Author: WTX News

Hamas and Israel are set to complete the final prisoner-exchange of the first phase of the fragile Gaza ceasefire on Saturday amid heightened tensions surrounding the misidentification of one of the bodies released by the Palestinian group earlier this week. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed from Israeli jails in exchange for six Israeli captives held by Palestinian factions in Gaza, the last of the 33 prisoners Hamas agreed to hand over as part of the 42-day truce that came into effect in January. The swap comes amid rising tensions between the two sides following the handover of the…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said he would ensure “Hamas pays the full price” for failing to hand over captive Shiri Bibas after the Palestinian group released a body Israel said was not hers. The remains of four people, whom the group said were captives, were handed over on Thursday, the first such transfer under a fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Hamas said the remains included those of Bibas and her two young sons, whose father was released by the group earlier this month. On Friday, however, Israel said the body purported to be of Shiri Bibas…

NewsFeedThe detained director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital has been shown in shackles in a video on Israeli media that has been condemned by his family. It’s the first time Dr Hussam Abu Safia has been seen since his arrest in December.Published On 20 Feb 202520 Feb 2025

Local prosecutors in Florida said on Tuesday their hate crimes unit was probing a shooting by a male suspect who, according to police, fired on two men he thought were Palestinians but turned out to be Israeli visitors. The Miami-Dade state attorney’s office said its hate crimes unit “reviews every criminal offense that has the potential of being motivated by hate.” Rights advocates note a rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and antisemitic hate since the start of U.S. ally Israel’s war in Gaza following an October 7, 2023, attack. The website of Miami-Dade County Corrections says the suspect, 27-year-old Mordechai Brafman,…

Another Delta airline plane crashes. The aircraft was crash landing as plane flips at Toronto airport. The Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis skidded along the runway with flames visible and it came to a halt upside down as firefighters came to the rescue. The US Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was operated by Delta’s subsidiary Endeavor Air. All 80 people on board a plane which crashed and overturned while landing in Toronto have survived, officials said. Crash landing as plane flips at Toronto airport Survivors said they were suspended upside down in their seats and had to release…

Egypt is racing against time to put together a plan for rebuilding the Gaza Strip and ward off a proposal by US President Donald Trump that would depopulate the devastated territory and convert it into a “Middle East Riviera” under US ownership. Cairo has reportedly determined the general contours of its Gaza plan, but a final blueprint is unlikely before a mini-Arab summit that Saudi Arabia is expected to host on 20 February. Cairo is also keen to draft a final plan for Gaza’s reconstruction before an emergency Arab summit it will host on 27 February so that it can…

Dirty politics spark police probe in Nelson as an investigation into claims of irregularity over a council by-election has led to the suspensions of three Labour activists to the party. Pendle Borough Council Cllr Nelson Town Council chairman Faraz Ahmad and Bradley ward’s independent representative on Pendle Borough Council Cllr Mohammed Iqbal revealed some of the individuals on the petition had allegedly not consented to their names being used. A police spokesman said: “We received a complaint earlier this month about an alleged irregularity in Bradley ward in Nelson following the calling of a by-election and we are in the…

South Korea DeepSeek app removal has been agreed over compliance issues as Personal Information Protection Commission says Chinese startup accepted proposal to suspend downloads of AI chatbot. South Korea has suspended downloads of DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence-powered chatbot pending a review of the Chinese start-up’s privacy standards. South Korea’s privacy watchdog said on Monday that DeepSeek’s R1 chatbot was removed from the local versions of Apple’s App Store and Google Play after the Hangzhou-based firm acknowledged that it had failed to comply with personal data protection rules. The Personal Information Protection Commission said in a statement that DeepSeek accepted its proposal…

One prisoner described conditions in Israeli detention centres as “more difficult than you can imagine” [Getty]Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday in exchange for three Israeli captives freed by Hamas, completing the sixth prisoner exchange since the ceasefire came into effect last month. Four of the Palestinians released were in “critical condition” and had to be rushed to hospital in the occupied West Bank for treatment, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, providing more evidence of the harsh treatment of detainees in Israeli detention centres. One prisoner described conditions in Israeli custody as “more difficult than you can…

UK’s Starmer set to visit Trump shortly. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer meeting Donald Trump is soothing news to a panicked downing street as the parties hatch a plan to hold talks soon in Washington, the two sides confirmed Friday. “He asked for a meeting, and I agreed,” Trump told reporters. “We’re going to have a friendly meeting. We have a lot of good things going on. “I think he wants to come next week or the weekend.” Starmer met Trump’s special envoy to the UK Mark Burnett in London on Thursday “during which he took a call from President…

Donald Trump’s latest move delivers a major blow to US-EU trade relations, raising concerns over tariffs, NATO tensions, and economic policies. What does this mean for the future of transatlantic relations? Read more.

Will Starmer be able to stand up to Trump and his aggressive MAGA strategy that is using a sledgehammer to negotiate. MAGA is motivated by a deep distrust of America’s allies rather than of America’s enemies. In Trump’s mind we have ripped America off and taken its friendship for granted. In these circumstances, nothing can be ruled out. Will Starmer be able to stand up to Trump Trump is an American nationalist who puts America first, not Britain. Whether Trump truly defends American interests is a question for another day. But it is clear that Farage, and much of the…

Central bank says Southeast Asian economy on track for robust investment, exports and household spending going forward.Malaysia’s economy grew 5.1 percent in 2024, as strong domestic demand and investment offset a downturn in the commodities sector, according to the Southeast Asian country’s central bank. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 5 percent in the October-December quarter, Bank Negara Malaysia said on Friday, down from 5.3 percent growth in the third quarter but ahead of an advance estimate of 4.8 percent. The year on year performance marked a significant jump from GDP growth of 3.7 percent in 2023. “Going forward, while the…

At least 28 injured after attack in Munich after a car has driven into a group of people in Munich, Germany, local police confirmed on Thursday. At least 28 people are said to be injured, some who are in critical condition. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder has said the incident is a “suspected attack.” Find the latest updates below. Facts we know from the Munich attack Afghan asylum seeker The man has been identified as a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker drove at a group of people in Munich, Germany police say, injuring at least 28 Just before 11:00 on Thursday morning, a man…

Mahmoud Al-Saqa, a grocery store owner in the Shujaiya neighbourhood, told Middle East news that “since the statement, we’ve seen a sudden spike in prices. People now buy only what is absolutely necessary, fearing the situation will persist.” The markets in the war-torn Gaza Strip recently witnessed a significant surge in prices, reflecting the growing fears and uncertainty gripping Palestinian residents in the coastal enclave amid escalating threats by Israel to resume its genocidal war. Soaring prices compound burdens faced by Gaza’s Palestinians Local merchants have increased the prices of essential commodities and food items following a statement by Abu Obeida,…

It “has hampered access to humanitarian relief, led to shortage of food and aggravated hunger,” Mohamed Ibn Chambas, chairman of an AU panel on Sudan, said [GETTY]African Union officials on Tuesday branded Sudan’s civil war the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world” and warned it was leaving hundreds of thousands of children malnourished. The Sudanese army has been at war since April 2023 with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a conflict that has displaced around 12 million people, according to the AU and the International Rescue Committee. It “has hampered access to humanitarian relief, led to shortage of…

King Abdullah of Jordan has arrived at the White House, where he was greeted by US President Donald Trump. Their discussion will take place behind closed doors, but Trump has said the two million Palestinians who would be resettled in neighbouring countries under his plan to take over and rebuild the Gaza Strip would have no right of return. A clip of the interview was released a day after Trump said he was “committed to buying and owning Gaza”, despite global condemnation of the plan he unveiled last week. King Abdullah of Jordan has arrived at the White House Donald…

Andrew the security risk financier and an £8bn venture Daily Mail reports Prince Andrew is assisting a multi-billion-pound Middle East business venture with a former ambassador to Russia assessed as a ‘threat to national security’, it can be revealed. Following revelations about the duke’s friendship with an alleged Chinese spy, it has emerged that Andrew is also working with an entrepreneur who was banned from entering a Commonwealth country owing to government concerns.

Five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic begins Los Angeles Lakers career just over a week after his blockbuster trade from Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic produced 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in his Los Angeles Lakers debut and LeBron James added 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as the newly formed star duo led the way to a 132-113 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz. Austin Reaves logged 22 points and nine rebounds and Rui Hachimura added 21 points as the Lakers extended their winning streak to six games while coming out on top for the 10th time in…

A group of investors led by Elon Musk is offering about $97.4 billion to buy the nonprofit behind OpenAI, escalating a dispute with the artificial intelligence company that Musk helped found a decade ago. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman rejected the offer in a post on X. Musk attorney Marc Toberoff said he submitted the bid to OpenAI’s board of directors, according to the Journal. “No thank you, but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want,” OpenAI chief Sam Altman wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, apparently responding to the offer. Musk, who bought X under…

Farmers take over London and bring central London to a standstill. The British farmers protest London convoy is causing havoc in London today. Hooting and horning all the way down the A4 to Westminster. Farmers take over London Central london is gridlocked and earlier the A4 was moving at a snail’s pace between the Hammersmith flyover and Kensington. The Locals in Chiswick stood by the roads cheering the farmers on. The farmers have parked up their tractors along Whitehall, with the stretch of vehicles going back as far as Trafalgar Square. Four tanks have also been spotted at the protest.…

A tourists delight The ultimate guide to Manhattan – Explore Manhattan as pro traveller with travel guides and historical information about each place.

Lawyers for three Venezuelan immigrants arrested in New Mexico during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown have asked a federal court to prevent them from being sent to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. A court filing Sunday says while the men haven’t been told they’ll be transferred out of the Otero County Processing Centre, they have a credible fear that they’ll be sent to Guantanamo. Other detainees at the facility run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, were flown to the US naval base in recent days, the document says. The filing claims the three immigrants “fit the profile…

Your Pub Needs You The Daily Mirror launches a campaign urging the government to intervene and support struggling British pubs, a staple of community life that continues to face economic challenges. Siobhan McNally reports on her parallel life to the hit movie Bridget Jones – as the latest instalment of the film franchise hits the big screen.

Who is Albin Kurti the man standing to be the Prime Minister in Kosovo’s parliamentary elections. In Sunday’s election, Kurti’s campaign to stamp out Serbian influence in Kosovo clashed with the opposition’s promise to stimulate the economy in one of Europe’s most impoverished areas. Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s ruling party led with the most seats although exit polls indicate it fell short of a majority. With no party winning a clear majority in the 120-seat assembly, extended coalition talks are likely. Who is Albin Kurti? Kurti proclaimed victory for his Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement) party late on Sunday. He said he…