Israeli authorities confirmed Thursday that the four bodies handed over by the pro-Palestine terrorist organization Hamas to the Red Cross belonged to Argentine national Shiri Bibas (née Silberman) and her two children, Ariel and Kafir, who were 9 months and 4 years old at the time of their abduction on Oct. 7, 2023. Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the children’s father, was released on February 1, 2025, as part of the ceasefire. The fourth victim was Oded Lifshitz, an 84-year-old Israeli who had long fought for an understanding between the two peoples but was eventually “betrayed” by the Palestinians, according to his wife, who was released by Hamas 16 days after the incursion. All five had been kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Australian authorities have confirmed that 67 of the 157 false killer whales stranded on a remote beach on Tasmania’s West Coast overnight Tuesday/Wednesday have died. Parks and Wildlife’s Shelley Graham said on Wednesday afternoon that the surviving whales remain in “unfavorable” conditions, with attempts to refloat two of them unsuccessful, meaning euthanasia is a strong solution.
Two female King penguins arrived last week at Birdland Park and Gardens in Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, in Gloucestershire. The pair hatched in Wuppertal, Germany, in 2021 and 2023 and are believed to be the first female king penguins to be imported to the UK in 15 years. The Birdland Park hopes to boost its breeding program of King Penguins.
The UK rate of inflation reached 3% in January, from 2.5% in December, higher than forecasts and with the Bank of England anticipating a “bumpy road” ahead. Forecasts are that it will hit 3.7% later in the year and moving even further away from the Bank's 2% target.
The 48th regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) is starting in Barbados Wednesday under the theme Strength in Unity: Building Caribbean Resilience, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.
Brazilian authorities announced Tuesday the South American country's decision to join the Organization of 13 Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and 10 observer nations, commonly referred to as OPEC+. According to Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira, the move would in in line with Brazil's goals and would not collide with its environmental commitments. Brazil will participate in the OPEC Cooperation Charter, a forum for discussing oil market strategies without binding obligations to follow cartel policies like production cuts.
US President Donald Trump Tuesday acknowledged from his Mar-a-Lago residence that Russia was willing to end the war in Ukraine and criticized Kyiv for its reluctance to negotiate. In the Republican leader's view, the conflict could have been resolved sooner.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed Portugal's Heads of State and Government Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro respectively, to launch a series of bilateral vents to take place in the South American country. The Free Trade Agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) will also be on the agenda. The Workers' Party leader had been to Portugal in 2023.
A Delta Air Lines Mitsubishi CRJ-900 jet from Minneapolis flipped over Monday afternoon upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport amidst snowy conditions and severe gusting winds.
By Gwynne Dyer
What’s the difference between smash-and-grab raids and protection rackets? Not all that much from the legal point of view, but protection rackets has a lower level of risk and a higher rate of returns.