Flagship

Israel airstrikes kill hundreds

Israel bombarded Gaza overnight with airstrikes that left at least 322 dead or missing, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, as a two-month ceasefire collapsed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military force” after what he described as the group’s “repeated refusal” to release more hostages. The assault came without warning, Sky News’ Middle East correspondent reported, taking Hamas by surprise but also Gazan civilians “who have started to slowly rebuild what they can of their lives.” Israel said the assault targeted high-ranking officials, although pictures of dead children have been circulating. The decision to restart hostilities comes with Netanyahu under political pressure over the ongoing hostage crisis and a corruption trial.

Trump warns Iran over Houthis

US President Donald Trump warned Iran would “suffer the consequences” if Yemen’s Houthi militia carries out further attacks on Red Sea shipping routes. Washington has ramped up its campaign against the Tehran-backed rebel group with some security analysts suggesting that the US Navy may have fired more missiles in the Red Sea in the last 15 months alone than in the previous 30 years anywhere in the world. Attacks by Houthis following Israel’s military actions in Gaza have disrupted trade along the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest sea-lanes, allowing only Chinese, Iranian, and Russian vessels to sail through. The drop in crossings has taken a huge toll on Egypt’s economy, with the president estimating losses at $800 million a month.

Pentagon office closure questioned

The closure of a little-known Pentagon office that helped the US win the Cold War could undermine defense decision-making, The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board argued. The Office of Net Assessment, an internal think tank created in the mid-1970s amid rising tensions between Washington and Moscow, was tasked to consider threats “lurking over the horizon” and stress-test the US military’s preparedness for conflict, The Journal said. Its closure by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reflects the broader hollowing-out of government offices under the Trump White House as it cuts federal spending. The rapid, massive loss of expertise across departments has led to questions over whether the cutbacks could harm the quality of official US data, including for economic growth.

M23 rebels pull out of DRC peace talks

The Rwanda-backed M23 militia pulled out of peace talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo after the European Union imposed sanctions on rebel leaders. The decision came hours before M23 leaders and the DRC government were due to meet to discuss a ceasefire in the conflict that has led to one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises, with thousands dead and millions displaced. The EU also imposed sanctions on Rwanda, which several Western nations accuse of funding the rebel militia, a claim Kigali denies. In response, Rwanda cut diplomatic ties with Belgium, saying it led calls for the sanctions.

Milei cracks down on protests after ‘coup’

Argentinian President Javier Milei moved to crack down on anti-government protesters after describing one rally as “a kind of coup d’état.” The bill to outlaw certain groups as “illegal associations” comes a week after a march by pensioners and football fans protesting against Milei’s austerity agenda turned violent. Drastic cuts to subsidies on which a large share of the population relied have sparked widespread anger, but the spending overhaul has also led to the first budget surplus in 14 years and been welcomed by international finance institutions that are key to Argentina’s economic recovery. The fallout from the protests could derail Milei’s presidency, however: Argentina holds legislative elections this year.

Chinese authorities seek to boost births

China’s local governments are stepping up attempts to encourage citizens to have more babies, boosting subsidies for childcare and supplies. More than 20 provincial administrations are now offering subsidies to encourage young couples to marry and have babies — Hohhot, the regional capital of Inner Mongolia, will pay first-time parents $1,400 and more for second and third children — and earlier this month Premier Li Qiang announced nationwide free preschool education. The world’s most populous country until recently, China saw its population fall for a third consecutive year in 2024, and marriages plummeted by a fifth, the biggest drop on record. The ongoing effects of Beijing’s one-child policy, plus urbanization and the growing costs of raising a family, have driven the decline, Reuters reported.

Danger of cutting university funding

Uncertainty surrounding US higher education spending represents an “existential threat to American innovation,” analysts warned. Where once countries’ power stemmed from physical resources, modern economies rely increasingly on “intangible resources — the knowledge and technologies… super-charging economic growth, scientific discovery, and military potential,” one expert wrote in Foreign Affairs. But the Trump administration’s plans to withdraw funding from universities over diversity programs or inadequate protections for Jewish students, and overall education spending cuts that have spurred universities to freeze hiring or lay off staff, may threaten those resources: One economist said “Educational disinvestment represents a self-inflicted wound whose consequences will burden us, our children, and our grandchildren.”

Seed oil backlash at US burger chain

A backlash against “seed oils,” spearheaded by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., engulfed a US fast food chain. Mainstream scientific opinion believes polyunsaturated-fat-heavy plant oils are healthier than animal fats, and they have become commonplace in Western diets. But parts of the political right, including Kennedy, believe seed oils caused the obesity epidemic and other problems. The Midwestern burger outlet Steak ’n Shake replaced vegetable oil in its fryers with beef tallow, apparently to court MAGA voters — but found itself in an unexpected controversy after rightwing influencers noted that its fries are partially pre-cooked offsite, in seed oil. The Bulwark reported. Flagship’s Tom Chivers noted recently on his podcast that the evidence that seed oils are uniquely unhealthy is unconvincing.

The World Economy Summit 2025 will bring together US Cabinet officials, global finance ministers, central bankers, and over 200 CEOs of the world’s largest companies. The three-day summit will take place April 23–25, 2025, in Washington, DC, and will be the first of its kind since the new US administration took office. Featuring on-the-record conversations with top executives such as Robert Bradway, Chairman and CEO, Amgen; Aiman Ezzat, CEO, Capgemini Group; Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO, Nasdaq; Jenny Johnson, President and CEO, Franklin Templeton Paul Knopp, Chair and CEO, KPMG LLP; and Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder and Chairman, Infosys, the summit will advance dialogues that catalyze global growth and fortify resilience in an uncertain, shifting global economy.

ISS astronauts begin journey home

Two US astronauts stuck on the International Space Station for 286 days — roughly 278 days more than planned — began their journey home. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams flew to the ISS in June, but problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule which took them there meant they were unable to return. In their time in space they orbited the planet 4,576 times, traveling 121 million miles: They have now been recovered by a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft, and will splash down off Florida’s Gulf Coast early evening US Eastern time. Their nine-month space flight is a long one, CBS noted, but some way off the record: Frank Rubio remained on the ISS for 371 days in 2022-23.

Drones to lighten Sherpas’ load

Drones are set to lighten the load for Mount Everest’s Sherpas. This climbing season will see expedition companies test drones carrying loads weighing up to 35 lb from Base Camp to Camp I. The journey takes Sherpas seven hours, but drones could manage it in 15 minutes. The quadcopters will also carry down waste that is often left behind on the world’s highest mountain, contaminating its environment. “Sherpas bear enormous risks” on Everest, one told The New York Times, and taking some weight off their shoulders could reduce the number of fatal accidents. It will particularly benefit the “icefall doctors” who establish a route at the start of each climbing season, carrying ladders and oxygen bottles to higher camps.

• The EU presents a plan for the future of European steel.
• Samsung Electronics hosts its annual general meeting.
• Argentina publishes GDP data for the fourth quarter.

Paddy Hemingway’s age when he flew his first combat missions in 1940. Dublin-born Hemingway, who died yesterday aged 105, was the last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain, which saw the Royal Air Force fight to prevent German air superiority and a possible invasion. He was shot down four times, himself shot down two bombers, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery. “His passing marks the end of an era,” the RAF said in a memorial, “and a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom during World War II.”

Turnar by Hekla. This Icelandic artist plays the theremin — a spooky electronic instrument that used to crop up a lot in 1960s sci-fi — but does so without resorting to cliché, according to Pitchfork: She plumbs its “weird, otherworldly depths,” creating a record that is “roiling and uneasy… as mysterious as the human condition.” Listen to Turnar on Spotify.

A sense of responsibility weighs heavily these days on Breitbart News, Semafor’s Ben Smith wrote.

“We are trying to be the historical record of the Trump administration,” editor-in-chief Alex Marlow told Smith, citing the “massive hole, in conservative media in particular, for people who are covering things with an eye on being comprehensive and entirely accurate.” But is Breitbart really just the MAGA New York Times? “We’re the same people we’re always been,” said Washington Bureau Chief Matt Boyle. “Washington’s changed.”