USA - The US has piled pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a ceasefire deal with Hamas, arguing the two sides should be able to “close the remaining gaps” in negotiations “very soon”. John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesman, on Tuesday urged negotiators to come to an agreement after Israel launched a “limited” assault on Rafah, in the south of Gaza. Israel rejected a deal proposed by Hamas on Monday, dashing Palestinian hopes of a ceasefire in exchange for the release of remaining hostages captured on Oct 7.

UK - AstraZeneca pulls Covid vaccine after admitting potentially deadly rare side effect. The company says the decision is "commercial" and that the vaccine has been superseded by new inoculations. The Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine is set to be withdrawn after the pharmaceutical giant admitted it can cause a rare and potentially dangerous side effect. The company has voluntarily withdrawn its "market authorisation" in the European Union, a move which came into force on Tuesday. The vaccine was championed by the-then Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a "triumph for British science", being credited with saving more than six million lives. AstraZeneca said the vaccine - which is known as Vaxzevria - was no longer being manufactured or supplied and has since been superseded by updated vaccines that tackle new Covid variants. The firm said it was therefore a "commercial reason" to withdraw its use.

USA - The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It’s a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion. The organization, steeped in tradition, has made seismic changes after decades of turmoil, from finally allowing gay youth to welcoming girls throughout its ranks. With an eye on increasing flagging membership numbers, the Irving, Texas-based organization announced the name change Tuesday at its annual meeting in Florida. “In the next 100 years we want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome to come into our programs,” Roger Krone, who took over last fall as president and chief executive officer, said in an interview before the announcement.

MIDDLE EAST - Israel has launched a rocket attack on Rafah which allegedly killed five after dismissing Hamas accepting a Gaza ceasefire proposal as a 'ruse'. Hamas issued a statement earlier today saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar's prime minister and Egypt's intelligence minister. But an Israeli official said the proposal that Hamas had accepted was a 'softened' version of an Egyptian proposal, which included 'far-reaching' conclusions that Israel could not accept. 'This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal,' said the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. News of Hamas' announcement sent people in Rafah cheering in the streets, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted - but these hopes were shattered late Monday when Israel reportedly carried out intense air strikes on the city at 10pm local time (9pm British time).

RUSSIA - One weapon in particular appears to be causing the Kremlin tyrant sleepless nights. The imminent delivery of the US fighter jets is causing panic in the Kremlin and Russia's Ministry of Defence, which issued a strongly worded warning to NATO on Monday. “As the Russian side has repeatedly pointed out, we cannot ignore the fact that these aircraft belong to dual-equipped platforms - non-nuclear and nuclear," said a spokesman. "Aircraft of this type have for many years formed the basis of the aircraft fleet, which is used in the so-called 'joint nuclear missions' of NATO." The statement went on to say that "the regime in Kyiv and its Western sponsors should realise that their reckless steps are bringing the situation closer to the point where it will attain 'critical mass' and explode".

UK - Labour suffered, in its otherwise successful local election performance, from the loss of the “Muslim vote”. I put inverted commas round the phrase because I dislike the idea that a religion enjoins support for a political party. Nevertheless, it is true that Muslim activists in Britain seem obsessed with Israel-Gaza. It is the subject of the angry weekly marches in London which menace Jews and block the streets. It is what causes the protests on university campuses.

UK - Pro-Gaza activists have dramatically issued a list of 18 demands to Sir Keir Starmer and threatened to withhold their support at the next general election if he does not fulfil them. The Muslim Vote has called for the Labour leader to promise to cut military ties with Israel, allow followers of Islam to pray in school and stop people with the name 'Muhammad' being charged more for insurance should he become prime minister. It has also demanded a law that criminalises spiritual and religious leaders from instructing their congregation how to vote is scrapped and wants seven per cent of public sector pensions to be invested into 'ethical and Islamic funds'.

EUROPE - Every five years, like clockwork, mainstream politicians freak out about the rise of radicals and populists ahead of the European election. But then, the danger suddenly seems to dissipate as the traditional center-left and center-right forces that built the European Union forge coalitions that hold more radical parties at bay. Don’t bank on it this time. In 2024, the right-wing surge in the polls seems bigger and bolder, with one predicting the nationalist right and far right could pick up nearly a quarter of seats in the European Parliament in June.

UK - British farmers have issued an urgent plea for help after their product yields were hit by the worst wet weather crisis in 188 years. The National Famers Union (NFU) Farmer Confidence Survey shows that short and mid-term confidence is at its lowest since records began in 2010. The relentless wet weather has played a big part, with 82% of respondents saying their farm businesses have suffered fairly negative (52%) or very negative impacts (30%), with mixed farms, arable farms and dairy farms taking the biggest hits. Since then, farmers have been battling relentless heavy rain through January, February, March and much of April, as reported by this newspaper. Were the survey undertaken again today, the results would be even worse, the NFU has warned. NFU President Tom Bradshaw said the figures painted a “really stark picture”.

USA - At least five people, including a four-month-old baby, have been killed after dozens of tornadoes ripped through the central US causing serious damage. Tens of thousands of residents were left without power following separate storms that began on Friday. Four of the deaths happened in Oklahoma, where a state of emergency has been declared in a dozen counties. A fifth person died from their injuries in Iowa after a separate storm system hit the Midwest, local media reported. The National Weather Service (NWS) said a preliminary investigation had confirmed some of Saturday's tornadoes had gusts of above 136 miles (218km) an hour. The storms - which swept from Texas to Missouri - also saw up to seven inches (18cm) of rainfall in some places within hours, the AFP news agency reported. Further severe weather has been forecast.

GERMANY - The “greener” Germany gets, the bloodier its economy becomes. How much can an economy bleed before it dies? Since Germany has become hostile to industry and its Green Revolution has made energy prices among the world’s highest, it’s no wonder that the country’s economy is hemorrhaging economically. Companies are shutting down and moving out. For example, German online Blackout News here reports on how automotive supplier IHI has announced the closure of its plant at Erfurter Kreuz, Thuringia, and that around 300 employees will be affected in a region that is already struggling. The company is a manufacturer of turbochargers for cars and intends to close the plant in 12 to 15 months, reports Blackout News. The announcement is just the latest in a long, seemingly unending series of closures. “In recent months, several automotive suppliers have had to close their doors or file for insolvency. This development shows the volatile challenges facing the industry,” comments Blackout News.

CHINA - The Chinese navy on Wednesday launched sea trials of its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, according to state media reports. The tests mark the final stage before the warship is put into service. With a displacement of 80,000 metric tons, the Fujian dwarfs the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) two active carriers, the 66,000-ton Shandong and the 60,000-ton Liaoning. Only the US Navy operates bigger aircraft carriers than the Fujian. The ship features a full-length, flat flight deck with an advanced catapult-launch system for jets that will enable it to launch larger and heavier aircraft than the Shandong and Liaoning. At present, China has the world’s largest naval force (both in ship counts and overall tonnage), with more than 340 warships and counting.

HUNGARY - Budapest did not subscribe to same-sex marriages or war with Russia when it became a member, the prime minister says. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban has decried the state of the European Union, claiming it is almost unrecognisable from the bloc Budapest joined 20 years ago. When Budapest joined the bloc, it did not expect to be forced to take in immigrants from other parts of the world or pressured over its constitutional protection of the family, defined as being based on a marriage between a man and a woman, Orban said. Accession “wasn’t about the European leaders maneuvering the continent into a war instead of peace,” he added, referring to the arming of Ukraine against Russia.

UK - Dozens of pro-Palestinian campaigners have been elected as councillors as the war in Gaza hit town halls across Britain. More than 40 councillors were elected in England after making the conflict part of their campaign, analysis of Thursday's vote suggests. Some wore rosettes in the colours of the Palestinian flag while others dedicated their victories to the people of Gaza. One shouted: 'We will raise the voice of Palestine. Allahu Akbar!'

ISRAEL - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country will not accept Hamas's demands for Israel to end its Gaza onslaught. In response, Mr Netanyahu stated: "Israel will not agree to Hamas' demands. We are not ready to accept a situation in which Hamas battalions come out of their bunkers, take control of Gaza again, rebuild their military infrastructure, and return to threatening the citizens of Israel." Mr Netanyahu has rejected a proposed ceasefire deal with Gaza, stating that it would leave Hamas in control and pose a threat to Israel. The proposal was discussed as officials resumed talks in Egypt, aiming to negotiate a pause in Israel's offensive in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages.