Northern Ireland Boycotts White House, Hostages Urge Ceasefire

First Minister Michelle O'Neill has announced a boycott of the annual St. Patrick's Day events at the White House on March 17th. Her decision stems from President Trump's plan to forcibly expel Palestinians from Gaza, a move she deems unacceptable.

Two Israeli hostages, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, scheduled for release in the second phase of the prisoner exchange with Hamas, urged the Israeli government to complete the ceasefire deal and their release. They made their plea while watching the handover ceremony in Gaza's Nuseirat.

Two Italian Air Force jets escorted an American Airlines Boeing 787 after it made a U-turn over the Caspian Sea and headed towards Rome on February 23rd. The flight was diverted due to a security concern, later deemed "non-credible" by the airline.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced heckling at a military graduation ceremony in Tel Aviv on February 23rd after displaying a photo of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her family, despite requests not to do so. The Bibas family has accused Netanyahu of failing to secure their release, while Hamas claims they were killed by Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

Adding fuel to the fire, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Nissim Vaturi, of the far-right Likud party, called for the killing of all adults in Gaza during an interview on the ultra-Orthodox radio station Kol BaRama. He stated, "The children and women must be separated, and the adults in Gaza must be eliminated. We are being too considerate." He also referred to Palestinians as "scoundrels" and "subhumans." This is not the first time Vaturi has made such inflammatory statements; ahead of Israel's Hague hearing in January 2024, he reiterated his call to "burn Gaza."

A mass grave believed to contain the remains of civilians killed by the deposed Assad regime has been found in Sbeneh, near Damascus. Syrian Civil Defence teams have recovered the bodies of at least 20 victims, with the number expected to rise. The remains show signs of burning and gunfire, and some bones appear to be those of children. The investigation continues as more graves are discovered across Syria.

Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna, is credited with connecting diseases to contagion, laying the groundwork for the field of public health. His pioneering work on medicine is explored in the second episode of Pioneers, a series that reimagines the stories of historical figures through the power of generative AI.

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