March 19, 2025

Israel again kills hundreds of Palestinians in 'horrifying' war "Israeli air strikes on besieged Gaza have killed at least 404 Palestinians, including 150 children, a Geneva-based rights group reported as Benjamin Netanyahu decides to resume his war on enclave. The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor also reported hundreds of wounded Palestinians. Separately, images emerging from Gaza following Israel's attacks are beyond horrifying, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said. She noted that some of the strikes reportedly hit makeshift shelters with sleeping children and families. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on January 19. Israel has killed over 48,500 Palestinians since October 2023. The rights group warned that global inaction is enabling further massacres." Netanyahu calls intensified Gaza strikes are 'only the beginning' "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that deadly strikes on Gaza were only the start of intensified military attacks. In a televised speech Netanyahu said Hamas has already felt the strength of Israel in the past 24 hours, noting that this is only the ""beginning."" Meanwhile, pro-Palestine protests erupted in Washington and London, with demonstrators demanding an end to US military aid to Israel. Crowds outside the White House and Downing Street chanted, “Free Palestine” and “Arms embargo now,” calling for immediate international action." Zelenskyy backs 30-day ceasefire proposal on energy infrastructure "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed support for a proposed 30-day ceasefire on energy infrastructure, following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy clarified that Ukraine had initially proposed the ceasefire, stressing that Washington's involvement as a guarantor was essential. However, he accused Putin of seeking to weaken Ukraine, reiterating that Russia isn’t ready for peace. Zelenskyy also confirmed a prisoner exchange of 175 soldiers from each side and noted ongoing fighting in the Russian Kursk region." US releases final JFK assassination files after decades of secrecy "The US National Archives has released the final batch of files on John F. Kennedy’s assassination, a case still shrouded in conspiracy theories six decades later. It fulfills a prior executive order by president Donald Trump mandating the unredacted release of records on JFK, his brother former attorney general Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Millions of pages have been released over decades, but these final files, held back due to national security concerns. While past investigations concluded Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, the slow declassification of documents has only fueled speculation of a deeper plot behind Kennedy’s 1963 murder." Astronauts return to Earth after unexpected nine-month stay in space "After an unexpected nine-month stay in space, four astronauts have finally returned to Earth, ending a mission that captivated global attention. A SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams alongside fellow American Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov splashed down off Florida’s coast yesterday evening. The mission garnered worldwide interest. NASA confirmed the successful landing, concluding a mission that far exceeded its original timeline."