Fire shuts down London’s Heathrow Airport, disrupting travel for hundreds of thousands
LONDON (AP) — A large fire near London’s Heathrow Airport knocked out power to Europe’s busiest flight hub and forced it to shut all day. That is disrupting global travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers Friday. Heathrow said it didn’t know when power would be restored — raising the possibility that the shutdown would last longer than just the day, as previously expected. Flight tracking service FlightRadar 24 said that at least 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were affected, and the impact was likely to last several days as passengers try to reschedule their travel and airlines work to get planes and crew to the right places. Authorities do not know what caused the fire but so far have found no evidence it was suspicious.
Israel orders troops to go deeper into Gaza as its top court halts sacking of security chief
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister says he has ordered ground forces to advance deeper into the Gaza Strip, vowing to hold more land until Hamas releases the remaining hostages it holds. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that operations would continue “with increasing intensity until the hostages are released by Hamas.” Meantime, in a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to fire the country’s domestic security chief, the Supreme Court ordered a temporary halt to his dismissal until an appeal can be heard. Israel’s attorney general has ruled that the Cabinet has no legal basis to dismiss Bar.
Israel returns to war in Gaza with wider aims and almost no constraints
Israel’s renewed military offensive in the Gaza Strip threatens to be even deadlier and more destructive than the last, as it pursues wider aims with far fewer constraints. Israel resumed the war with a surprise bombardment early Tuesday that killed hundreds of Palestinians, ending the ceasefire and vowing even more devastation if Hamas doesn’t release its remaining hostages and leave the territory. President Donald Trump has expressed full support for the renewed offensive and even suggested that Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians be resettled in other countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is stronger than ever, and there are fewer hostages in Gaza than at any point since Hamas ignited the war, which gives Israel’s military more freedom to act.
Hegseth says he’ll meet with Musk at the Pentagon to discuss innovation and ‘efficiencies’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he’ll be meeting with billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk at the Pentagon to discuss “innovation, efficiencies & smarter production.” Hegseth is also scheduled to deliver remarks with President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday. Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have played an integral role in the Trump administration’s push to dramatically reduce the size of the government. Musk has faced intense blowback from some lawmakers and voters for his chainsaw-wielding approach to laying off workers and slashing programs, although the Republican president’s supporters have hailed it.
Russian drones strike Ukrainian city of Odesa, underlining challenges for even limited truce
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drones have pummeled the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, injuring three people and sparking fires. The attack underlined Moscow’s intention to pursue aerial attacks even as it agreed to temporarily halt strikes on energy facilities. The head of the Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said the city suffered “local emergency power outages” in three of its districts, an indication that the energy infrastructure of the city could have been damaged. Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders this week. But it remained unclear what possible targets would be off limits to attack.
Sudan’s military says it has retaken Khartoum’s Republican Palace, seat of country’s government
CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s military says it retook the Republican Palace in Khartoum, the last heavily guarded bastion in the capital of rival paramilitary forces, after nearly two years of fighting. Social media videos showed its soldiers inside giving the date as the 21st day of Ramadan, which was Friday. The fall of the Republican Palace — a compound along the Nile River that was the seat of government before the war erupted and is immortalized on Sudanese banknotes and postage stamps — marks another battlefield gain for Sudan’s military. It has made steady advances in recent months under army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan.
Democrats’ new digital strategy tops trending charts but also draws mockery from allies and foes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic lawmakers are courting online content creators, podcasters and celebrities in a bid to find new ways to boost their message to voters. The effort is spearheaded by Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill determined to show their party is responding to the early swift moves of the Trump administration. The result has been a burst of Democratic online content, including direct-to-camera explainers in parked cars, scripted vertical videos, podcast appearances and livestreams. Some of that Democratic content has been topping trending charts online. Other attempts to reach voters online have drawn mockery from liberal allies and Republicans in Congress.
Top Russian official meets North Korean leader in latest Pyongyang visit
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A top Russian security official met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Friday and thanked him for the country’s support of Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine, according to Russian state media. The meeting came after reports that North Korea recently sent additional troops to Russia to aid its war efforts. Russia’s state-run news agency, Tass, reported that Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Security Council secretary, during a meeting with Kim conveyed a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who extended his greetings and vowed to give “utmost attention” to implementing agreements reached in their recent summits.
Ocean dumping – or a climate solution? A growing industry bets on the ocean to capture carbon
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Dozens of companies and academic groups are pitching the same theory: that sinking rocks, nutrients, crop waste or seaweed in the ocean could lock away climate-warming carbon dioxide for centuries or more. Nearly 50 field trials have taken place in the past four years, with startups raising hundreds of millions in early funds. But the field remains rife with debate over the consequences for the oceans if the strategies are deployed at large scale, and over the exact benefits for the climate. Critics say the efforts are moving too quickly and with too few guardrails.
Arkansas holds off Kansas 79-72 in March Madness matchup of coaches Calipari and Self
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Jonas Aidoo scored 22 points to help 10th-seeded Arkansas to a 79-72 opening-round NCAA Tournament victory over No. 7 seed Kansas on Thursday night in the latest meeting between two of college basketball’s winningest coaches. Johnell Davis added 18 points, including some crucial late free throws, to help John Calipari to his first tournament victory as the Razorbacks’ coach. Arkansas moves on to face St. John’s and coach Rick Pitino, the NCAA’s active leader in victories. Zeke Mayo had 18 points for Kansas, which has made 35 straight NCAA Tournaments and hadn’t lost in the first round since 2006.
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