News from March 25, 2025 at 2 PM

According to Qatari television channel Al Jazeera, in the past 24 hours, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted airstrikes and mass artillery shelling of settlements and refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of at least 65 Palestinians and injuring several dozen others. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported that the death toll in the latest escalation has exceeded 600, with over 1,000 people wounded, 70% of whom are women, children, and the elderly. Since October 2023, the total number of Palestinians killed in the enclave has reached 50,082, with 113,408 injured. On March 18, the Israeli army resumed military operations in Gaza, breaking the ceasefire established in January 2025. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained this by Hamas' refusal to accept proposals put forward during negotiations mediated by US President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, stating that the goal of the operation is the release of all hostages. The radicals placed the responsibility for the resumption of hostilities on Israel and the United States.

The Turkish Interior Ministry announced on March 23 that Istanbul Mayor Emin Imamoglu has been suspended from his duties and detained pending trial on charges of bribery, corruption, and other allegations. Previously, Imamoglu's arrest on March 19 sparked widespread protests across the country. President Erdogan condemned the protests, accusing the Republican People's Party of disrupting peace. The court did not charge Imamoglu with terrorism. On the evening of March 22, protests outside Istanbul's municipal building escalated, with police using pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The protests have spread to 55 of Turkey's 81 provinces. As Imamoglu was arrested, the Republican People's Party's primary voting had already begun, with him remaining the party's sole candidate.

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a snap election for April 28 on March 23, stating he needed a strong mandate to address the threat posed by US President Donald Trump, who 'wants to break us so America can own us'. This comment highlights the severe deterioration in US-Canada relations since Mr. Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and threatened to annex it as the 51st state. Although the next election was scheduled for October 20, Mr. Carney aims to capitalize on a significant recovery in his Liberal party's poll numbers since January, when Mr. Trump began threatening Canada and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned.

On March 25, 2025, French movie star Gerard Depardieu appeared in court in Paris for his trial on two sexual assault charges allegedly committed during the filming of 'Les Volets Verts'. Depardieu admitted to grabbing the hips of the woman accusing him of sexual assault but denied it was an assault, attributing his actions to a bad mood. The 76-year-old actor, who has faced multiple sexual assault allegations in recent years and consistently denied any wrongdoing, is standing trial for the first time. If convicted, Depardieu could face up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros. The trial, expected to last at least three days, was postponed from October due to Depardieu's health issues. Prosecutors allege that Depardieu assaulted two women, including set decorator Amelie K., during the filming in 2021.

South Korea's Constitutional Court announced on Monday the rejection of the National Assembly's impeachment motion against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, allowing him to resume his duties as Prime Minister and Acting President after a 87-day suspension. Among the eight judges, five supported the rejection, one favored the motion, and two declined to rule. The majority of judges found Han's actions unconstitutional but not sufficient for dismissal. Han thanked the court and pledged to address national emergencies. The ruling party welcomed the decision, while the opposition remained cautious. The court's silence on the legality of the emergency decree process sparked concerns. The verdict date for President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment remains undecided, with expectations of a ruling this Friday or postponed to April.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately targeting a group of Russian journalists working in Moscow-controlled eastern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of Alexander Fedorchak, a war correspondent from Izvestia, camera operator Andrei Panov, and driver Alexander Sirkeli from the Zvezda television channel. The Russian foreign ministry stated this on Monday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, claiming the artillery fire was intentionally aimed to kill. Peskov accused the Kyiv regime of continuing its atrocities against unarmed journalists and civilians. Reuters was unable to independently verify the Russian reports by late Monday, and Ukraine's presidential office and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside office hours.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that starting April 2, countries buying oil and gas from Venezuela will face a 25% tariff, aiming to increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and China. In 2024, Venezuela exported about 660,000 barrels of oil per day, with China being the largest buyer. This move is seen as targeting China. Brent crude futures rose 0.85% to $72.77 per barrel. The U.S. was the second-largest importer of Venezuelan crude last year. Trump also accused Venezuela of sending terrorist organization members to the U.S. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury extended Chevron's license to produce oil in Venezuela until May 27.

On March 25, 2025, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini were acquitted of corruption charges by the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz, Switzerland. The case involved a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.26 million) payment authorized by Blatter to Platini in 2011 for consultancy work. The pair were initially acquitted in 2022 by a lower court, but Swiss federal prosecutors appealed. Platini's lawyer stated that the proceedings had significant personal and professional consequences for Platini, including preventing his election as FIFA president in 2016.

Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye told the BBC in an exclusive interview that he has credible intelligence indicating Rwanda plans to attack his country. He also claimed that Rwanda attempted a coup in Burundi a decade ago, similar to its current actions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda responded by calling the president's comments surprising and insisted on ongoing security cooperation between the two nations. Despite extensive UN evidence, Rwanda has consistently denied arming and supporting the M23 rebel group. Ndayishimiye also accused Rwanda of backing the Red Tabara rebel group to destabilize Burundi. He called for peace and full implementation of a peace agreement between the two countries, stating that Burundi will not remain idle in the face of an attack. Additionally, Ndayishimiye highlighted that the conflict in the mineral-rich DR Congo is fueled by external forces seeking to exploit its resources.

On March 19, 2025, Samsung Electronics' co-CEO Han Jong-hee suddenly passed away at the age of 63 during the company's annual general meeting in Suwon, South Korea. Han died of a heart attack and was responsible for Samsung's digital appliances division and device experience unit. Joining Samsung in 1988, Han rose to head the product R&D team in the visual display division in 2011 and was appointed CEO in 2022. Samsung credited Han in a statement for his contributions to the company's TV business and overall growth. Han had hosted the annual shareholders meeting just a week prior. Samsung announced that Jun Young-hyun, appointed as co-CEO in November last year, will become the sole CEO.

The UK's National Grid stated that during Heathrow Airport's nearly one-day closure on March 21 due to a nearby substation fire, the power grid still had sufficient electricity to keep the airport operational. CEO Pettigrew highlighted the grid's resilience, noting two other substations could supply power. An airport spokesperson explained the closure was necessary to reset systems and conduct safety checks. UK Transport Minister Alexander emphasized the need to learn from the incident, with investigations underway. The fire affected 1,350 flights, disrupted over 200,000 passengers' travel plans, and caused estimated losses of £600-700 million for the aviation industry.

On March 23, golfing legend Tiger Woods, 49, confirmed his relationship with Vanessa Trump, 47, the former wife of Donald Trump Jr., via a post on X, accompanied by photos of them together. Woods and Trump expressed their anticipation for their life journey together and requested privacy. Vanessa was married to Trump's eldest son for 13 years and has five children with him. Woods was previously married to Swedish model Elin Nordegren but divorced in 2010 following an infidelity scandal. He has since been in high-profile relationships with skiing great Lindsey Vonn and Erica Herman, the latter ending in a lawsuit that was later dropped.