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Israeli military launches major West Bank operation
At least 11 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the north of the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials say.
Five were reportedly killed in an air strike in al-Far’a refugee camp, and six in a drone strike and armed clashes in Jenin.
Israeli security forces said they were carrying out “a counterterrorism operation to thwart terror” in Jenin and Tulkarm.
This appears to be a major Israeli operation, with at least four Palestinian cities being targeted at the same time – Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus and Tubas.
It is believed to be the first time since the second intifada – a major Palestinian uprising from 2000 to 2005 – that several Palestinian cities have been targeted simultaneously in this way.
Palestinian reports say that the main roads into Jenin have been closed off with armed clashes in the city’s refugee camp.
An Israeli air strike is said to have targeted a vehicle in a nearby village at dawn.
Israeli forces are said to have entered a hospital in Jenin and blocked off two in Tulkarm.
Israeli military raids of Nablus are reportedly focused on two refugee camps there.
In Far’a camp near Tubas, medics say ambulances are struggling to reach the wounded after an Israeli drone strike.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been “operating with full force since last night in the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps to dismantle Iranian-Islamic terror infrastructures established there”.
He accused Iran, which backs the armed groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, of seeking to open what he called a new front against Israel in the West Bank.
“We must deal with the threat just as we deal with the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and whatever steps are required,” he added.
The Israeli military has given few details but said in a statement that the IDF, internal security agency Shin Bet and Israel Border Police forces were “currently conducting a counterterrorism operation to thwart terror in Jenin and Tulkarm”.
(BBC)
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Showers above 75 mm can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern and North-western provinces.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 16 MARCH 2025
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 16 March 2025 by the Department of Meteorology
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara and Kurunegala districts during the morning.
Cloudy skies can be expected over the Southern half of the island.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Northern, Eastern and Uva provinces and in Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Nuwara-Eliya and Matale districts and at several places elsewhere in the island after 1.00 p.m. Fairly heavy showers above 75 mm can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern and North-western provinces.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
The US has launched a “decisive and powerful” wave of air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, President Donald Trump has said, citing the armed group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea as the reason.
“Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies,” Trump wrote on his Truth social platform, adding that their “piracy, violence, and terrorism” had cost “billions of dollars” and put lives at risk.
The Houthi-run health ministry said at least 13 people were killed and nine others injured in the strikes.
The group – which began targeting shipping in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza – said its forces would respond to US strikes.
In a statement, the Houthis blamed the US and the UK for “wicked” aggression targeting residential areas in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa – though it is understood that the UK was not behind Saturday’s strikes on the Middle Eastern country.
The Iranian-backed rebel group, considers Israel its enemy. It controls Sanaa and the north-west of Yemen, but it is not the country’s internationally-recognised government.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, it has launched hundreds of attacks on commercial vessels travelling through the Red Sea.
These attacks, Trump said, “will not be tolerated”. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.”
Initially, the group said it was attacking ships connected with, or that had docked in, Israel. However, many of the vessels have no connection with Israel.
Trump said that it had been more than a year since a US-flagged ship had sailed safely through the Suez Canal – which the Red Sea leads to – and four months since a US warship had been through the body of water between east Africa and the Arabian peninsula.
The Suez Canal is the quickest sea route between Asia and Europe, and is particularly important in the transportation of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Addressing the Houthis directly, Trump wrote that if they did not stop, “HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE”.
But the Houthis were unwavering in their response, saying the aggression would not wane their support for Palestinians.
“This aggression will not go without response and our Yemeni armed forces are ready to answer escalation with further escalation,” the group said.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Houthi’s “benefactor”, Iran, was “on notice”.
For more than a year, major shipping companies were forced to stop using the Red Sea – through which almost 15% of global seaborne trade usually passes – and used a much longer route around southern Africa instead.
The Houthis launched 190 attacks in the Red Sea between November 2023 and October 2024, according to the US Congress.
Previously, the UK and US conducted joint naval and air strikes against the group. Israel has also targeted sites linked to the Houthis in separate strikes.
Trump urged Iran to cease its support for the Houthis, warning that Washington would hold Tehran “fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it”.
He also accused the previous White House administration, under Joe Biden, of being “pathetically weak” and allowing the “unrestrained Houthis” to keep going.
[BBC]
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Consumer Rights Protection Initiative launched under “Clean Sri Lanka” programme on World Consumer Rights Day
Coinciding with World Consumer Rights Day on March 15, a new initiative under the “Clean Sri Lanka” Programme is set to be implemented to promote awareness and attitudinal change regarding consumer rights protection within society.
A discussion on this initiative was held at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, with the participation of officials from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture.
Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake emphasized the need for the practical implementation of existing policies and plans of the Ministry of Health to ensure that citizens have access to safe and high-quality food.
Extensive discussions were held on ensuring consumers’ right to access high-quality and safe food. The dialogue focused on creating an environment that supports compliance with health standards, enhancing consumer confidence and exploring measures to involve both the public and private sectors in achieving these objectives.
Attention was also drawn to the practical implementation of existing policies and plans related to food standards and quality assurance through the “Clean Sri Lanka” Programme, exploring possible measures to achieve these objectives effectively.
Discussions also focused on integrating the “Clean Sri Lanka” Programme with the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Policy framework, particularly in ensuring the safety and proper storage of agricultural produce. Additionally, attention was given to the implementation of existing regulations related to restaurant certification, street vendor regulation, registration of street food establishments & food trucks and registration of personnel training.
The meeting was attended by Senior Additional Secretary to the President, G.M.R.D. Apponsu, Additional Secretary to the President, S.P.C. Sugiswara, along with senior officials from various ministries and institutions, including the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government, Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Department of Food Commissioner, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health Services, Consumer Affairs Authority, Sri Lanka Standards Institution, National Medicines Regulatory Authority, Industrial Technology Institute, Central Environmental Authority, National Food Promotion Board, and Department of Measurement Units, Standards, and Services.
[PMD]
Trump administration mulls new travel ban that could hit 43 nations: Report
Showers above 75 mm can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern and North-western provinces.
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