Israel war Cabinet puts off third meeting on Iran’s attack
A third meeting of Israel’s war Cabinet set for April 16 to decide on a response to Iran’s first-ever direct attack was put off until April 17, as Western allies eyed swift new sanctions against Tehran to help dissuade Israel from a major escalation.
Military chief of staff Herzi Halevi had promised that the launch of more than 300 missiles, cruise missiles and drones from Iran at Israeli territory on the night of April 13 “will be met with a response”, but gave no details.
While the attack caused no deaths and little damage thanks to the air defences and countermeasures of Israel and its allies, it has increased fears that violence rooted in the six-month-old Gaza war is spreading, with the risk of open war between long-time adversaries Iran and Israel.
Iran launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 attributed to Israel, but has signalled that it now deems the matter closed.
Trump’s criminal hush money trial has its first six jurors
The first six jurors were selected on April 16 to serve on Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal trial, as the selection process continues to choose a panel of 12 members and six alternates who can be fair to the former US president.
The judge also warned lawyers that he would not tolerate disruptions after saying Trump, the Republican candidate for president in the Nov 5 election, was audibly muttering while a prospective juror was questioned.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. Ms Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Trump about a decade beforehand.
Germany’s Scholz lobbies China’s Xi over trade, Russia
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lobbied for better market access for German firms in China in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 16 and urged him to exert pressure on Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine.
The talks with Mr Xi capped a three-day tour of China during which Mr Scholz walked a tightrope, conveying growing concerns in Europe about Beijing’s economic policies and support for Russia while also promoting business ties with Germany’s largest trade partner.
The visit was the first since Berlin agreed a China strategy outlining the need to reduce strategic dependencies on Chinese goods, and since the EU launched several investigations into whether Chinese manufacturers are dumping subsidised goods on its market.
‘Go home’: Too much tourism sparks backlash in Spain
Anti-tourism movements are multiplying in Spain, the world’s second most visited country, prompting the authorities to try and reconcile the interests of locals and the lucrative sector.
Rallying under the slogan “The Canaries have a limit”, a collective of groups on the archipelago off north-west Africa are planning a slew of protests on April 20.
The Canaries are known for volcanic landscapes and year-round sunshine, and attract millions of visitors from all over the world.
Mbappe’s PSG reach Champions League semis
Kylian Mbappe struck twice as Paris Saint-Germain battled back to beat 10-man Barcelona 4-1 and book a place in the Champions League semi-finals with a 6-4 aggregate triumph on April 16.
Raphinha fired Barcelona ahead early on but Ronald Araujo’s 29th-minute red card turned the tide in PSG’s favour, despite the Spanish champions leading by two goals following a 3-2 quarter-final first-leg win.
Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha levelled the tie for PSG and the deadly Mbappe hit a brace to put them into the final four for the first time since 2021.
