Lebanon death toll from Israeli attacks surpasses 1,000

Lebanon’s health ministry says the human toll from Israel’s latest assault has crossed a grim threshold, with more than 1,000 people killed since the campaign began earlier this month. The ministry reported 1,001 deaths in the country since 2 March, up from a tally of 968 a day earlier. The count includes 79 women, 118 children and 40 health workers, while 2,584 others have been wounded, the ministry said in a statement. Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks have displaced one million people nationwide. In a further…

EU leaders unable to persuade Hungary’s Orban to lift Ukraine loan block

A high-stakes push by European Union leaders at a Brussels summit fell short, leaving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s veto on a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine firmly in place, officials said. "They tried. They failed," one European official said of the efforts by other EU leaders to convince Mr Orban at a summit in Brussels. The loan was signed off by EU leaders in December, but Mr Orban — who keeps cordial ties with Russia and has clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — has stalled its rollout, citing…

Iran war leaves Europe facing another energy crisis

Katya AdlerEurope EditorThursday March 19, 2026 Turbulence in the Middle East has sent a fresh shudder through Europe’s energy system, stirring memories of past shocks that rattled the European Union. Seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the President of the European Commission rose in the European Parliament to charge Moscow with distorting the EU’s energy market. "They prefer to flare the gas than to deliver it," proclaimed Ursula von der Leyen, as spiralling energy…

Air quality to worsen in coming days, CAMS warns

Europe’s air‑quality watchdog has sounded the alarm: conditions are set to worsen across several countries, including Ireland, over the next few days, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), said the downturn stems from a continent‑wide upswing in fine particulate pollution, known as PM2.5. PM2.5 pollution is made up of tiny, nano‑sized organic compounds, roughly one thirtieth the width of a human hair. So small they can cross the lung’s…

Iranian attack caused significant damage at Ras Laffan gas facility, Qatar says

Thursday March 19, 2026 QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas production facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City Iranian missile strikes on Qatar’s flagship Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country’s main gas hub, left “significant damage,” authorities said. “The State of Qatar expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Iranian attack targeting Ras Laffan Industrial City, which caused fires resulting in significant damage to the facility,” Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on…

Fire safety measures failed during deadly Hong Kong blaze, inquiry hears

A cascading series of human failures left nearly every life-saving safeguard ineffective when a ferocious blaze ripped through a Hong Kong housing complex last year, killing 168 people, a public inquiry heard. The fire erupted on 26 November at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, making it the world's deadliest residential building blaze since 1980. Flames swept through seven of the estate's eight residential blocks, all under renovation. Bamboo scaffolds, protective netting and foam boards wrapped the…

Barcelona beat Newcastle to reach Champions League quarterfinals

Thursday March 19, 2026 Barcelona blitzed Newcastle United 7-2 at Camp Nou on Wednesday, charging into the Champions League quarterfinals with an 8-3 aggregate triumph. A week after a 1-1 stalemate on Tyneside, the hosts tore the tie apart after the interval, with Fermin Lopez, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha spearheading a merciless onslaught. Before that surge, the opening 45 minutes were frantic before 60,000 fans, producing five goals and opportunities at both ends. In the sixth minute Raphinha slotted Barcelona ahead…