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Palestinians across the occupied West Bank observed a general strike on Wednesday in protest against a new Israeli law allowing the execution of prisoners, as international condemnation mounted.

Fatah, the movement led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, called for the strike, describing the legislation as a “dangerous escalation” against Palestinians.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/general-strike-leaves-west-bank-streets-empty-over-death-penalty-bill
“This criminal law will not break the will of our people or the determination of our prisoners, but will instead strengthen our resolve to continue the struggle for their freedom and legitimate rights,” it said in a statement.

The Knesset approved the bill in its final readings on Monday by 62 votes to 48, despite international calls to abandon it.

The legislation has drawn widespread criticism for violating the right to life and for its potentially discriminatory application.

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Snow surveys taking place across the American west this week are offering a grim prognosis, after a historically warm winter and searing March temperatures left the critical snowpack at record-low levels across the region.

Experts warned that even as the heat begins to subside, the stunning pace of melt-off over the past month has left key basins in uncharted territory for the dry seasons ahead. Though there’s still potential for more snow in the forecast, experts said it will probably be too little too late.

“This year is on a whole other level,” said Dr Russ Schumacher, a Colorado State University climatologist, speaking about the intense heat that began rapidly melting the already sparse snowpack in March. “Seeing this year so far below any of the other years we have data for is very concerning.”

Acting as a water savings account of sorts, snowpacks are essential to water supply. Measurements taken across the west during the week of 1 April are viewed as important indicators of the peak amounts of water that might melt into reservoirs, rivers and streams and across thirsty landscapes through the summer.

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A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck the Northern Molucca Sea region in Indonesia, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The quake, which hit early on Thursday local time, had depth of 35km and its epicentre was 127km (79 miles) west-northwest of Ternate, Indonesia, the USGS said.

The US tsunami warning system said tsunami waves were possible with 1,000km of the epicentre, along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. It warned that tsunami waves reaching 0.3 metres to 1 metre (3.2ft) above the tide level were possible for some of the Indonesian coastline.

In further advice, the US tsunami warning system forecast waves of less than 30cm above tide level for the coasts of Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Taiwan.

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Authorities have ruled that the death of Nurul Amin Shah, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar who was left by immigration agents at a restaurant in Buffalo, was a homicide.

Shah, who was visually impaired, died on 24 February, five days after US Border Patrol agents dropped him off in the parking lot of a Tim Hortons on a cold winter night without notifying his family or attorney.

In a statement, the Erie county medical examiner’s office said the cause of death was “complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer precipitated by hypothermia and dehydration”, and ruled the manner of death a homicide. The office said the final determination was made on 31 March.

The examiner added that, for death certification purposes, “homicide” refers to a death resulting from the actions of another person, including negligent acts or omissions, and does not imply intent to cause harm or establish criminal liability.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) appears to have dropped his demand that a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security include money for ICE and Border Patrol, accepting a deal he disparaged as unacceptable only days earlier.

If Johnson lets the House pass the bill, it will mean the end of a seven-week shutdown that’s caused many DHS workers to miss multiple paychecks. It’s a significant retreat for Johnson and House Republicans, though it also means Democrats could soon have little leverage in the push for reforms at the two immigration enforcement agencies.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) announced they would be “fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security” through two separate tracks, one a long-term budget process and the other a more immediate appropriation. President Donald Trump seemed to endorse the plan in a post on his website.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian released a letter addressed to “the people of the United States of America” on Wednesday, hours before President Trump is scheduled to address the nation about the U.S. military’s ongoing operations against Iran.

“Today, the world stands at a crossroads,” Pezeshkian wrote in a letter posted on the social platform X.

“Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before,” the Iranian official continued. “The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come.”

The conflict has now stretched into a fifth week, after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 amid nuclear deal negotiations. The strikes have taken out several key Iranian leaders, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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We have liftoff!

NASA's long-awaited return trip to the moon's orbit launched on Wednesday, April 1 as crowds of people watched in awe to see the Artemis II mission take off in Florida.

The Orion capsule lifted off at about 6:35 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The four astronauts on board are now in orbit around the Earth on their historic mission to orbit the moon, though not land on this trip.

“We are going for all humanity,” astronaut Jeremy Hansen said seconds before lifting off.

NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson responded to Hansen and the other three astronauts that they're taking with them "the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation.”

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The world’s leading football governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA, are facing several legal cases and increasing public pressure over their policies toward Israel, including a case before the International Criminal Court accusing their presidents of aiding and abetting war crimes, complaints over violations of anti-discrimination rules, and outrage over their positions regarding Palestine.

Last week, FIFA announced it would take no action against Israeli football clubs based in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank in response to a complaint filed by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) in 2024. FIFA had opened two investigations into the Israeli Football Association (IFA)—one regarding Israeli settlement club teams being allowed to play in competitions organized by the IFA, and another into allegations of discrimination by the IFA.

On the former, FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee determined no action should be taken because “the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law.”

The controversial decision ran counter to findings by the International Court of Justice, UN Security Council resolutions, and international law experts who all say Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law.

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