ISTANBUL
Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday, including India firing missiles barrage into Pakistan, Sudan cutting diplomatic ties with UAE, a ceasefire agreement between US and Yemen's Houthis, and Conservative Friedrich Merz becoming Germany’s new chancellor.
TOP STORIES
- India fires missiles on Pakistani cities, Kashmir days after Pahalgam attack
India on late Tuesday said it fired missiles on Pakistani cities and parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Lt Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the spokesman of Pakistan's military, told local broadcaster Geo News that India had fired missiles on the cities of Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh, Muzaffarabad and Kotli from its own air space.
At least eight people have been killed and 35 injured while two are missing after India launched missile attacks inside Pakistan, a spokesperson for the Pakistani Army said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army said Wednesday that three civilians were killed in cross-border firing by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Pakistani Air Force has downed five Indian Air Force jets following missile strikes by India, Pakistan’s defense chief said early Wednesday.
- Sudan cuts diplomatic ties with UAE
Sudan severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday and recalled its embassy staff from Abu Dhabi.
In a statement, the Security and Defense Council declared the UAE an “aggressor state,” accusing the Gulf country of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“The entire world has witnessed, for more than two years, the crime of aggression against Sudan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the security of its citizens by the UAE,” the council said.
The decision came a day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismissed Sudan’s lawsuit accusing Abu Dhabi of “complicity in genocide” in the western Darfur province over its alleged support for the RSF, an accusation denied by the UAE.
- Oman announces ceasefire agreement between US, Yemen's Houthis
Oman on Tuesday announced that its mediatory efforts led to a ceasefire between the US and Houthis in Yemen, after President Donald Trump said the group will not be carrying out attacks on commercial ships.
“Following recent discussions and contacts conducted by the Sultanate of Oman with the United States and the relevant authorities in Sana'a, in the Republic of Yemen, with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides,” Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a statement on X.
“In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping,” he added.
Houthis started attacking shipping lanes in the Red and Arabian seas after Israel’s war in Gaza, in solidarity with the Palestinians.
- Conservative Friedrich Merz becomes Germany’s new chancellor
Germany's parliament on Tuesday elected conservative Friedrich Merz the country's new chancellor in a second round of voting after he unexpectedly failed to secure a majority in the first ballot.
The 69-year-old leader was elected by deputies from his own conservative CDU/CSU alliance and their junior coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
A total of 325 members of parliament voted for Merz, while 289 voted against him. The conservative leader needed 316 votes for an absolute majority in the 630-seat parliament.
The surprise first-round setback occurred even though Merz's coalition controls 328 seats in the Bundestag. Due to the secret ballot, it remained unclear how many lawmakers from the coalition parties voted against Merz's chancellorship in round one.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- US President Donald Trump described the latest flare-up between India and Pakistan as "a shame" and expressed hope that tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors end “very quickly."
- At least 44 Palestinians were killed and several injured in fresh airstrikes by Israeli warplanes Tuesday in the war-torn Gaza Strip, medics said.
- Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar late Tuesday discussed the recent developments between Pakistan and India in a phone call, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
- Humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza "must resume immediately and should never be politicized," the EU foreign policy chief told the Israeli foreign minister on Tuesday.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will merge the Office of Palestinian Affairs into the US Embassy in Jerusalem, the State Department said Tuesday.
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has dismissed an appeal by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's defense team to excuse two judges as magistrates in his crimes against humanity case at The Hague, the Netherlands.
- The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) accused Israel on Tuesday of pursuing a deliberate and politically motivated starvation policy against the population of Gaza.
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said early Wednesday that India's strikes on Pakistani cities and Pakistan-administered Kashmir were a "cowardly attack" and that Islamabad was giving a “befitting reply” to the “act of war" by New Delhi.
- An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle on a road in Kfar Rumman district in Nabatieh Governorate in southern Lebanon on Tuesday evening, killing one civilian and injuring three others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, marking a new violation of a ceasefire agreement.
- Britain expressed concern Tuesday over a plan by Israel to expand its war on Gaza, saying it “strongly” opposes the expansion of Israeli operations in the enclave.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Global airlines extend flight suspensions to Israel after missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport
Multiple international airlines on Monday extended flight suspensions to and from Israel after a missile launched from Yemen hit the Ben Gurion Airport, severely disrupting air traffic and leaving thousands of Israelis stranded overseas, according to Israeli media reports.
According to the Israeli financial outlet Calcalist, the Lufthansa Group—including SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings—will extend the suspension of flights to Israel until May 11. Similarly, ITA Airways (Italy) suspended all Tel Aviv routes through the same date.
- EU unveils plan to halt all Russian energy imports by 2027
The European Union on Tuesday said it has devised a plan to halt all Russian energy imports by 2027.
Arguing that the 27-member bloc already significantly reduced its reliance on Russian energy, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X that the plan "will mark a permanent break."
The EU says it has dropped its share of Russian gas imports from roughly 45% in 2022 to 19% now.
