International
Israel bombs Gaza school, 29 Palestinians killed amid truce talks

Israel bombs Gaza school, 29 Palestinians killed amid truce talks
Israel’s military has ramped up attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 77 Palestinians, including dozens sheltering at a school, in one of the deadliest days the enclave has endured in recent weeks.
The attacks on Tuesday came as Hamas warned that the stepped-up Israeli offensive could jeopardise mediated ceasefire talks, a new round of which is set to begin in the capital of Qatar, Doha.
In the town of Abbasan, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, an Israeli air attack on the al-Awdah school killed at least 30 people and wounded 53, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian medics.
Exclusive footage from the school, obtained by Al Jazeera, shows young Palestinians playing football in the building’s yard as dozens of people watch on. Then, a loud explosion is heard, sending people running for cover.
A Palestinian boy told Al Jazeera he lost several relatives in the attack. “We were sitting and a missile fell and destroyed everything,” he said, sobbing. “I lost my uncle, my cousins and my relatives.”
The Israeli military has said it was looking into the report.
Elsewhere in Gaza, Israeli forces also bombed the central Bureij camp, killing at least 17 people, 14 of whom were children. Israeli forces also raided a house in central Deir el-Balah, killing three more people.
Hamas described the attack on the al-Awda school an “extension of the war of extermination against our people by the Zionist terrorist government” and called on people in Arab and Muslim nations to escalate protests against the war.
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Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat, also condemned the attack, saying in a post on X, “For how long are innocent civilians going to bear the brunt of this conflict?”
He added, “It is imperative to immediately reach a ceasefire to bring respite to hundreds of stranded civilians, free all the hostages, deliver the needed humanitarian aid.”
Renewed push for ceasefire
The attacks come as CIA director William Burns and Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea prepare to travel to Qatar on Wednesday, after Burns held talks with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, seeking to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The renewed efforts come after Hamas made concessions last week, including dropping a key demand that Israel commit upfront to an end to the war before signing a ceasefire agreement. Instead, Hamas said it would push for the move in negotiations planned during an initial six-week ceasefire.
But Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the group, said on Monday that Israel’s escalating assault has threatened talks at a crucial time and could bring negotiations “back to square one”.
Haniyeh, who spoke with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, issued a statement warning “of the disastrous repercussions of what is happening in Gaza City, Rafah and other areas across the Gaza Strip”.
He stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “his army bear full responsibility for the collapse of this negotiation path”.
Meanwhile, in northern Gaza City, residents said Israeli tanks were pushing into the Tal al-Hawa, Shujayea and Sabra neighbourhoods, shelling roads and buildings, and forcing them to flee their homes. This was followed by Israeli military orders to evacuate several districts in eastern and western Gaza City posted on social media, which included these neighbourhoods.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that its crews received dozens of humanitarian distress calls from Gaza City but were unable to help due to the intensity of the bombing there.
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The armed wings of Hamas and its ally, Islamic Jihad, said their fighters were batting Israeli forces with machineguns, mortar fire and antitank missiles, killing and wounding Israeli soldiers. Israel’s military has not commented on casualties but said its soldiers were engaged in close-quarters combat with Hamas fighters.
Videos on social media showed families packed onto donkey carts and in the backs of trucks piled with mattresses and other belongings making their way through Gaza City’s streets to flee areas under Israeli evacuation orders.
“Gaza City is being wiped out. This is what is happening. Israel is forcing us to leave homes under fire,” Um Tamer, a mother of seven, told Reuters via a chat app. She said it was the seventh time her family had fled their house in Gaza City in the north of the enclave and one of Israel’s first targets at the start of the war in October.
“We can’t take it any more, enough of death and humiliation. End the war now,” she said.
The UN Human Rights Office said it was “appalled” at the way civilians, many of whom have been displaced multiple times, have been ordered to head to areas where “military operations are ongoing and where civilians continue to be killed and injured”.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that all of its medical clinics were out of service in Gaza City due to the Israeli evacuation orders that have driven thousands of people westward towards the Mediterranean and to the south.
Jagan Chapagain, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said on the social media platform X that “the closure of these vital medical facilities exacerbates an already dire healthcare system”.
“These clinics and medical points are often the only lifeline for many civilians.”
At least 38,243 people have been killed and 88,243 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 is estimated at 1,139, with dozens of people still held captive in Gaza.
Israel bombs Gaza school, 29 Palestinians killed amid truce talks
International
UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025

UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025
The UK government has confirmed it will introduce new fees for passport applications beginning on April 10th, 2025.
The changes, which are still subject to parliamentary approval, will see a rise in costs for both online and paper applications, affecting adults and children alike.
According to the UK Home Office, the adjustments will apply to both domestic and overseas passport applications.
The fee increases, as stated, are part of an ongoing effort to ensure the passport system is financially self-sustaining, reducing the need for funding from general taxation. The Home Office clarified that the government does not make any profit from the fees.
Fee increases for domestic applications
Starting April 10th, 2025, the fee for a standard online application within the UK will rise for both adults and children. The cost for an adult’s application will increase from £88.50 to £94.50, while for children it will go up from £57.50 to £61.50.
Postal applications will also see an increase, with the adult fee rising from £100 to £107 and the child fee increasing from £69 to £74.
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Charges to premium service fees
The Premium Service, which allows for passport issuance within one day, will also become more expensive.
- For adults, the fee will rise from £207.50 to £222
- For children, the fee will increase from £176.50 to £189.
This service is available for those who need a passport urgently and are applying from within the UK.
Higher costs for overseas applications
For individuals applying from overseas, the standard online application fee will also increase;
- The adult fee will rise from £101 to £108, and the child fee will increase from £65.50 to £70
- For paper applications made abroad, the adult fee will rise from £112.50 to £120.50, while the child fee will increase from £77 to £82.50.
The Home Office stated that the new fees are necessary to maintain the passport service and ensure it is financially viable. The fees contribute to covering the cost of processing passport applications, offering consular support to UK citizens overseas, and managing UK border services.
“The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders,” the office said.
It is also related that in 2024, 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were processed within three weeks, where no additional information was required. Customers are advised to apply well in advance of their travel plans to avoid delays.
These fee adjustments are in line with guidelines from HM Treasury, which regularly reviews passport fees.
UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025
International
UN staff member killed in central Gaza blast, five others injured

UN staff member killed in central Gaza blast, five others injured
At least one UN staffer has been killed and at least five others injured following an explosion at two UN guesthouses in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Several of the injured staffers are reported to be very severely hurt, though further details on their conditions have not yet been provided
The UN is verifying and confirming the details, including the circumstances that led up to the incident at the compound.
However, it was not due to “any action” that was being taken by UN personnel to remove “unexploded ordinance,” the head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) said during a press conference in Brussels.
The UN official’s statement clarifies that the incident did not involve any activities related to the removal of unexploded ordinance by UN personnel, and further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause and context of the event.
According to media reports, the Israeli military – which has resumed deadly strikes in the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds since Monday – has denied attacking the compound.
“These premises were well known by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and they were ‘deconflicted’,” UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva, said, explaining that “everyone knew who was working inside the premises – it was UN personnel, UNOPS personnel.”
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“This was not an accident, this was an incident,” he told journalists, adding that additional information is being collected.
“What we do know is that an explosive ordnance was dropped or fired at the infrastructure and detonated inside the building,” he said, adding it was unclear if it had been due to air-drop weapons, artillery or rocket fire.
Silva stressed that attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law.
“UN personnel and its premises must be protected by all sides. The civilian population relies on the UN for lifesaving assistance, they are an essential lifeline at the time of utter tragedy and devastation,” he said.
The incident took place at around 11:30 a,m. local time on Wednesday. It followed strikes on Tuesday that resulted in some damage, and “a near miss” on Monday, Silva said.
The UN buildings are situated in an “isolated area” in Dier al Balah.
As investigations continue into the incident, the “top priority” is the evacuation of injured staff members, Silva said.
“We have stayed and delivered for the people in Gaza in the last year and a half. This was not the first time a colleague from UNOPS lost their life,” he added.
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He noted that a staffer who drove aid trucks was killed around a year ago in the line of duty.
“It is very difficult to operate in Gaza…we have been challenged by the fact that international humanitarian law has not been respected,” he said.
UNOPS teams in Gaza have been carrying out critical humanitarian work, supporting hundreds of thousands of civilians severely affected by the conflict.
Their efforts include delivering essential supplies such as fuel and assisting in demining and explosive removal.
Additionally, the agency manages the so-called UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza, which was mandated by the Security Council to accelerate humanitarian aid into the enclave.
In a related development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed that all parties to the conflict have a legal obligation to protect UN premises, which must remain inviolable.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief, strongly condemned the attacks and called for a full investigation.
“Today’s deadly strike brings the number of UN colleagues killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 to at least 280,” the statement noted.
Guterres emphasised that all military operations must respect and prioritise civilian protection.
“The Secretary-General stresses the need for the ceasefire to be respected to bring an end to the suffering of the people.
“Humanitarian aid must reach all people in need. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally,” he said.
UN staff member killed in central Gaza blast, five others injured
(NAN)
International
US judge suspends ban on transgender people in military

US judge suspends ban on transgender people in military
A US federal judge on Tuesday suspended the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, citing the principle of equality and dealing a blow — if only temporary — to the US president’s agenda.
Referencing the US Declaration of Independence, which states that all humans are “created equal,” Judge Ana C. Reyes suspended President Donald Trump’s late January order that excluded transgender people from the armed forces.
That suspension, however, will be put on pause until March 21 to give the government time to file an emergency stay at a higher court, according to Reyes’ decision.
The order will nonetheless come as a blow to Trump’s administration, which has made it a priority to strip protections for minorities since he took office.
Trump’s January 27 executive order stated that “expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”
Since taking office, he has also declared that the US government will only recognize two sexes — male and female — that “are not changeable.”
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The number of transgender people in the US military is estimated at about 15,000 out of around two million.
Reyes’s order used unusually strong language in parts to criticize the order banning transgender Americans from serving in the military.
“The Military Ban is soaked in animus and dripping with pretext,” the judge wrote. “Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact.”
The judge said Trump “could have crafted a policy that balances the Nation’s need for a prepared military and Americans’ right to equal protection. They still can. The Military Ban, however, is not that policy.”
In February, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo preventing transgender people from joining the military and halting gender transition treatment for others who are already in uniform.
US judge suspends ban on transgender people in military
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