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Medical reports say that Israeli strikes have killed at least four Palestinians, including children, in Gaza
Health officials in Gaza Strip said that Israeli military attacks on Gaza Strip killed at least 4?Palestinians on Sunday. According to medics, a?airstrike by Israel's forces near the village of Al-Mughraqa killed one person. Meanwhile, Israeli gunfire and tanks shelling killed another two people near Gaza City. Health officials reported that Israeli forces shot and killed 40-year old woman in Khan Younis?in the southern part of the territory. Israeli'military officials said they were unaware of any attack on their troops in the area at the time the incident was reported on Sunday. Israel's military said it would investigate the other reported attacks. Separately it claimed that it had killed and struck down several Hamas militants since Friday. Israel has continued to attack Palestinians almost every day, despite a ceasefire in October 2025. Local medics claim that at least 800 Palestinians were killed since the ceasefire agreement took effect. Israel, on the other hand, claims militants killed four soldiers during this time. Israel and Hamas have blamed each for ceasefire violations. Gaza's health authorities report that more than 72,500 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza War since it began on?October 20, 2023. Most of them were civilians. According to Israeli figures, Hamas' attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people. (Reporting and editing by Helen Popper; Nidal al Mughrabi)
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Medical reports say that Israeli strikes have killed at least four Palestinians, including children, in Gaza
Health officials in the Gaza Strip said that Israeli military strikes killed at least four Palestinians on Sunday. Medical personnel?said that an 'airstrike' carried out by Israel killed a person near Al-Mughraqa village in the center of Gaza City, and Israeli gunfire killed two more near Gaza City. Health officials reported that in a?another incident?Israeli forces shot and killed 40-year-old woman?in Khan Younis?, located south of the territori? The Israeli military confirmed that it is investigating the reported strikes. Separately, the Israeli military said that it had "struck and killed" a number of Hamas militants since Friday. Israel has continued to attack Palestinians almost every day, despite a ceasefire in October 2025. Local medics claim that at least 800 Palestinians were killed since the ceasefire agreement came into effect. Israel, on the other hand, claims militants killed four of their soldiers during this time period. Israel and Hamas blame each other for violations of the ceasefire. Gaza's health authorities report that more than 72,500 Palestinians were killed since the Gaza War began in October 2023. Most of them were civilians. According to Israeli figures, Hamas' attacks on Israel in October 2023 killed 1,200 people. Reporting by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Editing by Helen Popper
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Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick record 57 to take a four-shot lead in Zurich
The English brothers Matt Fitzpatrick, and Alex Fitzpatrick could not have asked for a better Christmas gift. The two golfers began to separate themselves from the rest of the pack by shooting a 15-under-57 tournament record during the third round of 'Zurich Classic of New Orleans' on Saturday in Avondale. Matt Fitzpatrick: "I can only think of one shot that we both made, and it was mine." "Yeah. It was a great?day." The Fitzpatricks' momentum was sparked by Matt Fitzpatrick's eagle at the par-5 7th hole. They maintained this momentum in the four-ball format and carried a four stroke lead into the final day of the TPC Louisiana. The PGA Tour only hosts a team event. Fitzpatrick is 30 under. Davis Thompson/Austin Eckroat (61), and the second-round leaders Alex Smalley/Hayden Springer (62), are at 26 under. At 25 under, the team of Doug Ghim/Jeffrey Kang (61), is next. Fitzpatrick Brothers could be heading for special territory, given that the winning score last year was 28 below from the team of Ben Griffin/Andrew Novak. Matt said about his brother, "He played brilliantly golf both of the last two days." Matt said that his brother's game had really improved in the last few months. I have faith in him to keep up this trend. The Fitzpatricks birdied eight of nine holes in the backside. The Fitzpatricks were without a single bogey, and they had four pars. Each of them scored the highest seven times. Matt Fitzpatrick is the elder brother and has had a great run recently. He won the RBC Heritage last week. Alex: "Playing with my brother, who is also one of the world's best players, is pretty fun." When he plays well, it is pretty cool to see. Fitzpatricks finished 11th at the Zurich Classic 2024, but missed out on the top 10 last year. For the final round, foursomes will be used. Thompson explained that "your mindset has changed from day to day, so Sunday will be different." "Hopefully, we can start off well and put pressure on them." Smalley stated that there will not be a change in strategy. He said, "I think that if we stick to what are doing and just try to give ourselves as much attention as possible," we will be able to do well. "I think it will work out pretty well." The teams that are chasing the?Fitzpatricks' don't want the chase to consume them. Kang stated that at the end of the game, "you have to hit your best shots and try to pick up your partner when you need to." By midday Saturday, seven teams had the lead. Davis Chatfield of the United States and Belgian Adrien Dumont De Chassart were both in contention. After?Dumont de Chassart's eagle at No. The pair's 11th day hole was No. 2, the second of the course. They played the remainder of the round at 1 over par without making another birdie. A.J. from Canada had the day's highest score, which was 61. Ewart and South Africa's Casey Jarvis. This brought them up to 22 below and tied for 10th. Ewart stated that "some would say, it's a bit like ham-and egging." "Kinda working in shifts, not birdieing same holes but making sure that we are setting up our partners to free will it and go for it," Ewart said. Field Level Media
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Macron reiterates his efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as TotalEnergies warns of an energy shortage
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, reiterated his commitment to reopening the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. This comes a day after TotalEnergies's head warned of a global energy shortfall if the Iran swar continued for several months. Speaking at a press conference with Greek Prime Minister KyriakosMitsotakis in Athens, Macron said that geopolitical uncertainties can lead to panic, which in turn could cause shortages. "Our aim is to achieve full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in the next days and weeks in accordance with the international law. This will guarantee freedom of navigation, without tolls, on the Strait of Hormuz. Macron stated that things will gradually return to normal. TotalEnergies' CEO Patrick Pouyanne called for the reopening of the Strait on Friday, which is normally the route through which a fifth (or more) of the world's oil supply flows. The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has slowed down the movement of goods through the strait. Fertilisers and pharmaceuticals are among the items that have been affected. Iran has seized containers and the United States has imposed a blockade in Iranian ports. Pouyanne said at the World Policy Conference outside Paris that if it continues for two or three more months, "we will enter a world where energy is scarce." Asian countries have already experienced this. "You can't have 20% of oil and gas on the planet stranded, and not available without major consequences." More than a dozen countries have said that they would be willing to join a mission led by France to protect shipping along the strait if conditions permitted, even though U.S. president Donald Trump said he did not need help from allies. "We are all in the same boat and I would say that it is not a boat that we chose. Macron said that we are victims of geopolitics, and victims of a war that began several months ago. (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; Additional reporting by Claude Chendjou, Paris)
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US lets Venezuela pay Maduro’s lawyer in drug-trafficking case
Maduro is captured by US forces in Caracas raid in January The charges against him and his spouse include narcoterrorism conspiracies Defense attorneys call restrictions on payment unconstitutional By Luc Cohen A court filing on Friday showed that the United States has agreed to change its sanctions against Venezuela so that the South American nation's government can pay Nicolas Maduro’s defense lawyer. This is a reversal of a restriction which had 'threatened' to derail the drug-trafficking case brought against the former Venezuelan President. Maduro and Cilia Flores were arrested by U.S. Special Forces on 3 January from their Caracas home and brought to New York, where they will face criminal charges, including narcoterrorism conspiracies. The two have pleaded innocent and are being held in Brooklyn jail pending trial. Barry Pollack, Maduro’s lawyer, asked Manhattan’s U.S. district judge Alvin Hellerstein in February to dismiss the case because U.S. sanctions prevented the Venezuelan Government from paying his legal costs. Pollack stated that the prohibition amounted a violation of Maduro’s rights under U.S. Constitution, to choose the counsel he wants. Their lawyers said that neither Maduro nor Flores could afford to hire lawyers on their own and the Venezuelan government was willing to pay for their legal fees. All criminal defendants in America have constitutional rights, regardless of their citizenship. Hellerstein stated in a court hearing on March 26, that he had no intention of dismissing the case but appeared sceptical that the government's decision to block the payments was justified. Kyle Wirshba, the prosecutor, said that the U.S. sanction blocking the payments was based on legitimate foreign policy and national security interests. Wirshba said Hellerstein couldn't order the Treasury Department to modify sanctions, because it is the executive branch that has the responsibility for foreign policy, and not the judiciary. Hellerstein pointed out that since Maduro was ousted, the U.S. has relaxed its sanctions against Venezuela. Since Maduro’s former Vice President Delcy Rodrguez took over Venezuela as interim leader, the relations between Caracas, Venezuela and Washington have improved. "The defendant is present, Flores' is also present. Hellerstein, an appointee by Democratic President Bill Clinton to the judiciary, said that they do not pose a threat to national security. "The right at stake, and paramount to other rights, is that of constitutional counsel." Donald Trump, during his first term as president of the United States, increased sanctions against Venezuela because he believed that Maduro was corrupt and undermining democratic institutions. Washington called Maduro’s 2018'reelection fraudulent. Maduro dismissed these accusations as well as allegations of 'his involvement in drug trafficking', which he said were pretextual justifications of what he described as a U.S. wish to seize the vast oil reserves of South American OPEC country. (Reporting from Luc Cohen in New York, with additional reporting by Rhea Rosa Abraham in Bengaluru. Editing by Nia William)
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Republicans re-tool midterm campaign strategy: Trump's policies but less Trump
The Republicans are revising their plan ahead of the November midterm elections. With gas prices in the U.S. up, Donald Trump's ratings on approval down, and Iran still a hot topic, they're recalibrating. The strategy? The strategy? Four people who attended the meeting said that a group of Trump's advisers, including White House chief staff Susie Wiles and political?chief James Blair, laid out a plan to help candidates promote Republicans' policies on?tax reductions? and inflation. Republicans are trying to keep Trump out of the spotlight, because they fear that his declining political fortunes will hurt competitive congressional races. Trump's party is facing an uphill struggle to maintain its majority in the House of Representatives, and there's a growing danger of losing control of Senate. Three Republican operatives and a seasoned Republican campaigner, who spoke under the condition of anonymity in order to discuss private discussions and give candid assessments, said that there is growing concern among some Republican operatives that Trump's presidency and political clout are running low. Trump seems to be stuck in a deadlock, as both his military and diplomatic efforts have failed to denuclearize Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz following a?two-month war. AAA reports that the average national gas price is now nearing $4 per gallon. This could undermine the new tax policies of the Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", the signature legislative achievement from Trump's second tenure. A /Ipsos survey found that only 36% of Americans approve Trump's performance, which is the lowest in his current term. Many Americans, including Republicans, are concerned about Trump's mental sharpness and temperament after a series explosive outbursts. Trumpworld's political strategist said that "are going to try and nationalize the elections and say that we are a rubber stamp of?Trump". "We need to get out of this and show race-by-race why we are the better option." Within the political operation of the president, there is a strong belief that Trump is a powerful messenger. Kiersten Pels is the national press secretary of the Republican National Committee. She said that Trump will remain the "most powerful driver" for conservative voter turnout during the midterm elections, and that Republican candidate are eagerly seeking to get his endorsement. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales stated that Trump is the "unambiguous leader of the Republican Party and he's committed to maintaining Republicans’ majority in Congress". EMPHASIS IS?ON LOCAL ISSUES NOT TRUMP Over coffee and pastries, Trump's team invited guests to sign nondisclosure agreements. They then predicted that Republicans would win the Virginia redistricting elections the following day. People familiar with the meeting said that the mood was positive. Details of the meeting were leaked almost immediately. Virginia voters approved a new map of the congressional district that Democrats had drawn to favor their party's November election. One of those present at the meeting asked: "If they are so confident in Virginia that they lose, do they have a problem with their whole approach?" Some Republican insiders point out that midterm elections are still months away and that a lot can happen before the voters head to the polls. Gas prices and inflation may fall if armed hostilities against Iran are reduced. David McIntosh is the president of Trump's Club for Growth. In the run-up to the elections, Republicans were planning to position Trump as their standard-bearer and the man who had, as he often said, "made the United States the hottest country in the world." Wiles said in December that Republicans would change the midterm game plan by putting Trump on the ballot, rather than keeping him at a distance. People now say that this plan is less appealing. Republicans will focus on local issues instead of allegiance to President, they said. Another person familiar with the meeting said, "The politics has changed." In January, it made sense to nationalize the race around him. The person stated that voters don't think the president does enough to reduce their costs, but still believe Republicans are trying to do this. The Trumpworld strategist?added that Republicans can use the low popularity of the Democratic Party to compare policy ideas. Trump's declining support could provide Democrats with fertile ground for attaching Republican candidates to Trump's shortcomings. Trump, who ran for office in 2024 as an opponent of "stupid" wars and branded himself a "peace President," is now leading the largest U.S. Military operation since 2003's invasion of Iraq. Critics claim that Trump's administration did not consider how Iran would react to a?joint U.S. and Israeli attack, or the economic fallout. This included an unprecedented global energy supply shock as well as the threat of a financial crisis worldwide. Trump's Tuesday decision to extend indefinitely what was originally a two-week truce was widely seen as a retreat. Tehran maintained its grip on Strait of Hormuz, and was committed to a nuclear programme. Aaron David Miller is a former Middle East diplomat for both Democratic-Republican administrations. He said Iran believed it had leverage over the crucial oil shipping channel, and could also suffer more economic pain than Trump. Miller, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace expert, said that the Iranians believe Trump's tolerance for a political and economic price is limited. "They are prepared to wait for him."
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Maine Governor rejects the first US state to freeze new data centers
Janet Mills, the Democratic Governor of Maine, vetoed on Friday a bill which would have made Maine the first U.S. State to impose an 'electricity-hungry data center moratorium. The bill would have frozen the approval of data centers that require more than 20 megawatts in power until October 2027, while an appointed council by the state analyzed the impact they had on local grids, electricity bills, and air and water. Mills wrote to the Maine legislature that she supported a temporary ban on data centers and would have signed it if the bill had allowed an exemption for the data center being built in the town of Jay. "A moratorium would be appropriate, given the impact of massive data centres in other states both on the environment and the electricity rates." The final version of the bill does not allow for the Town of Jay to have a project that is supported by the local community and the region. A boiler explosion in 2023 caused the closure of Androscoggin Paper Mill, resulting in hundreds?of job losses. Mills stated that the construction of a $550-million data center at this site would create more than 800 construction jobs as well as at least 100 permanent high-paying jobs. It would also generate property tax revenue for the town. The decision taken on Friday is a reflection of the difficult choice that political leaders face when weighing the impact data centers have on the environment, household energy costs and the tax revenue and investment they can generate. Mills said she also plans to issue a executive order to establish a council that will examine the impact of data centres in Maine. She has also signed a law to prevent data center projects being eligible for Maine's tax incentive programs. American tech giants are pledging to spend more than $600 billion this year on artificial intelligence data centres as part of an investment spree which 'has boosted U.S. economy and is considered largest since the telecom boom in the late 1990s. At least 11 U.S. States are now considering legislation to halt or restrict the development of these facilities. This is despite the Trump administration's pressure on states to not regulate AI. Last month, Washington asked big technology companies to sign at the White House an 'unconditional pledge' that they would pay for the new electricity generation needed to power their data centres. Senator Bernie Sanders, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have both introduced legislation that would halt construction of data centers until Congress passed AI safety legislation. Aditya soni, Chris Thomas, and Mrinmay dey reported from Mexico City. Pooja desai edited the story.
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Sefcovic, EU's Sefcovic, says that the US has indicated that it will not ease Russian oil sanctions once again.
Sefcovic said that during his Friday talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent he had raised concerns over 'the recent U.S. easement of sanctions on Russian Oil,' and understood it would not happen again. Sefcovic said he had been told by U.S. officials the relief in sanctions was due to concerns over the "extremely hard situation" that some low-income countries face, who are heavily dependent on imported oil. The U.S. Treasury Department issued on Friday a general license related to Russia, allowing for the sale and delivery of Russian crude oil as well as petroleum products on vessels from April 17. This license extends a previous one through May 16. Bessent told U.S. Senators this week that he had extended sanctions relief?on Russian seaborne crude oil for an additional 30 days, after receiving requests from countries most at risk of shortages?due to a closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He said that the requests were made during last week's spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Sefcovic told Bessent that he had discussed the matter with him during their meeting earlier this week. He was informed, however, that the relief of sanctions was necessary to address the current situation in the Strait, where the flow is largely blocked due to an uneasy ceasefire agreement between the U.S. He said: "My clear understanding was that it will not be repeated again in the future. It was also done due to the fact that several countries with lower incomes were in a very... difficult position." Sefcovic and Bessent also discussed disruptions to fertilizer supply chain, with a focus on Europe as well the "alarming" situation in Africa. "It is on our radars and we're ready to work together," he said. Bessent last week pushed the Group of 20 Major Economies to agree to a coordinated?action with the IMF and World Bank to ensure that countries have access to?fertilizer supplies. Since the U.S. and Israel's bombing campaign on Iran began on February 28, Asian economies have been particularly affected by the lack of oil from the Gulf. Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Editing by Paul Simao
Trump's threats to strike Iranian infrastructure has put the markets on edge
Oil prices rose on Monday, while stocks were mixed after U.S. president Donald Trump warned of 'hell' for Iran if it did not reopen?the Strait of Hormuz within his self-imposed date.
Trump's repeated threat to destroy civil infrastructure, including power plants and a bridge, if the crucial waterway isn't open by Tuesday has put traders on alert for retaliatory attacks from Iran against targets in the Gulf States.
S&P 500 e-minis futures were volatile, fluctuating between gains and losses as countries in the region celebrated Easter Monday and Tomb Sweeping Day. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan rose 0.4%. The Nikkei rose by 0.6% while South Korea's Kospi grew 1.4%.
Investors gained confidence when Axios reported the U.S. and Iran are negotiating the terms of a possible 45-day truce that could lead to an end permanent to the war. The report cited four U.S. sources, Israelis and regional sources who were privy to the talks.
Brent crude futures rose 1.2%, to $110.29 per barrel on the back of a potential disruption in supply.
Sim Moh Siong is a currency strategist with OCBC Singapore. He said that the markets were "clearly nervous". He added, "We have seen deadlines being extended, and it is difficult to know to what extent the current deadline will be adhered to or pushed back."
The weekend saw a resurgence of the threat to blow up Iranian bridges and power plants.
The markets were interested in the agreement reached on Sunday between members of OPEC+ to increase their output quotas for May by 206,000 barrels a day. This is because several major oil producing countries behind the Strait of Hormuz suffered damage to oil production and transport infrastructure after the war began.
Mark Matthews is the head of Asia research at Bank Julius Baer, Singapore. He said: "It's puzzling that Asian equity markets have been performing so well despite the imminent threat of escalation of the war."
He said that there are two plausible explanations. The first is that despite the bad news the market believes that the war is going to end soon. The second explanation is that, even if war continues, the negative effects will be offset by fiscal stimulus.
The U.S. Jobs Report released on Friday showed that employment growth in March was higher than expected, with 178,000 more nonfarm payrolls, which is the largest increase in over a year. As people left the workforce, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.3%.
The data will complicate the Federal Reserve's decision-making process at its next two-day meeting, ending on April 29, which is when it will decide the monetary policy. According to CME Group's Fedwatch, the swaps prices indicate that the market does not expect any moves from the U.S. Central Bank until September 2027.
The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures greenback strength in relation to a basket six currencies, fell by 0.1% at 100.13. The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond in the United States?was up by 1.2 basis points to 4.3565%.
Tokyo's yield on the Japanese government bond has set a new record for the 21st Century due to rising inflation fears. The yield on these notes increased by 4.5 basis points to 2.425%. This is the highest level since February 1999. The U.S. Dollar was unchanged at 159.615 Japanese yen.
Gold fell 0.5% to $4653.82. Bitcoin was up 1.9% to $68,886.31, and ether rose 2.6% to 2,122.32. (Reporting and editing by Gregor Stuart Hunter, Lincoln Feast, and Shri Navaratnam.
(source: Reuters)