7/oceans-break-high-temperature-record-on-warmest-february-marked-globally

White House seeks list of all upcoming Israel arms shipmentsThe White House has tasked the State Department and the Pentagon with compiling a roster of pending arms transfers to Israel, reports Axios, citing four US officials.The officials said the request was not an indication that Biden is considering suspending or conditioning Israeli weapons shipments in the near future. However, it does come as Biden faces growing scrutiny for his staunch backing of Israel — and amid US fears that Netanyahu cannot be deterred from a likely bloody invasion into Rafah.Earlier this week, over 30 Democrats in the House of Representatives penned a letter to Biden stating that Israel’s expected invasion of Rafah would likely disqualify it from US aid because Israel has not provided “credible assurances” it would respect international humanitarian law.Former US Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk, in comments to the Washington Post today, said: “If Israel launches an offensive in Rafah without adequately protecting the displaced civilian population, it may precipitate an unprecedented crisis in US-Israel relations, even involving arms supplies.”Click here to share on social media Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/3/7/israels-war-on-gaza-live-20-starve-to-death-in-gaza-more-feared-dead

The war in Sudan threatens to trigger “the world’s largest hunger crisis” a United Nations agency has warned. The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that more than 25 million people scattered across Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad are “trapped in a spiral” of food insecurity. However, the brutal civil war shows no sign of easing after 10 months of fighting. The “relentless violence” leaves aid workers unable to access 90 percent of people facing “emergency levels of hunger,” the WFP added. Concluding a visit to South Sudan, WFP executive director Cindy McCain said, “Millions of lives and the peace and stability of an entire region are at stake”. Two decades after the world rallied to respond to famine in Darfur, the people of Sudan have been “forgotten”, she said. At crowded transit camps in South Sudan, where almost 600,000 people have fled from Sudan, “families arrive hungry and are met with more hunger,” said the WFP. One in five children crossing the border is malnourished, it added. Currently, only five percent of Sudan’s population “can afford a square meal a day,” the UN agency reported. ‘Breaking point’ Sudan’s brutal civil war between rival government factions erupted in April 2023. Pitching army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, who now commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the conflict has killed tens of thousands, destroyed infrastructure and crippled Sudan’s economy. It has also uprooted more than eight million people. With two million forced from their homes before the fighting broke out, Sudan already hosts the world’s largest displacement crisis. Both the RSF and army have been accused of indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, targeting civilians and obstructing and commandeering essential aid. The WFP warned that the humanitarian response is at “breaking point” and will remain so unless the violence comes to a halt. “Ultimately, a cessation of hostilities and lasting peace is the only way to reverse course and prevent catastrophe,” it said. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/6/sudan-war-could-trigger-worst-famine-in-world-wfp

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/3/6/israels-war-on-gaza-live-un-food-convoy-blocked-from-north-gaza-by-israel