Europe must get ready for looming war, Donald Tusk warns (www.theguardian.com)
The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, says Europe is entering a “prewar” era, cautioning that the continent is not ready and urging European countries to step up defence investment....
Ukraine war latest: Russian assault on Kharkiv can't be ruled out, chief commander says (kyivindependent.com)
Russia’s attempt to take the city of Kharkiv can’t be ruled out, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on March 29....
'Oppenheimer' finally premieres in Japan to mixed reactions and high emotions (www.npr.org)
India court bans Muslim religious schools in UP state ahead of election (www.trtworld.com)
Russian journalist who covered Navalny trials jailed on extremism charges (www.theguardian.com)
U.S. signs off on more bombs, warplanes for Israel (www.washingtonpost.com)
The Biden administration in recent days quietly authorized the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel despite Washington’s concerns about an anticipated military offensive in southern Gaza that could threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians....
A Loyal Israel Ally, Germany Shifts Tone as the Toll in Gaza Mounts (www.nytimes.com)
Days after Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, was one of the first Western leaders to arrive in Tel Aviv. Standing beside the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, he declared that Germany had “only one place — and it is alongside Israel.”...
World Court orders Israel to 'take all necessary and effective' action to ensure Gaza has access to humanitarian aid (www.abc.net.au)
Reminder: Tomorrow is Land Day...
US says Israeli banks don’t have to close accounts of sanctioned settlers (www.timesofisrael.com)
The sanctions have infuriated Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who characterized them as a draconian obstruction of Israeli sovereignty. In response, the far-right lawmaker threatened to take steps in his capacity as head of the treasury that would significantly impede the Palestinian economy, the Israeli official added,...
Heat Waves Are Moving Slower and Staying Longer, Study Finds | Climate change is making heat waves linger for longer stretches of time, exacerbating the effects of extreme temperatures. (www.nytimes.com)
The longer heat waves stick around in one place, the longer people are exposed to life-threatening temperatures. As workers slow down during extreme heat, so does economic productivity. Heat waves also dry out soil and vegetation, harming crops and raising the risk of wildfires....
Famine is now probably present in Gaza, US says (www.theguardian.com)
War a real threat and Europe not ready, warns Poland's Tusk (www.bbc.com)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has delivered a blunt warning that Europe has entered a “pre-war era” and if Ukraine is defeated by Russia, nobody in Europe will be able to feel safe....
A record surge in dengue cases in Latin America spurs a warning for proactive measures (www.nbcnews.com)
As of March, more than 3.5 million cases of the mosquito-transmitted dengue and more than 1,000 deaths have been reported in the region, according to the Pan American Health Organization....
Sudan slips into famine as warring sides starve civilians (www.aljazeera.com)
One year after the start of the war in Sudan, children are dying of hunger and sick people are not buying medicine so that they can afford food as the population slips towards famine....
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace (apnews.com)
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea....
Thailand steps up border control of livestock after anthrax outbreak is reported in neighboring Laos (apnews.com)
Thailand’s government has ordered officials to closely monitor livestock along the border with Laos after more than 50 people were reported to have contracted anthrax in the neighboring country....
Migrant workers who helped build modern China have scant or no pensions, and can't retire (apnews.com)
At 53, Guan Junling is too old to get hired at factories anymore. But for migrant workers like her, not working is not an option....
Indian politics roiled as huge donations are linked to investigated firms (www.washingtonpost.com)
Mahendra Kumar Jalan was an Indian millionaire with a diversified portfolio of food processing plants, dairy farms and commercial real estate. As he faced scrutiny from the Indian government’s financial crimes investigators in 2019, he began to put money in something else....
Chinese workers killed in suicide bomb blast as Pakistan grapples with attacks on Beijing’s interests (www.cnn.com)
Five Chinese workers and their local driver were killed in a suicide bomb blast in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, authorities said, the latest in a string of terror attacks that the South Asian country’s military and government say aims to disrupt Islamabad’s close ties with Beijing....
‘Staggering’ rise in women with reproductive health issues near DRC cobalt mines – study (www.theguardian.com)
Investigation reveals reports of miscarriages, infections and birth defects among women and girls in mining communities...
For years tourists have ridden boats through this sacred Australian natural wonder. A new ban will stop them in their tracks (www.cnn.com)
The Horizontal Falls are one of Australia’s strangest natural attractions, a unique blend of coastal geography and powerful tidal forces that visitors pay big money to see up close....
Russian network that 'paid European politicians' busted, authorities claim (www.bbc.com)
A Russian-backed “propaganda” network has been broken up for spreading anti-Ukraine stories and paying unnamed European politicians, according to authorities in several countries....
Philippines says it will not yield to submission in row with 'patronising' China (www.yahoo.com)
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines is not seeking a fight or trouble in the South China Sea but will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience, its defence ministry said Friday, in its latest show of defiance in a heated row with China....