Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his demand for Hamas to disarm and for its leaders to leave Gaza as he promised to step up pressure. The Israeli military Monday issued sweeping evacuation orders covering most of Rafah, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation in the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip. The evacuation orders appeared to cover nearly all of the city and nearby areas. The military ordered Palestinians to head to Muwasi, a sprawl of squalid tent camps along the coast. The orders came during Eid al-Fitr, a normally festive Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The order came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated a demand on Sunday for Hamas to disarm and for its leaders to leave Gaza as he promised to step up pressure on the group while continuing efforts to return hostages. He said Israel would work to implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s “voluntary emigration plan” for Gaza and said his cabinet had agreed to keep pressuring Hamas, which says it has agreed to a ceasefire proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Netanyahu’s comments were a recipe for “endless escalation” in the region. Netanyahu rejected assertions that Israel, which has resumed its bombardment of Gaza after a two-month truce and sent troops back into the enclave, was not negotiating, saying “we are conducting it under fire, and therefore it is also effective”. “We see that there are suddenly cracks,” he said in a video statement issued on Sunday. On Saturday, Khalil al-Hayya, the Hamas leader in Gaza, said the group had agreed to a proposal that security sources said included the release of five Israeli hostages each week. But he said laying down its arms as Israel has demanded was a “red line” the group would not cross. On Sunday, the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, health authorities in Gaza said at least 24 people, including several children, had been killed in Israeli strikes. Nine were killed in a single tent in the southern city of Khan Younis, they said. Later on Sunday, the Palestinian Red Crescent Service said it had finally been able to get access to search for rescue teams that had come under Israeli fire during a rescue mission in western Rafah, a week after the attack. It said it had recovered 13 bodies from the scene, seven of them were Palestinian Red Crescent members, another five were from the Gaza Civil Emergency Service, and another was a United Nations worker. There was no immediate Israeli comment. Since Israel resumed its attacks in Gaza on March 18, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate areas in northern Gaza where they had returned following the ceasefire agreement in January. Netanyahu said Israel was demanding that Hamas lay down its arms and said its leaders would be allowed to leave Gaza. He gave no detail on how long Israeli troops would remain in the enclave but repeated that Hamas’s military and government capacities must be crushed. “We will ensure general security in the Gaza Strip and enable the implementation of the Trump plan, the voluntary emigration plan,” he said. “That is the plan, we do not hide it, we are ready to discuss it at any time.” Trump originally proposed moving the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza to countries including Egypt and Jordan and developing the Gaza Strip as a U.S.-owned resort. However, no country has agreed to take in the population and Israel has since said that any departures by Palestinians would be voluntary. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after a devastating Hamas attack on Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally, and saw 251 abducted as hostages. The Israeli campaign has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities, and devastated much of the coastal enclave, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in tents and makeshift shelters. Sunday’s strikes took place as Palestinians celebrated the Eid holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. “We are here to celebrate the rituals of God amid the destruction and the sounds of cannons,” said Minnatallah Al-Far, in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, where most of the area has been laid waste by Israeli bombardment. “In Gaza, our situation is very difficult. Other people are celebrating these rituals in peace and safety, but we do them amid destruction and bombardment,” she said. In Israel, Netanyahu has faced a wave of demonstrations since the military resumed its action in Gaza, with families and supporters of the remaining 59 hostages joining forces with protesters angry at government actions they see as undermining Israeli democracy. On Sunday, he rejected what he described as “empty claims and slogans” and said military pressure was the only thing that had returned hostages.

The details of the proposal weren't immediately available. Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire proposal it received from mediators, the group’s leader in Gaza said Saturday. “Two days ago, we received a proposal from our mediating brothers,” the leader, Khalil al-Hayya, said during a speech. “We dealt with it positively and approved it. We hope that the occupation will not obstruct it and thwart the mediators’ efforts.” While the details of the ceasefire proposal were not immediately available, al-Hayya said Egypt suggested the formation of “a community support committee to manage the Gaza Strip.” “This committee would bear full responsibility for the Strip in all areas,” he said. “It would be composed of independent national figures, and they would assume their duties immediately upon reaching an agreement to block any propaganda that the enemy might practice.” Egypt had not released any comment about the proposed details Saturday, but its State Information Service said Friday that its minister of foreign affairs and emigration spoke with his Turkish counterpart to discuss ceasefire efforts. Israel has submitted a counterproposal to mediators after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “held a series of consultations” on Friday, according to his office, adding that it is “in full coordination with the United States.” On Sunday, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying his Cabinet had agreed to “increase the pressure” on Hamas, to “create the best conditions for the release of our hostages.” It also said that Israel was negotiating with Hamas, but that it was conducting negotiations “under fire,” through military pressure. It is not clear what, if any, objections Israel has to the ceasefire proposal. If adopted, this ceasefire would come after Israel broke a previously established ceasefire with Hamas, launching a barrage of deadly airstrikes at Gaza and killing more than 400 people. That ceasefire agreement had gone into effect on Jan. 19. Israel blamed Hamas for the attack, citing the group’s refusal to meet Israel’s demand to release more hostages in return for the resumption of talks. But that was not part of that original ceasefire agreement, which included a first phase, where Hamas released 25 living hostages and the bodies of eight in exchange for around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners and detainees by March 1. The second phase was meant to begin 16 days later and would have included the exchange of all the remaining hostages and the establishment of a permanent ceasefire. The second phase never came. Netanyahu accepted a plan by Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, to extend the ceasefire for 50 days to discuss Phase 2, which Hamas rejected. After Hamas’ rejection, Israel blocked the flow of aid and goods into Gaza and eventually hit the enclave with airstrikes on the night of March 18. In remarks following the airstrikes, Netanyahu said that “this is just the beginning.” The strikes ended nearly two months of relative peace between Israel and Hamas. It is not clear how the new ceasefire proposal differs from the last, or whether Hamas will accept Israel’s counterproposal.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says US President Donald Trump "respected Canada's sovereignty" in the first call between the pair, who spoke amid an ongoing trade war between the two neighbours. Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st US state - an idea that has sparked widespread backlash among Canadians. Carney, currently in the midst of an election campaign, described the call as "very constructive", while Trump said the call was "extremely productive". Trump's planned 25% tariff on vehicle imports is due to come into effect on 2 April, which could prove devastating for the Canadian car industry. Historically, Canadian leaders prioritise an early call with their US counterpart soon after becoming prime minister. The call between Carney and Trump, however, is the first since the new prime minister took office on 14 March. The Canadian prime minister's office said the two leaders agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately following the election, which will be held on 28 April. The US president's tone on Friday stood in contrast to his past remarks about Canada - particularly his frequent jabs at Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, whom he mockingly referred to as "Governor Trudeau". "I've always loved Canada," Trump told reporters after the call. "We had a very good conversation. The prime minister - they've got an election going on, so we're going to meet after the election." The US has already partially imposed a blanket 25% tariff on Canadian goods, along with a 25% duty on all aluminium and steel imports. Canada has so far retaliated with about C$60bn ($42bn; £32bn) of tariffs on US goods. The new car tariffs will come into effect next month, the White House has said. Taxes on parts are set to start in May or later. On Thursday evening, Carney had said the US was "no longer a reliable trading partner" and that Canada's old relationship with the US "is over". Carney, who leads Canada's Liberal Party, has vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs with "maximum impact" on the US. On Friday, he conveyed the message once again to Trump, according to the statement from his office, suggesting further retaliatory tariffs could be announced if Trump moves ahead with threatened levies on 2 April. The US president's proposed vehice tariffs could impact as many as 500,000 jobs in the Canadian auto industry. "I think things will work out very well between Canada and the United States," Trump said to reporters after the call. "We have liberation day, as you know, on April 2 and, I'm not referring to Canada, but many countries have taken advantage of us." Worsening US-Canadian relations have become a key issue in Canada's general election. After the call, Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservatives, the main opposition party, when asked about the apparent change in tone from Trump, said he "hopes" that was the case, adding: "We want to put an end to this crazy tariff chaos." He also lambasted the Liberals, who have been in power since 2015, saying: "It's clear the president would like to keep the Liberals in power - they've been very good for his agenda. He wants to take our money and our jobs and Liberals have helped him do it." On the campaign trail on Friday, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, whose party represents Quebec's interests in Ottawa, expressed concern that Carney's statement about a forthcoming comprehensive discussion with Trump could mean the Liberal leader was open to conceding to US pressure. Left-wing NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has previously referred to the tariffs as a "betrayal". Trump has also warned Canada against working with the European Union to counter US reciprocal tariffs that he is expected to announce soon. Any effort to do so, he said, would be met with "large scale tariffs, far larger than currently planned".

TOKYO — A climber was rescued twice in one week from Japan’s Mount Fuji after he went back to search for his lost phone, police said Monday. On Sunday, rescuers carried the climber on a stretcher from a station on the Fujinomiya trail, which sits about 10,170 feet high, the Japanese news outlet Nippon TV cited the local police as saying. The man appeared to suffer from altitude sickness but was not in life-threatening condition. Five days earlier, on April 22, the same climber called the police and was airlifted from the peak of Mount Fuji after he lost his crampons — spiky metal frames that are attached to shoes to make it easier to walk on ice and snow — and fell sick with nausea. He then returned to the peak Saturday in a bid to retrieve his cellphone, among other personal belongings he left behind during the first hike, according to the police. The man, who has not been publicly identified, is a 27-year-old university student and Chinese national who lives in Tokyo, police said. Police in Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture were alerted that he had returned Saturday when another climber reported spotting the student on the trail, “lying on the ground and shaking with abrasions.” The next day, rescuers carried the injured man down about 2,600 feet on a stretcher before handing him to an emergency team. It was not clear whether he had successfully retrieved the phone. The rescued student was scaling Mount Fuji outside of its official climbing season, which is scheduled to start in early July and end in early September. There is no penalty for off-season hiking or the need for rescue. Police in Shizuoka and Yamanashi, the two prefectures that the mountain straddles, were unable to provide additional details when reached for comment Tuesday, which was a national holiday in Japan. Mount Fuji, a national symbol of Japan, is 12,300 feet above sea level. It is a pilgrimage destination and UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts hikers from all over the world. Hikers are required to make prior reservations and pay a mandatory fee of 4,000 yen ($36) to climb Mount Fuji, according to its official website. The charge was introduced in July 2024 to limit tourist numbers to 4,000 a day after growing complaints of litter, pollution and dangerously crowded trails. Climbers are advised to train in advance before going up Mount Fuji, whose shortest trail takes five hours to ascend and three hours to descend. Local police said last year that six climbers had died on Mount Fuji in July 2024 alone, exceeding the total number of fatalities in 2023, according to the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo and Peter Guo reported from Hong Kong.

Egg prices at grocery stores in the U.S. have hit record highs, leading the Department of Agriculture to seek egg imports from countires like Germany, Sweden and Italy. SCHOENEICHE, Germany — The U.S. government is on a global egg hunt, seeking exports from countries in Europe and elsewhere to ease a severe shortage that has caused egg prices at grocery stores to hit record highs. Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden are among the nations the U.S. Department of Agriculture approached to address the shortage brought on by a bird flu outbreak, according to European industry groups. But supplying Americans with eggs would be complicated for foreign producers — and not because of political tensions over the myriad import tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed or threatened to impose on his nation’s top trading partners. Even if they were eager to share, European countries don’t have many surplus eggs because of their own avian flu outbreaks and the growing domestic demand ahead of Easter. One of the biggest obstacles, however, is the approach the United States takes to preventing salmonella contamination. U.S. food safety regulations require fresh eggs to be sanitized and refrigerated before they reach shoppers; in the European Union, safety standards call for Grade A eggs to be sold unwashed and without extended chilling. “These are two systems that could not be more different,” said Hans-Peter Goldnick, the president of the German Egg Association. Feathers on eggs at the supermarket It is common in parts of Europe, for example, for consumers to buy eggs that still have feathers and chicken poop stuck to them. Farmer David Karlsch described the simple process that gets eggs from hens to customers of the family-owned Saballus poultry farm in Schoeneiche, a town just outside Germany’s capital: The eggs are taken from nests, placed into cartons and sold on the premises or from a refrigerated vending machine just outside the property. “The demand at Easter time is of course very, very high, as many children naturally want to paint eggs,” Karlsch said. Poland, a major egg exporter, fielded a U.S. query about the availability of eggs, according to Katarzyna Gawrońska, director of the National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers. The issue of washed vs. unwashed was a crucial factor as European officials considered such requests, she said. Eggs are not cleaned in most of the 27 EU nations because of concerns that removing the natural protective coating from eggshells makes them more vulnerable to bacteria, Gawrońska said. Polish veterinary officials are trying to determine if the country and its farmers can meet U.S. requirements, such as whether the exporting nation has a comparable food safety inspection system or a significant bird flu outbreak. Powdered egg products Although European Union regulations state that table eggs “shall not be washed or cleaned,” member countries have some leeway if they authorized egg baths at packing plants decades ago. Danish Egg Association CEO Jørgen Nyberg Larsen said national customs are part of it; washed eggs are the norm in Sweden, for example. But Sweden and Norway have informed the U.S. they don’t have extra eggs to export, Larsen said. For now, any increased U.S. egg imports from Europe are more likely to arrive in powdered form or other products that can be shipped frozen or dried, Larsen said. That’s the response Poland’s trade association gave U.S. officials. If the U.S. certifies Poland as a source, the organization’s members would have a limited number of shell eggs to sell but could supply “very large volumes of egg processing products,” Gawrońska said. Processed eggs usually are pasteurized to prevent foodborne illnesses and then used in food manufacturing or by restaurants, hospitals and nursing homes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Baked goods, pasta and sauces like mayonnaise are some of the commercial products made with egg powder. Europe’s own production problems U.S. officials also tried to sound out farmers in northern Italy’s Veneto region for emergency egg supplies, according to Coldiretti, the main Italian agricultural lobbying organization. But Italy only produces enough eggs to cover the national demand so most of the region’s producers said they could not help. Bird flu outbreaks since the start of last year also have taken a toll on the Italian poultry industry. Germany cannot contribute much either. Its domestic poultry industry generates about 73% of the eggs consumed in the country, “and we ourselves essentially have to import eggs from Holland every day to keep everyone satisfied,” the German Egg Association’s Goldnick said. “We have around 45 million eggs that we can collect from the chicken coops every day, and in America, there’s a shortage of around 50 million eggs a day. That shows how difficult it is,” he said. An improving U.S. market and Easter demand Other countries the U.S. government contacted include Austria, Norway, Spain and Denmark. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it secured new egg commitments from South Korea and Turkey in recent months, although it did not specify the amount or type. Brazil, which traditionally exports less than 1% of its total egg production, increased its February shipments to the U.S. by 93% compared to a year earlier, according to the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein. The detection of Newcastle disease, a viral condition often fatal to chickens, in some parts of Brazil impedes the South American nation’s ability to become a significant U.S. egg supplier, market insiders say. Imports of liquid, frozen and dried eggs may help free up some domestic shell eggs for consumers, but the U.S. made its appeal for foreign eggs amid a significant deficit; last month, the country produced 720 million fewer table eggs than in February 2024, a decline of nearly 10%. The U.S. also cut its own egg exports to boost supplies at home, the Agriculture Department said. While the informal trade talks continue, the U.S. market has shown signs of improvement. It’s been nearly a month since a major bird flu outbreak impacted egg-laying hens, the department said. It reported the national wholesale price for large eggs dropped to $3.27 per dozen as of March 21, or less than half its peak of $8.15 per dozen on Feb. 21. U.S. consumers are just starting to see those falling wholesale prices translate to lower prices on grocery shelves, the department said. The big demand for eggs that usually accompanies Easter and Passover could cause prices to edge up again next month. Business is business Trump hasn’t exactly walked on eggshells with the people of Europe since starting his second term. The president’s repeated threats to seize Greenland, a Danish territory, infuriated many in Denmark. His posture toward Ukraine and disparaging remarks from top members of his administration have alarmed America’s European allies. The European Union, which is the third-largest trade partner of the U.S., was not exempted from the tariffs Trump ordered on steel, aluminum and automobiles. Bracing for more, it has prepared counter-tariffs on American products. But many officials in Europe say none of that would rule out exporting eggs. Goldnick said an egg producer friend recently told him that “if the price is right, then I’ll deliver.” Any deals made or not would come down to business decisions, he said. “I have two souls in my chest. On the one hand, I would say, ‘No, we can’t support this system,’ but that’s not the right answer,” he said, referring to new U.S. tariffs on European goods. “The right answer is we have to help where we can, Goldnick continued. “It doesn’t concern the government. You wouldn’t prop them up or anything, but it’s just people’s demand at Easter, for eggs, and that’s just as important to satisfy in America as it is here.”

“This is Abdullah, 14 years old, and this is Najwa, just 2 years old,” one man said in anguish as he introduced his dead relatives. “The world celebrates the birthdays of its children, and we celebrate their deaths.” No food or supplies have entered Gaza in over three weeks in the longest stretch yet without aid entering the enclave, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday, as Israel intensifies its military operations amid the crushing near-complete blockade, plunging the Gaza Strip into deeper desperation. “Critical supplies, including food and medical equipment, are severely depleted and urgently needed to address the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis,” said an UNRWA report published Friday. The World Food Programme said in an operational update Thursday that it only had enough food stocks to last another two weeks, “if supplies are stretched.” “Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are again at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition as humanitarian food stocks in the Strip dwindle and borders remain closed to aid,” the WFP said. The UNRWA report noted that on March 18, after Israel broke its ceasefire with Hamas with intense airstrikes, over 180 children were killed in single day, which UNICEF called “one of the largest single-day child death tolls in the last year.” The death toll since the current conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, has since surpassed 50,000, according to health authorities. On Friday evening, an Israeli missile struck the Awad family home in Al-Zaytoun, east of Gaza City, killing 15 people, including seven women and five children, two of them toddlers. An NBC News team captured the moment Atef Awad, a surviving family member, waited for rescuers to pull the bodies of his loved ones from the rubble. “This is Abdullah, 14 years old, and this is Najwa, just 2 years old,” he said. “The world celebrates the birthdays of its children, and we celebrate their deaths.” The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment. While some grieve as their families are pulled from the wreckage, others search hospitals for missing loved ones. Inside Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, Daoud Awad lifted the shrouds of the dead, searching desperately for the bodies of his loved ones. “Where is my daughter? Where is my son?” he called out, his voice cracking as he searched. Abdullah Al-Majdalawi, a firefighter and rescue worker, described the immense challenges his team faces in retrieving bodies, citing the severe lack of equipment and resources. His story underscores the struggles faced by aid workers in the enclave, who put their lives at risk to help survivors. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported Saturday that for the seventh consecutive day, the fate of nine emergency medics remains unknown after they were “besieged and targeted by Israeli forces” in Rafah. The PRCS also said Israeli authorities refused to allow rescue teams into the Tel al-Sultan area to search for the missing medics, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to “reveal the fate of the missing teams.” UNRWA also reported that four staffers had been injured by Israeli strikes in March, and that several distribution centers in Gaza had suffered damage. According to the local Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 50,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive. Israel has stated its aim is to eliminate Hamas to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7 attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. Since breaking the ceasefire, Israel’s rhetoric has become increasingly hostile, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising increasing military strength in its assault on Gaza, and threatening to take the land. Israel’s aggression aligns with the United States’ more combative stance against Hamas and Gaza, with President Donald Trump threatening “the People of Gaza” earlier in March that if they continued to hold Israeli hostages, “you are DEAD!”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada's old relationship with the United States, "based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over". Speaking to reporters in Ottawa after a cabinet meeting, Carney said Canadians must "fundamentally reimagine our economy" in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariffs. He said Canada would respond with retaliatory tariffs that will have "maximum impact" on the US. Trump announced on Wednesday he would target imported vehicles and vehicle parts with a 25% tax, stating: "This is permanent." Carney, the Liberal Party leader, called the original Canada-US Automotive Products Agreement signed in 1965 the most important deal in his lifetime. "That's finished with these tariffs," he said in French. He continued that Canada can sustain an auto industry with the US tariffs provided the government and business community work to "reimagine" and "retool" the industry. Canada needs to build an economy Canadians can control, he said, and that would include rethinking its trade relationship with other partners. It remains to be seen whether Canadians can have a strong trading relationship with the United States going forward, he added. Carney has switched his campaign plans ahead of next month's general election to confront the latest import duties. The US has already partially imposed a blanket 25% tariff on Canadian goods, along with a 25% duty on all aluminium and steel imports. Canada has so far retaliated with about C$60bn ($42bn; £32bn) of tariffs on US goods. The new car tariffs will come into effect on 2 April, with charges on businesses importing vehicles starting the next day, the White House said. Taxes on parts are set to start in May or later. Early on Thursday morning, Trump warned Canada and the EU against joining forces versus the US in the trade war. "If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both," he posted on his Truth Social platform. Carney met his ministers in Ottawa on Thursday morning to "discuss trade options". He had originally been scheduled to campaign in Quebec. He said during his press conference that President Trump had reached out to him last night to schedule a call, and that it would take place in the "next day or two". If it takes place, this would be the first call between the pair. Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservatives, the main opposition party, called the tariffs "unjustified and unprovoked". The NDP, a left-wing party that previously helped prop up the minority Liberal government of ex-PM Justin Trudeau, also switched its campaign plans on Thursday. Jagmeet Singh, the NDP leader, spent the day meeting union leaders and car workers in Windsor, Ontario, an auto manufacturing hub across from Detroit, Michigan. He said the US tariffs are a "betrayal" against a close ally, saying that "Donald Trump has started an illegal trade war with Canada" for "absolutely no reason". He said any auto company that moves their operations out of Canada because of the tariffs should be blocked from selling cars in the country. Canadians go to the polls on 28 April. The US imported about eight million cars last year - accounting for about $240bn in trade and roughly half of overall sales. Earlier this month, after he became Liberal leader and before he was sworn in as prime minister, Carney gave a victory speech in which he lambasted the US president. "A person who worships at the altar of Donald Trump will kneel before him, not stand up to him," he said, while assailing his main rival, Poilievre. Mexico is the top supplier of cars to the US, followed by South Korea, Japan, Canada and Germany. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, in a news conference on Thursday morning, declined to comment directly on the new auto tariffs. She vowed her government would "always defend Mexico", and fight to maintain job creation and protect Mexican companies affected by import taxes. She said Mexico would provide an "integral response" to the Trump administration's tariffs on 3 April, the day after many are due to come into effect. Sheinbaum has repeatedly noted that many US car companies have operations in both Mexico and Canada, which are bound by a North American free trade agreement that Trump himself negotiated during his first term in the White House. "Of course, there shouldn't be tariffs," she said on Thursday. "That's the essence of the free trade agreement."

The event illustrates a growing alliance between Israel — a country founded on the ashes of the Holocaust — and a European far-right that some critics say has not shed its links to antisemitism and Naziism. JERUSALEM — European far-right leaders were in Jerusalem on Thursday for a conference organized by the Israeli government aimed at combating antisemitism, which was shunned by mainstream Jewish leaders because of the divisive guest list. The event illustrates a growing alliance between Israel — a country founded on the ashes of the Holocaust — and a European far-right that some critics say has not shed its links to antisemitism and Naziism during World War II. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads an ultranationalist government, has cultivated close ties in recent years with far-right populist leaders in countries like Hungary, Brazil and Argentina. Many of these leaders, including Netanyahu, have been greatly influenced by the policies and demeanor of U.S. President Donald Trump. In a speech to the conference, Netanyahu commended Trump for his “decisive actions against antisemitism” and blamed U.S. campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza on “a systemic alliance between ultra-progressive left and radical Islam.” “Antisemitism is a disease carried by barbarians” in “all civilized societies,” said Netanyahu. Thursday’s conference illuminated the increasingly strained relationship between Israel and its traditional allies in the West, which have grown uneasy with Israeli politics and the direction of the country’s devastating war in Gaza. Israel broke the ceasefire with Hamas and resumed the war earlier this month, and Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza. Jewish communities around the world have reported increases in antisemitic violence since the start of the war. Also attending the event was Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, even after a Bosnian court requested an international arrest warrant for him for his separatist policies. During the conference, Dodik spoke out defiantly against the warrant. “The Muslims from Sarajevo they want to punish me because I came here to Israel supporting Israel,” Dodik told The Associated Press through a translator. “They are misusing the judiciary and the prosecutor office because they are in charge for that.” Most speakers at the conference railed against antisemitism on the political left and in Muslim societies, with only brief mention of antisemitism on the right. Panels of speakers were set to focus on “How Progressivism Fell Captive to Antisemitism” and “How Radical Islam Fuels Antisemitism in the West.” Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right French National Rally party, gave a keynote address in which he blamed rising antisemitism in Europe on migration and Islamism. “Islamism is the totalitarianism of the 21st century. It threatens to destroy everything that is not like it,” he said. David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel during Trump’s first term, also attended. Asked by the moderator about Trump’s plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza, Friedman said: “I love it! I love it. And I think it’s doable.” Other far-right Europeans are attending from the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Hungary. The European far-right’s anti-immigrant platform has focused heavily on immigration from Muslim countries, finding common ground in what Israel describes as a shared battle against Islamic extremism. Critics say this alliance often veers into Islamophobia. Many mainstream Jewish leaders dropped out of the event after initially agreeing to attend, including Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, a leading U.S. nonprofit that battles antisemitism. French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, German antisemitism czar Felix Klein and German politician Volker Beck also canceled their participation, while Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, also pulled out of the conference in favor of hosting a separate meeting of Jewish leaders who had originally come to the country for the conference, his office said.

Canadian investigators have formally identified a missing indigenous woman who was murdered by a serial killer in 2022. Ashlee Shingoose, 30, was the first of four people killed by Jeremy Skibicki in Manitoba. She had been known only as Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe (Buffalo Woman) until her identity was discovered by investigators and revealed on Wednesday. Police officials also shared new details about Ms Shingoose's death, including naming the local landfill where they believe her remains are located. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew pledged to conduct a search of the facility, in an effort to find her body at her family's request. Morgan Harris, 39, Marcedes Myran, 26, and Rebecca Contois, 24 were also killed by Jeremy Skibicki. He has been convicted of all four deaths and is serving a life sentence. Harris and Myran were identified earlier this month after being found in the Prairie Green Landfill, north of Winnipeg. The search there is still ongoing, and remains continue to be found, according to the Manitoba premier. Winnipeg Police Deputy Chief Cam Mackid said during a news conference that the Shingoose family had been given confirmation of her death on Tuesday. Chief Raymond Flett of the St Theresa Point Anisininew Nation, told reporters that the news is "heartbreaking" but is "welcome". The chief also read a letter from Shingoose's mother, who wrote: "Please start the search as soon as possible." "It's been a long time waiting. I need to bring her home. I need closure. Enough. Search the landfill as soon as possible." He added that many other indigenous Canadians have "been murdered without proper investigation accountability". A national inquiry found that indigenous women in Canada were 12 times more likely to be missing or murdered than non-indigenous Canadians. A news release issued by the Winnipeg Police Service said police received "new information" in December 2024, which "led investigators to make a preliminary identification". The positive identification was made after specific evidence seized during the investigation was sent for DNA analysis. The statement added that Shingoose's body was placed in a garbage bin behind a commercial business after she was killed. It said that "based on the timing of her death, and the new information about where she had been placed" police believe she was taken to the Brady Landfill. Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, told the Canadian Press that she had spoken to Shingoose's relatives, and that she wants the police to be investigated for their handling of the deaths. "Why didn't the police service help these families right off the bat, and why didn't the previous provincial government want to help these families right off the bat," she said. The provincial government initially declined to search the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of the women, due to steep costs and concerns about hazardous waste. Their murders went undetected for months until a man looking for scrap metal in a bin outside Skibicki's apartment found partial human remains, identified as belonging to Contois.

“Leave us Hamas, we want to live freely,” a crowd could be heard chanting at a demonstration in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on Wednesday. Protests in Gaza calling for an end to the war with Israel and for Hamas' ouster gathered momentum Wednesday, with hundreds of demonstrators for a second day displaying rare dissent against the militant group that has run the Palestinian enclave for nearly two decades. "Leave us Hamas. We want to live freely," a crowd chanted in video captured by NBC News' crew on the ground Wednesday at a rally in eastern Gaza City in the north of the strip. Just over five miles away a similar protest took place in Beit Lahia. The protests began with an initial demonstration Tuesday in Beit Lahia, where protesters chanted anti-Hamas slogans as Palestinians also railed against the resumption of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which has so far killed hundreds of people. Renewed fighting shattered a ceasefire deal after two months of relative calm. Why now? It was not immediately clear who organized the protests or how many joined them with the intention of rallying against Hamas. But some demonstrators told NBC News' crew that they had reached the limit of their suffering and blamed Hamas for failing to bring an end to the war. More than 50,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed in Israel’s offensive in Gaza, according to the local Health Ministry in the enclave, which has been run by Hamas since 2007 after Israel ended its 38-year occupation. "We came out to demand that Hamas stop the war and hand the ruling to any merciful body so that God may have mercy upon us," one man, Eyad Gendia, told NBC News at Wednesday's protest in the Shujaiya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City. "The impact of the war is that we are sleeping in the streets ... We have lost all of our children," he said. Before this week, NBC News had documented smaller anti-war protests in Gaza but this week's demonstrations represent the biggest since the conflict began after Hamas led terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. Israel, which continues to block the entry of aid and goods into the Gaza Strip, has said it wants to eliminate Hamas to ensure that the Oct. 7 attacks will not be repeated. The United States has supported Israel in its campaign, with President Donald Trump also sparking widespread condemnation by suggesting that America take over the enclave and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East." "If the Israel problem is Hamas, we will expel Hamas to resolve this issue," said another man, who did not share his name. "We are demanding an end to the frantic war against Gaza's children, women and elderly." "We need a permanent ceasefire," said a third demonstrator, who spoke without offering identification. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a post on X on Wednesday that the anti-Hamas slogans shouted at the protests were proof that "Hamas' refusal to release the hostages" was "fueling war and the suffering of the people of Gaza." Basem Naim, a senior political official for Hamas, told NBC News on Wednesday that "everyone has the right to scream in pain and to raise their voice against the aggression towards our people," but he said it was "unacceptable to exploit these tragic humanitarian situations for questionable political agendas or to shift blame away from the real aggressors." Mounting pressure Hamas' popularity in Gaza is hard to gauge, due to fears over speaking out and the difficulties of conducting polling during a war. But a poll released in September by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, a think tank based in the occupied West Bank, found support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip to be at 35%, compared to 38% three months before. Sanam Vakil, director of the London-based think tank Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa program, said the protests put fresh pressure on Hamas as Israel and the U.S. push the militant group to agree to an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, which expired March 1, and to release more hostages. Hamas has refused, instead demanding a return to negotiations aimed at launching the second phase of the deal, as had been planned under the framework of the truce deal. The second phase was meant to pave the way to an end to the war, although the truce disintegrated when Israeli forces resumed airstrikes on Gaza. "The big questions for Hamas are really, how it can be a resilient political force in the climate of so much pressure?" Vakil said in a phone interview Wednesday. Hamas has previously signaled it would be willing to cede political power and administrative governance of Gaza to a Palestinian unity government, but said it would be unwilling to disarm until internationally recognized independent Palestinian statehood is achieved.