For all the latest Current Affairs, Sports, Health, Weather, Entertainment, Business and Travel News from around the world.
UK: Heathrow power meltdown ‘as big as it gets’
Several flights have now taken off from London’s Heathrow Airport after it was completely shut down following a power outage due to a nearby fire. It has led to massive disruption at one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, but Heathrow’s CEO said he expects the airport to be fully running by tomorrow morning.
Heathrow’s closure is expected to reverberate around the globe, affecting more than 1,300 flights in the coming days. An airline analytics firm estimated that “upwards of 145,000” passengers could be impacted, while an aviation expert told CNN the airline industry could
Namibia: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah sworn in as Namibia’s first female president
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been sworn in as Namibia’s first woman president, after winning elections last year that extended the governing party’s 35-year grip on power.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became one of the few women leaders on the African continent, following a ceremony on Friday attended by heads of state from several African countries including Angola, South Africa and Tanzania.
USA: No evidence of coordinated vandalism of Teslas despite Musk and Trump claims
Law enforcement officials and domestic extremism experts say they have found no evidence that a series of attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships are coordinated despite such claims from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump.
At least 10 Tesla dealerships, charging stations and facilities have been hit by vandals, many of whom have lit cars on fire, while a growing collection of videos posted to social media have shown people defacing and damaging Tesla vehicles. One website appeared to encourage people to target Tesla vehicles, publishing a map with the information of dozens of Tesla owners and Tesla facilities. It’s unknown who started the site.
Israel threatens annexation after expanding ground offensive in Gaza
Israel’s military assault on the Gaza Strip has continued for a fourth day as its ground forces expand their operations in northern and southern Gaza and the Israeli defence minister threatens to seize land in the coastal enclave.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that Israeli forces would “intensify” the military campaign against Hamas and use “all military and civilian pressure, including evacuation of the Gaza population south and implementing United States President [Donald] Trump’s voluntary migration plan for Gaza residents”.
USA: Trump says Musk wasn’t briefed on China war plan in Pentagon meeting
President Donald Trump pushed back on reports that DOGE head Elon Musk was being briefed on US military plans for a potential war with China while at the Pentagon on Friday, saying he wouldn’t want show such plans “to anybody.”
“I don’t want to show it to anybody. You know you’re talking about a potential war with China,” Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office. “We don’t want to have a potential war with China, but I can tell you, if we did, we’re very well equipped to handle it.”
Trump’s comments came amid speculation over why Musk was at the Pentagon on Friday morning, where he met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for over an hour.
The New York Times reported Thursday that Musk was receiving a briefing on the US military’s plan for potential conflict with China. Pentagon officials resoundingly dismissed the reporting on social media on Thursday.
USA:Trump uses emergency powers to boost mineral production
US President Donald Trump has invoked emergency powers to expand domestic production of critical minerals as he tries to reduce US reliance on imports from countries like China.
The executive order, which uses cold war era legislation, instructs government agencies, including the defence department, to prioritise mining projects as well as providing technical and financial support to boost critical mineral production.
It comes as a trade war escalates with China, which has overwhelming control over the supply chain of some critical minerals.
Last year, Beijing banned the sale of some critical minerals to the US, forcing American firms to look for other sources of the vital materials.
USA: Tate brothers say they have left US to return to Romania
British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan said on Friday they have left the US and are flying back to Romania, where they face human trafficking and other charges.
“Spending $185,000 (£143,000) on a private jet across the Atlantic to sign one single piece of paper in Romania,” Andrew Tate posted to his 10.8 million followers on X. “Innocent men don’t run. They clear their name in court.”
The BBC understands the brothers will appear at a police station to register on Monday. They strongly deny the allegations against them.
The brothers, who are dual US-UK citizens, arrived in the US at the end of February after Romanian prosecutors lifted a two-year travel ban.
USA: Elon Musk meets defence officials in Pentagon visit
Tech billionaire and senior Trump adviser Elon Musk has visited the Pentagon for briefings that have sparked debate after US media reported that he would be given an overview of American plans in the event of war with China.
President Donald Trump denied the reports, saying “China will not even be mentioned or discussed”.
Musk himself called for the prosecution of officials he said had leaked “maliciously false information” to the New York Times, which first reported the story.
But the Pentagon visit represented an unusual level of access for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, whose companies hold billions of dollars in federal defence contracts.
Israel: Supreme Court freezes PM’s order to sack security chief
Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an injunction to prevent the head of the nation’s security service from being fired by Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli cabinet formally approved the early dismissal of Ronen Bar on Thursday night, over the failure to anticipate the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas.
Netanyahu, the prime minister, said in a video statement last week that he intended to sack Mr Bar, citing an “ongoing distrust” between the two that had “grown over time”.
On Friday, the Supreme Court froze the dismissal until a hearing could be heard on the matter no later than 8 April, according to documents cited in Israeli media.
Turkiye: Thousands join march in Istanbul to protest mayor’s arrest
Thousands of protesters have joined a march in Istanbul in support of the city’s arrested mayor, defying a warning from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that authorities would crack down on “street terror”.
Demonstrators took to the streets in Turkiye’s commercial hub on Friday for the third consecutive day to show their support for Ekrem Imamoglu – Erdogan’s chief political rival – who was arrested on Wednesday, days before he was due to announce his 2028 presidential run.
Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel said more than 300,000 people had joined protests across Istanbul.
“We are 300,000 people,” the CHP leader told the vast crowds in front of City Hall, saying protesters had gathered at several places across the country’s largest city due to the road and bridge closures preventing people from all being in one place.
The mayor was arrested early on Wednesday over alleged corruption and “terror” links. Dozens of other prominent figures, including journalists and businesspeople, were also detained. After the detentions, the government announced a four-day ban on political demonstrations.
South Korea: Court rules against K-pop group NewJeans in record label dispute
A South Korean court has ruled against chart-topping K-pop group NewJeans which had sought to cut ties with its record label Ador.
The court said the band, which had renamed themselves NJZ and began organising their own appearances, must not conduct any independent activities – from making music to signing advertising deals.
Earlier last year, NewJeans said that they were leaving Ador, after accusing them of mistreatment. Ador subsequently sued to have NewJeans’ contracts upheld and, after accusing the group of trying to sign independent deals without its approval, filed an injunction against them in January.
The group has said that they will challenge Friday’s decision.
UK: Uber offers 20 hours of free childcare in bid to lure female drivers
Every Uber driver in the UK will be eligible for 20 hours of free childcare under a new scheme intended to get more women driving taxis.
They will be able to use the allowance through a nannying and babysitting app for the rest of 2025.
“We really, really would like to attract more female drivers onto the Uber platform,” said Uber UK General Manager Andrew Brem.
But the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents drivers, said “anyone can see through” what it called a “cynical PR stunt”.
USA: Trump signs order to dismantle US education department
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive orderto dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling a campaign pledge and a long-cherished goal of some conservatives.
Accusing the agency of “breath-taking failures”, the Republican president vowed to return the money it controls to individual states.
“We’re going to shut it down as quickly as possible,” Trump said, although the White House acknowledged that closing the agency outright would require an act of Congress.
The move is already facing legal challenges from those seeking to block the agency’s closure as well as sweeping cuts to its staff announced last week.
Taliban frees US man held in Afghanistan for two years
An American airline mechanic has been freed by the Taliban after being held in Afghanistan for more than two years.
George Glezmann, who was detained in December 2022 while visiting as a tourist, arrived by plane in Qatar on Thursday evening before travelling back to the US.
His release was confirmed after the Taliban government’s foreign minister hosted US hostage envoy Adam Boehler and other US officials in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
The Taliban’s foreign ministry said Mr Glezmann’s release was “on humanitarian grounds” and “a goodwill gesture”, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the deal a “positive and constructive step”.
Sudan: Army retakes presidential palace in Khartoum, strikes blow to RSF
Sudan’s army and its supporters are celebrating across the country after troops recaptured the presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum.
Friday’s victory is perhaps the army’s most symbolic since launching a key counteroffensive against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in September last year.
The RSF continues to control pockets in southern Khartoum, but has lost most of the capital since Sudan erupted into a civil war in April 2023.
The development comes just days after RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo released a video urging his fighters not to give up the palace.
Civilians have generally welcomed the army as liberators despite some reports of army-aligned militias carrying out human rights abuses following RSF withdrawals.
The RSF has committed countless atrocities in Sudan, including in Khartoum.
A recent report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), found that RSF fighters had detained at least 10,000 people in Khartoum since the start of the war until June last year.
UK: Adolescence writer calls for ‘radical action’ not role models
One of the most talked-about TV shows of recent years, Netflix’s hard-hitting drama Adolescence, has been the hot topic of discussion this week, from the House of Commons to US talk shows to the gates of the scriptwriter’s son’s school.
Those discussions have been sparked by the fictional story of a 13-year-old boy who is accused of stabbing a girl, and the factors that could have turned him into a killer.
“I’ve had lots of responses from people I haven’t heard from for years, telling me about conversations they’re now having with their children,” writer Jack Thorne says. “That’s really gratifying.
“My son’s headteacher stopped me at the school gates to say, ‘I’d like to talk to you about this, and I’d like to think about what our school can do and what other schools can do’,” Thorne adds.
“The conversations seem to be starting in all sorts of different places.”
Thorne is now calling for the government to take “radical action” to help tackle the issues the programme raises.
Chief among them are social media and the influence of incel (involuntary celibate) ideas, which encourage men to blame women for their lack of relationships and opportunities.
USA: Trump awards Boeing major contract to build ‘most lethal’ fighter jets
President Donald Trump has awarded Boeing a multi-billion dollar contract to build the US Air Force’s most advanced fighter jet, the Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft.
Trump described the high-speed stealth aircraft, dubbed the F-47, as the “most lethal aircraft ever built” and said a version has been secretly flying for the last five years.
The jet will replace Lockheed Martin’s F-22 with an aircraft that is also designed to fly alongside unmanned drones in combat, Trump announced at the White House.