Day News Recap: Lebanon toll rises as Germany's AfD surges and US peace envoys meet Zelenskyy

Lebanon says nearly 9,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023, with the health ministry putting the toll at 8,920 dead and 30,595 injured as cross border violence continues to exact a heavy human cost.  🔗

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Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon again after Hezbollah launched two drones towards Israeli soldiers, killing four, while Israel said it had established operational control of the strategic Ali al Taher ridge in the south.  🔗  🔗

In the wider Middle East, Yemen's internationally recognised government said it had recaptured Hais district from the Houthis as fighting spread across Hodeidah and Taiz, adding to the pressure on the rebel movement.  🔗 Benjamin Netanyahu also renewed his attack on Qatar, calling it a hostile state and reviving tensions over Doha's role in regional diplomacy.  🔗

Diplomatic efforts over the war in Ukraine continued in Kyiv, where US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, as Washington presses ahead with a peace push.  🔗

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In Germany, the far right Alternative for Germany surged to a clear lead in Saxony Anhalt, with exit polls putting it on about 44.5% and leaving coalition arithmetic in focus after the state vote.  🔗

Russia and Germany also traded sharp words after Berlin blamed Moscow for a drone incident at Leipzig Airport, with Russia's foreign minister escalating the dispute and rejecting the accusation.  🔗

Elsewhere in Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Greenland for a two day visit aimed at reinforcing EU ties with the Danish autonomous territory and its Arctic role.  🔗 In Bosnia, the opening of an Israeli Chamber of Commerce office in Banja Luka deepened links with Republika Srpska amid heightened political tensions.  🔗

In the Asia Pacific, Indonesia suspended operations at eight airports after ash from Anak Krakatau spread over Jakarta and other parts of the country, disrupting hundreds of flights.  🔗 In Nepal, a woman thought to have died in flooding was found alive under the ruins of her collapsed home in Betrawati, even as the flood death toll rose.  🔗 Australia also faced an early spring heat spike, with Brisbane forecast to hit 34C and fire bans issued in parts of Queensland.  🔗

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In the UK, a Labour chair of the Commons defence committee said comments from Argentina over the Falkland Islands underlined the need for Britain to commit to its defence spending target.  🔗

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