International

At least 35 dead in a new Israeli attack in northern Gaza

At least 35 people, including numerous children, died in the last few hours in an Israeli bombing of a residential complex in Beit Lahia, in the north of the Gaza Strip.

The attack targeted a block with five houses in a western neighborhood of Beit Lahia, according to local sources quoted by the Palestinian agency Wafa and Al Jazeera.

Health collapse

This Saturday, the Civil Defense was overwhelmed by the number of calls for help from bombed homes in the north of the enclave.

The lack of ambulances and the Israeli blockade of the attacked areas is complicating the rescue operations of people who are trapped in the rubble.

In addition, the Indonesian and Kamal Adwan hospitals are not functioning due to the collapse of the health system.

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In the latter center, at least 44 health workers and several patients were detained by Israeli forces after the siege launched yesterday, according to the regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Middle East, Hanan Balkhy.

The person in charge, who cites the Gaza Ministry of Health, said that only a group of health personnel and the director of the hospital remain in the center, in addition to a doctor who was not arrested.

His message comes after a day of siege to what was one of the few hospitals in operation in the punished north of Gaza, where a harsh Israeli offensive that began more than three weeks ago has already claimed the lives of about 800 people and has forced tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee.

Israel attacks the Salah al-Din complex

On the other hand, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported a “precise attack against terrorists” operating within a command and control center located within a complex called Salah al-Din, which previously served as a school in Gaza.

According to the IDF, members of the Islamist group Hamas operated in that place, without adding further information.

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In the last two days, the Israeli attacks in the Strip have killed 77 people and 289 others have been injured, figures that do not include data from the hospitals in the north of the enclave, subjected to this harsh offensive.

Since the war began more than a year ago, 42,924 people have died and more than 100,800 have been injured in the devastated Palestinian enclave, according to data from Gaza hospitals.

In addition, it is estimated that the bodies of thousands of missing people continue to be buried under the rubble.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.