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Israel suspends aid to Gaza as first phase of truce ends

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Israel said Sunday that it was suspending the entry of supplies into Gaza, with deadly attacks reported in the territory after it and Hamas hit an impasse over how to proceed with their fragile ceasefire.

As the 42-day first phase of the ceasefire drew to a close, Israel gave its backing to an extension it said was put forward by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which would cover the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Hamas has repeatedly rejected an extension, instead favouring a transition to the truce deal’s second phase, which would see the release of all remaining hostages and a more permanent end to the fighting in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided that, from this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will be suspended,” his office said in a statement.

“If Hamas persists with its refusal, there will be other consequences,” it added.

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Hamas slammed the move, saying in a statement that the “decision to suspend humanitarian aid is cheap blackmail, a war crime and a blatant coup against the (ceasefire) agreement”.

Gaza’s civil defence agency, meanwhile, reported “artillery shelling and gunfire from Israeli tanks” east of Khan Yunis city, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Approached for comment, the Israeli army said it was “unaware of any artillery shelling in this area”.

The Palestine Red Crescent, however, reported one person killed in an Israeli drone strike in the area, and one more killed in another town nearby.

The army also said it had conducted an air strike in northern Gaza targeting suspects it said had “planted an explosive device” near its troops.


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Gaza’s health ministry later reported at least four killed and six wounded in Israeli attacks on Sunday.

– ‘Punitive measures’ –

Following the announcement of the aid suspension, Netanyahu spokesman Omer Dostri wrote on X: “No trucks entered Gaza this morning, nor will they at this stage.”

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose party is crucial to keeping Netanyahu’s government in power, welcomed the decision to suspend aid as “an important step in the right direction”, calling for a renewed fight “until total victory” against Hamas.

“We have remained in government to ensure this,” he added.

According to Israel, the truce extension would see half of the hostages still in Gaza freed on the day the deal came into effect, with the rest to be released at the end if an agreement was reached on a permanent ceasefire.

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Hamas called on “mediators and the international community to pressure” Israel to “put an end to these punitive, immoral measures against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip”.

Its spokesman Hazem Qassem later said Israel “bears responsibility for the consequences of its decision on the people of the Strip and the fate of its prisoners”.

A senior Hamas official had earlier told AFP the Palestinian militant group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single swap during the second phase.

At a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, supporters and family members of the hostages demanded the government secure their freedom.

“The current crisis in the negotiations is a deliberate crisis, orchestrated and manipulated by Netanyahu,” said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is still in Gaza.

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– ‘Iftar on our land’ –

Under the first phase, Hamas returned 25 living hostages and the bodies of eight others, in exchange for the release of about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.

Of the 251 captives taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military has confirmed are dead.

More than 15 months of war created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the UN repeatedly warning the territory was on the brink of famine before the ceasefire allowed a surge of aid to enter.

But Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday dismissed warnings of famine in Gaza.

“With regards to this starvation [claim], that was a lie during all this war,” Saar told a press conference.

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The suspension of aid comes as Palestinians in Gaza, alongside much of the Muslim world, mark the second day of the holy month of Ramadan, during which the faithful observe a dawn-to-dusk fast.

On Saturday evening, Gazans gathered amid destroyed buildings for a fast-breaking iftar meal as they entered their second Ramadan under the shadow of war.

“We are here in the midst of destruction and rubble, and we are steadfast despite the pain and our wounds,” said Beit Lahia resident Mohammed Abu Al-Jidyan.

“Here we are eating iftar on our land and we will not leave this place.”

The war has left much of Gaza in ruins, displaced the vast majority of its residents and killed more than 48,388 people, mostly civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry, figures the UN has deemed reliable.

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It began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

Washington has announced it is boosting its military aid to Israel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late Saturday he was using “emergency authorities to expedite the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance”.

The post Israel suspends aid to Gaza as first phase of truce ends appeared first on Vanguard News.

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Nollywood actress Chika Ike shows off post-baby body

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Nollywood actress, Chika Ike, has shown off her post-body weeks after giving birth to her daughter.  The filmmaker announced the birth of her first child on March 6, 2025. Taking to her Instagram page on Friday, she shared photos of herself and her baby, all bundled up in from a snowy location.  Doctors appointment on a snowy day! Thanks sweethearts for all the congratulatory messages. Love you and God bless, she captioned the post.  b1 1741962902b2 1741962921b3 1741962942b4 1741963190b5 1741963213 The post Nollywood actress Chika Ike shows off post-baby body appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.


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Gold tops $3,000 for first time on Trump tariff threats

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Evaluating Gold ETFs vs Physical Gold Trading in Nigerias Economy

Gold surpassed $3,000 for the first time Friday as US President Donald Trump’s trade wars boost the safe-haven asset, while stock markets bounced on hopes US lawmakers will avert a government shutdown.

US shares rose in early deals after slumping in recent sessions while Asian equities ended the week on a positive note.

European stock markets were also given a lift in afternoon deals after Germany moved closed to approving a massive infrastructure and defence spending programme.

In Washington, with just hours until a deadline to push a Republican spending bill through, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dropped his threat to block it.

The package would keep government operating through September, but Democrats have come under pressure from their grassroots to defy the plan, which they say is full of harmful spending cuts.

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Stocks gained support from “a burgeoning sense that a government shutdown will be averted after Senator Schumer said he will vote for House-passed continuing resolution,” said Patrick O’Hare, analyst at Briefing.com.

O’Hare said stocks were also getting a boost from speculation China will announce more stimulus measures, and from reports that meetings between Canadian and US officials may have made some progress towards easing trade tensions.

London’s FTSE 100 index rose as the pound dropped against the dollar, after data showed the UK economy unexpectedly shrank in January.

In the eurozone, Paris and Frankfurt both rebounded after losses the previous day on US tariff threats.

Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said his conservatives had struck a deal with the Greens on massively boosting defence and infrastructure spending, paving the way for the plan’s approval in parliament.


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– Times of uncertainty –

Gold, a safe haven in times of uncertainty, rose as much as $3,004 an ounce before paring back gains later in the day to trade under $3,000.

The precious metal was “boosted on increased haven demand amid trade war risks and recent stock market volatility”, said Fawad Razaqzada, analyst at City Index and Forex.com.

In the latest salvo, Trump threatened to impose 200 percent tariffs on wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages from European Union countries.

His threat came after the bloc’s planned levies on American-made whiskey and other products in retaliation to US levies on steel and aluminium.

Trump said he would not row back on the metals duties, nor plans for sweeping tariffs on countries worldwide due to kick on April 2.

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Wall Street has been hammered in recent sessions by trade tensions, with the S&P 500 slipping into a correction Thursday, having fallen more than 10 percent from its recent peak — a record high touched just last month.

In company news, shares in Gucci-owner Kering slumped more than 11 percent in Paris as the group appointed a new creative director to helm its struggling flagship brand.

Shares in BMW were in the red as the Germany automaker warned that trade tensions between the United States, Europe and China would cost the company $1 billion this year.

Major conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings — owned by tycoon Li Ka-shing — tumbled in Hong Kong after Chinese officials in the city reposted an newspaper opinion piece attacking the firm over its sale of a controlling stake in Panama ports under pressure from Trump.

It had surged as much as 25 percent after the sale last week.

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– Key figures around 1340 GMT –

New York – Dow: Up 0.6 percent at 41,037.37 points

New York – S&P 500: UP 1.1 percent at 5584.42

New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.8 percent at 17,611.92

London – FTSE 100: UP 0.5 percent at 8,583.13 points

Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 8,012.07

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Frankfurt – DAX: UP 1.6 percent at 22,940.17

Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 37,053.10 (close)

Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 2.1 percent at 23,959.98 (close)

Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.8 percent at 3,419.56 (close)

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0893 from $1.0849 on Thursday

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Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2939 from $1.2948

Dollar/yen: UP at 148.57 yen from 147.75 yen

Euro/pound: UP at 85.40 pence from 83.75 pence

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $70.14 per barrel

West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.3 percent at $66.81 per barrel

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The post Gold tops $3,000 for first time on Trump tariff threats appeared first on Vanguard News.


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Police investigate headless corpse of 14-year-old, murder of 22-year-old bride

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The police in Jigawa have said its operatives have begun an investigation into the circumstances around the headless corpse of a teenager found on the side of the road in Jikas-Dabaja village of Gwaram local government area of the state.

SP Lawan Shiisu, the command’s spokesperson, made this known in a statement in Dutse. Shiisu said that the teenager’s corpse was found at the scene of the incident at about 9 pm, on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Police arrest 177 criminals, uncover organ harvesting, ritual killing network

On Wednesday at about 2200hrs, the Divisional Police Headquarters Gwaram informed us about a corpse in Jikas-Dabaja village, Gwaram LGA.

A team of policemen rushed to the scene and on arrival, they discovered a headless corpse. The corpse also had his private parts removed. The corpse was later identified as that of a 14-year-old Almajiri, who went missing two earlier, Shiisu said.

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He explained that the victim’s relatives were contacted after being certified dead by a medical doctor on call.

The remains was released to them for burial.

Investigations are ongoing with a view to apprehending the perpetrators, he added.

EXPLORE: Solider stabs Police Inspector to death during traffic dispute in Lagos

In another development, Shiisu said that the police were also investigating the death of a 22-year-old bride in Hadejia local government area. Shiisu said the deceased, identified as Zainab Ibrahim, died from throat cuts five weeks after her marriage.

He added that the victim was rushed to the General Hospital in Hadejia where a medical doctor on call pronounced her dead. The spokesman said an investigation had since begun and that efforts were being stepped up to apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous act. 

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READ ALSO: Same-sex marriage, bestiality prohibited in Nigeria, Police warn


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