Connect with us

Published

on

Airlines and governments are scrambling to evacuate thousands of tourists from Israel ahead of a possible ground assault on Gaza.

Israel’s military said it was conducting a “large-scale strike” on targets belonging to Hamas in Gaza on Thursday, but gave no details, as Israel formed an emergency unity government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting in a war cabinet with centrist former defence minister Benny Gantz.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Israel-Hamas war: ‘A nightmare’

The move came as the Israeli military pounds Gaza to root out the Palestinian militant group, ahead of a possible ground offensive in the coastal strip.

Israelis take cover from the incoming rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel. Pic: AP
Image:
Israelis take cover from the incoming rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel. Pic: AP

Israeli flag carrier El Al said it would operate 12 extra flights on Wednesday and Thursday to and from Athens, Rome, Madrid, Bucharest, New York, Paris, Larnaca and Istanbul.

Its low-cost unit Sun Dor also plans flights from Istanbul. El Al had already announced an additional flight from New York and six flights to and from Larnaca.

In other key developments:

17 British nationals, including children, killed or missing, Sky News understands

Missing Irish-Israeli woman confirmed dead

Met Police appeals for people to send them footage of attacks in Israel

22 Americans have been killed, US state department says

Netanyahu and opposition agree to form emergency government

UK foreign secretary runs for cover during Israel visit

At least 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 2,700 injured, IDF says

At least 1,100 Palestinians dead and 5,184 injured in Israeli strikes, Gaza Health Ministry says

UK royals issue statements in solidarity with Israel

The latest move came as the combined death toll reported by both sides following the weekend attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas and retaliatory strikes by Israeli forces reached more than 2,000 people.

Most foreign airlines have suspended or curtailed services, leaving passengers uncertain how to leave or reach the country and consular services struggling to keep up with demand for assistance, with priority given to those with missing relatives.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Israel-Hamas war: ‘A nightmare’

Israel’s parliamentary finance committee has said it would debate authorising state guarantees for providing war risk insurance for Israeli airlines.

The panel said insurance companies had indicated they were entitled to cancel cover with seven days’ notice. Airline executives said some cover was still available.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Israeli hospital ‘preparing for war’

Israel ready for two front war – follow live conflict updates

A senior official at insurance industry body Lloyd’s Market Association said Israel is not on a commonly used list of high-risk areas for aviation, but that it made sense for underwriters to seek to control their exposure given the escalating violence.

British Airways said it would suspend flights to Tel Aviv after diverting a flight from London back to Britain shortly before it was due to reach Israel, citing security concerns.

A mother in Gaza who sought sanctuary at her daughter’s house during an Israeli strike was in tears as she returned to her home and found it have been “bombed entirely”.

“There’s nothng left, she told a Sky News newsgathering team in Gaza.

“There’s nothing visible in the house. It’s been bombed entirely… where shall I go?”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Watch: Sky News inside the Gaza Strip

Meanwhile, calls for a humanitarian corridor to be established out of Gaza ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive grow as the bombardment of the Hamas controlled strip continues.

The UN Middle East envoy is currently in Cairo working with other key regional and international partners and the Egyptian government on ending the Hamas-Israel conflict, preventing its expansion, and opening a humanitarian corridor to deliver fuel, food and water to access to Gaza.

Israel cut off the water and electricity to Gaza earlier in the week.

An Israeli soldier stands over the body of a Hamas militant in Beeri. Pic: AP
Image:
An Israeli soldier stands over the body of a Hamas militant in Beeri. Pic: AP

Tor Wennesland is following up on Egypt’s offer to facilitate humanitarian access through the Rafah crossing and to make the El Arish airport available for critical assistance, a UN spokesman said.

The UN humanitarian office reports that 263,000 people have been displaced in Gaza, a 40% increase since Tuesday.

More than 1,000 housing units in Gaza have been destroyed and about 560 severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable in the past day, the UN said.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City
Pic:AP
Image:
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City
Pic:AP

The US is also in active conversations to achieve safe passage out of Gaza for civilians, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.

Mr Kirby noted that Israel and Egypt are the two most significant players in the efforts.

“We are having active conversations about trying to allow for that safe passage,” he said. “It’s the civilians who did nothing wrong so we want to make sure they have a way out.”

Continue Reading

World

Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs – in worst day for indexes since COVID

Published

on

By

Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs - in worst day for indexes since COVID

Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.

While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.

As it happened: Worst week’s trading in five years

All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.

The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.

Read more: What’s a bear market?

Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.

More on Donald Trump

Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.

The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.

And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.

Pic: Reuters
Image:
US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters

Trump holds trade deal talks – reports

It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indian and Israeli representatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.

The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.

Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Do Trump’s tariffs add up?

Read more:
Markets gave Trump a clear no-confidence vote
There were no winners from Trump’s tariff gameshow

China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.

Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.

Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump

He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’

“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”

Continue Reading

World

Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they’re also battling with another problem

Published

on

By

Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they're also battling with another problem

Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.

The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.

The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.

Tariffs latest: FTSE 100 suffers biggest daily drop since COVID

Financial investors had been gradually re-calibrating their expectations of Donald Trump over the past few months.

Hopes that his actions may not match his rhetoric were dashed on Wednesday as he imposed sweeping tariffs on the US’ trading partners, ratcheting up protectionism to a level not seen in more than a century.

Markets were always going to respond to that but they are also battling with another problem: the lack of certainty when it comes to Trump.

More on Donald Trump

He is a capricious figure and we can only guess his next move. Will he row back? How far is he willing to negotiate and offer concessions?

Read more:
There were no winners from Trump’s tariff gameshow
Trade war sparks ‘$2.2trn’ global market sell-off

These are massive unknowns, which are piled on to uncertainty about how countries will respond.

China has already retaliated and Europe has indicated it will go further.

That will compound the problems for the global economy and undoubtedly send shivers through the markets.

Much is yet to be determined, but if there’s one thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty.

Continue Reading

World

Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

Published

on

By

Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

South Korea’s constitutional court has confirmed the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December after declaring martial law.

His decision to send troops onto the streets led to the country’s worst political crisis in decades.

The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.

The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.

Demonstrators who stayed overnight near the constitutional court wait for the start of a rally calling for the president to step down. Pic: AP
Image:
Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP

Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.

The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.

Read more from Sky News:
Highs and lows of Five-Year Keir
MP tells Sky News she was targeted online by Tate brothers

More on South Korea

The Constitutional Court is under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement of the impeachment trial. Pic: AP
Image:
The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP

After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.

He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.

The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.

South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.

Continue Reading

Trending