Shiri Bibas was 32 and her sons, Ariel and Kfir, were 4 years old and just shy of 9 months old when they were abducted by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. Thousands of people lined the streets of Israel on Wednesday to pay their respects to Shiri Bibas and her two young sons as their funeral procession made its way to a cemetery in the south of the country. Bibas was 32 and her sons, Ariel and Kfir, were 4 years old and just shy of 9 months old when they were taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 2023, terrorist attacks. Clutching her children as fighters barked orders, she looked terrified in a video taken near their home in kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel. The fate of the three hostages had become an emotional open sore for Israelis during the period between their kidnapping and the return of their bodies late last week and early this week. While Hamas said early in the war that the three had been killed, the Israeli government had been unable to confirm their deaths. The boys' remains were returned Saturday, following a ceremony which saw Hamas militants parade their coffins on stage in scenes that have been widely condemned by human rights groups and the international community. The remains of Oded Lifshitz, 84, who was also abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz, were also returned that day. His remains were laid to rest Tuesday. Forensic examinations later showed that a casket bearing the image of Shiri Bibas did not contain her body, although Hamas returned her remains Monday. Her husband and the children’s father, Yarden Bibas, 35, was also abducted Oct. 7 2023, and returned alive Feb. 1, apparently unaware that his family had died. As black vans carried the caskets and grieving relatives through the central city of Rishon LeZion, huge crowds of Israelis stood on side streets and main roads and wept. Many held blue-and-white Israeli flags punctuated by the orange balloons and clothing that mourners and activists have adopted in honor of the Bibas boys' red hair. One image showed Shiri Bibas’ sister, Dana Silberman-Sitton, reaching out from one of the black vans to hold the hand of a well-wisher in another vehicle. Smaller groups of mourners did the same on the rural highways that the procession used to reach the Tsoher cemetery in the south of the country, where they were laid to rest. While the family requested that only those invited attend the funeral, it asked that the ceremony be screened in Tel Aviv's "Hostage Square," given the level of heartache the family's fate has generated across the country. Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, the square has become a focal point for protesters to vent their frustrations with the Israeli government over the return of the 251 hostages captured Oct. 7, 2023, when about 1,200 people were also killed per Israeli tallies. Israel’s ensuing military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's Hamas-run Health Ministry, and forcibly displaced most of its 2.3 million population.

Israel's bombardment has shattered the enclave’s hospitals, making it difficult, if not impossible, for Palestinians to get basic life-saving medical help. Bundled up in baby blankets and wrapped in the warmth of her father’s arms, Sham Al-Shanbari came into the world at a time of relative calm in Gaza, born two weeks ago during the hard-won ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. The war in Gaza claimed her life all the same. On Monday night, Sham became one of at least seven children in Gaza to die of cold in recent days, according to local health officials. Her family, along with hundreds of thousands of other civilians, has been forced to live in tents and makeshift shelters after Israeli bombing made their homes unlivable. "At around midnight, her mother nursed her and put her to sleep," Sham's father, Mohamad Tawfiq Al -Shanbari, told an NBC News' crew Beit in Hanoun in northeast Gaza on Tuesday. In the morning, "we tried to wake her, but she wouldn't wake up," he said, before watching as his daughter was placed into a tiny shallow grave. The cold has killed six other children over roughly the past two weeks, according to Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, director-general of the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza, where families whose homes have been destroyed are forced to sleep in tents and other makeshift shelters. Sila Abdul Qader, less than 2 months old, was the latest to die from the cold weather, Al-Bursh said Wednesday. Al-Shanbari said his daughter had been "100% fine, playing and smiling like usual" in the hours before she died. But, he said, "I live in a tent. It's cold. How could the girl survive?" Night-time temperatures in Gaza over the past week have fallen below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), according to meteorological data. Babies are particularly vulnerable to the cold as they are unable to regulate their body temperature in the same way as adults. More than a year of Israeli bombing and shelling has also shattered the enclave's hospitals, making it difficult, if not impossible, for Palestinians to get basic life-saving medical help. At least 70% of infrastructure in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, and 60% of homes and 65% of roads have been destroyed, the United Nations said this month. More than 48,300 people have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to local health officials, since Israel launched its offensive after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, in which it said some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. Medical Aid for Palestinians, a charity based in the U.K., said its team at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis had documented the death of at least one 2-month-old baby in recent days. It said the infant had died from the cold, while three other children were also brought to the hospital recently with cold-related injuries. "All admitted children were previously healthy, with no underlying conditions, but presented with cold injuries and hypothermia," the organization said in a statement sent over WhatsApp. So far this year, at least 15 children have been admitted to Nasser Hospital with cold-related injuries and illness, it added. The deaths come as fears grow about the fragile ceasefire, with the two sides yet to negotiate the second phase of the deal. A proposal from President Donald Trump to "take over" the Gaza Strip has also sparked fears in the region. Early Wednesday, Trump shared on his Truth Social platform what appeared to be an AI-generated video showing a hypothetical future Gaza in which he is pictured lying on a sunbed alongside Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while another scene shows a gold statue in Trump's likeness. In Khan Younis, Najeih Al-Najar worried that her baby boy, Youssef, 2 months old, might not survive the war as he lay on a hospital bed. "My son suddenly got very cold and turned bluish, and his feet swelled," she told NBC News. "Children are dying. They bring them dead." Winter has only made Al-Najar's fear harder to shake. "I see death in my son," she said.

Candidates vying to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada faced each other for the first time on Monday in a French-language debate. The stage was shared by four hopefuls: former governor of the banks of Canada and England Mark Carney, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Liberal government House leader Karina Gould, and businessman and former MP Frank Baylis. The question of how to deal with Donald Trump dominated the first half, as the US president has repeatedly threatened to tariff Canada and make it the "51st state." Candidates also answered questions about domestic matters like immigration, healthcare and the high cost of living. Early in the debate, Freeland - whose resignation as finance minister in December triggered the collapse of Trudeau's leadership - stated that Trump represented "the greatest threat to Canada since World War Two". She frequently drew on her experience in government, saying that she had successfully faced Trump during his first term when she helped renegotiate North America's longstanding free-trade agreement. But Freeland warned that Trump's second term might be worse for Canada. "He wants to turn Canada into the 51st state, and it's no joke," she said. "That is why he is supporting [Russian President] Vladimir Putin's criminal attempt to redraw Ukraine's borders." "Trump wants to redraw our borders too," Freeland said. To counter these threats, Freeland and the other candidates suggested strengthening trade ties with the EU and the UK. Baylis proposed a "new economic bloc" consisting of Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia, noting that all four countries shared the same values, cultures and governing systems. Carney, who is frontrunner in the polls, focused his message on helping Canada achieve economic prosperity. He proposed doing so by leveraging its resources, including critical minerals and metals, as well as making Canada a "superpower of clean energy" and removing trade barriers between provinces. He, too, agreed with Freeland that Trump's second term was different from the first. "He is more isolationist. He is more aggressive," Carney said. "In the past he wanted our markets. Now he wants our country." He added that he would be in favour of imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs on the US should Trump move ahead with his threat to levy a 25% tax on all Canadian goods starting on 4 March. Gould, the youngest candidate on the stage, positioned herself as the candidate "for today and the future", with a message that homed in on how a Liberal Party under her leadership would work to make life more affordable for Canadians. The candidates also addressed shifting US policy on Ukraine. As the four debated, Trudeau was in Kyiv marking three years since the Russia-Ukraine war began. All four candidates agreed that Canada should continue supporting Ukraine. Freeland suggested that money seized from Russia through sanctions be redistributed to help Ukraine's war effort, while Carney stated that any discussion on Ukraine's future could not happen without the Ukrainians at the table. Freeland also suggested that Canada should foster closer ties with Denmark which, she noted. was also facing threats from Trump who has signalled his desire to take over Greenland - a Danish territory. For the second half of the debate, candidates offered up their ideas for how to help Canada reduce its federal budget deficit, tackle crime and increase its military spending. They were also asked about climate change, with both Freeland and Carney saying they no longer supported a carbon tax on consumers - a key climate policy of the Trudeau government that has become unpopular with Canadians. At certain points, candidates also took aim at Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, saying he would be unfit to defend Canada against Trump. Poilievre is currently leading in the national polls, though the gap between him and the Liberal Party has narrowed since Trudeau's resignation. The Conservative leader has since focused his attacks on Carney, arguing that a Liberal Party under his leadership would not be different from that under Trudeau. Monday's debate is the first of two, with a second, English-language debate slated for Tuesday. Liberal Party members will vote for their next leader on 9 March, after which Trudeau is expected to step down. The French-language debate is especially important for Francophone Canadians in Quebec, whose votes are influential in helping decide which party will form Canada's next government. Whoever is elected as leader would become Canada's next prime minister until the next general election, which must be held on or before 20 October.

The pope has sought to uphold a tradition he began nearly a year and a half ago of calling the Holy Family parish in Gaza City each night. He's in critical condition and battling double pneumonia, but Pope Francis has upheld a tradition he began nearly a year and a half ago at the start of the war in Gaza, making nightly calls to the only Catholic parish in the enclave to offer words of support and prayer. And now, as the ailing pontiff receives care at Rome's Gemelli hospital, Catholic Palestinians in Gaza are offering Francis their own prayers, with leaders and members of the Holy Family parish in northern Gaza praying for his recovery. "Let’s unite in praying for the healing of Pope Francis," Yusuf Asad, a priest of the Holy Family parish, wrote in a post on Facebook early Tuesday as he offered a prayer for the 88-year-old pope's recovery, as he has done each day since Francis was admitted to the hospital Feb. 14. News of Francis' condition has sent shock waves through this small community in the Gaza Strip, with the Holy Family parish's prayers for him highlighting the deep bond formed between the pontiff and the Palestinian church throughout the devastating war. Since two days after Israel began bombing the Gaza Strip following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, Francis has made nightly calls to Gabriele Romanelli, parish priest at Holy Family, as well as to Asad, Romanelli's assistant, according to Vatican News. When Francis was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs, it was unclear whether he would be able to continue the tradition as he received care. On Monday morning, however, the Vatican said that even as the pontiff remained in critical condition, he had shown a "slight improvement" and was able to resume work from his hospital bed, including calling the pastor of the Gaza parish "to express his fatherly closeness." The Holy See said Tuesday that Francis' condition remained the same. While his calls with the Holy Family parish last just a few minutes, according to Vatican News, they have been a way for him to stay connected with Gaza's Christian community, with hundreds of people, including Christians and Muslims, taking shelter in the parish throughout Israel's offensive in the territory. At the end of a general audience on Jan. 22, Francis described the cautious optimism that leaders of the parish expressed after the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect. “They’re happy. They ate lentils," Francis said at the time, according to Vatican News, adding: "We must pray for peace." In a video published by Vatican News last month, Francis could be seen on a video call with Asad, saying “Good evening, how are you?” in Italian and asking him what he ate that day, with Asad laughing before telling the pontiff the whole community had been able to eat chicken. “They want to thank you, Holy Father. They pray for you because you always pray for them,” Yusuf told the pope, according to Vatican News. Francis has been outspoken in condemning the violence unfolding in Gaza over the past 16 months, with more than 48,000 people, including thousands of children, killed since Israel launched its offensive in the territory, according to local health authorities. Last month, Francis stepped up criticisms of Israel's military campaign, calling the humanitarian situation in Gaza "very serious and shameful" in a yearly address to diplomats delivered on his behalf by an aide. The pontiff was also outspoken in his criticism of an incident that unfolded at the Holy Family parish in December 2023, when a mother and her adult daughter were shot dead while walking inside the grounds of the parish, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Israel at the time denied responsibility for the incident, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office saying that according to an Israel Defense Forces investigation, claims that Israel was responsible for their deaths were "not true." Fears have grown in recent days for the future of the current ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, with the two sides yet to negotiate the second phase of the truce. Israel said this week that it will delay the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Netanyahu's office saying it would do so “until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies” that have marked previous releases. Meanwhile, Israel has continued to ramp up operations in the occupied West Bank, with IDF tanks seen moving into the territory for the first time in decades this past week. Israeli bulldozers have demolished large swaths of the Jenin refugee camp and appeared to be clearing wide roads through its previously narrow alleyways, Reuters reported, with thousands of Palestinians leaving their homes in Jenin and nearby Tulkarm.

While drinking tree sap does not immediately sound appealing, Canadian producers are hoping that it will be the next must-try soft drink around the world. We have all heard of maple syrup, which is made by boiling down the sap of maple trees to produce a thick, sweet, golden-to-brown coloured syrup that is typically poured over pancakes. What is far less well known is that you can drink the sap itself, which is called maple water. Clear in colour, it contains just 2% natural sugars, so it is only slightly sweet. A small but growing number of producers in Canada are now selling this maple water in bottles or cartons, after first giving it a filter and pasteurisation to kill off any microbes. "People feel like they're drinking the wild Canadian forest," says Yannick Leclerc of Maple3, a producer of maple water drinks, based in Quebec City. Advocates point to the fact it is a natural drink, and makers hope that it can steal some sales from the existing similar product – coconut water. The latter is made from water that naturally forms inside coconuts. As Canada is far and away the world's largest producer of maple syrup – accounting for more than 80% of production – it is understandable that the nascent maple water sector is also Canadian. Furthermore, it is centred on the province of Quebec, which makes 90% of Canada's maple syrup. Mr Leclerc says that Maple3 is one of the pioneers of the sector. "Nobody [previously] thought about keeping the sap for its hydration purposes versus just boiling it into syrup." He joined the company back in 2016, three years after it was founded by his business partner Stéphane Nolet. In recent years an increasing number of other producers have entered the marketplace. Mr Leclerc claims that Maple3 has doubled its annual profits since 2021, with sales not just rising across Canada, but in 12 other countries, including France, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. Some 75% of its sales now come from overseas, and it sells both still and sparkling maple water, and fizzy versions with added natural fruit flavourings. "It's more than just a local product at this point," adds Mr Leclerc. For the maple water industry as a whole, one recent report predicts big growth. It estimated that global sales in 2024 totalled $506m (£409m), with that expected to jump to $2.6bn by 2033. By comparison, worldwide sales of coconut water reached $7.7bn in 2023, with that expected to grow to $22.9bn by 2029. So maple water has a long way to catch up. Meanwhile, the global value of the maple syrup market was $1.7bn last year, according to one study. Beth Czerwony, a dietician with the non-profit medical centre Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, says the growing popularity of maple water is linked to its perceived health benefits. "When the sap itself is filtered through the tree, it ends up absorbing a bunch of antioxidants," she says. "So they're gonna end up having a better performance and a faster workout recovery." However, one medical study from 2019 concluded that maple water was "was not superior in rehydration" to normal water. Jeremy Kinsella owns The Soda Pop Bros in Windsor Ontario, which sells soft drinks under its own brand name, as well as imports from around the world. His family have been in the industry for nearly a century, and in his lifetime he has seen a fair share of trends come and go. He says that if maple water is to go mainstream it needs the financial backing and promotion of one of the huge global soft drinks firms. "It will take a larger soda manufacturer for it to really catch on," he says. Mr Kinsella also says that the price of maple water is currently too high. "When it comes down to it, someone's looking at a can of Coke for a buck and they're looking at a can of maple water for three bucks, they're going to try it a couple of times and go back to Coke," he says. Marketing maple water more would certainly help it increase sales, says John Tomory, who helps run Pefferlaw Creek Farms in Uxbridge, Ontario. He and his brothers have been making maple syrup commercially for almost 10 years, and for the past four they have also been selling the sap to a Canada brand called Sap Sucker. This makes sparkling sap water with different added flavours, from lime to grapefruit, and lemon to orange. Mr Tomory says he agrees with this approach to make the sap more interesting. "I know a lot of people have tried just selling the sap as it is, just basic sap from the tree and it's still, but they haven't really caught on," he says. "So I think carbonating it and adding fruit flavour makes it more interesting. That's the real innovation." Back at Maple3 in Quebec, Mr Leclerc also thinks that the sparkling version of the drink could be the more popular: "It has perks that a normal sparkling water doesn't have," he says, such as a more interesting flavour, without having all the bad stuff that [regular] soda has."

Israel is deepening its crackdown on the Palestinian territory and has said it is determined to stamp out militancy amid a rise in attacks. JENIN, West Bank — Israeli tanks moved into the occupied West Bank on Sunday for the first time in decades in what Palestinian authorities called a “dangerous escalation,” after the defense minister said troops will remain in parts of the territory for a year and tens of thousands of Palestinians who have fled cannot return. Associated Press journalists saw several tanks move along unpaved tracks into Jenin, long a bastion of armed struggle against Israel. Israel is deepening its crackdown on the Palestinian territory and has said it is determined to stamp out militancy amid a rise in attacks. It launched the offensive in the northern West Bank on Jan. 21 — two days after the current ceasefire in Gaza took hold — and expanded it to nearby areas. Palestinians view the deadly raids as part of an effort to cement Israeli control over the territory, where 3 million Palestinians live under military rule. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to “increase the intensity of the activity to thwart terrorism” in all refugee camps in the West Bank. “We will not allow the return of residents, and we will not allow terrorism to return and grow,” he said. Earlier, Katz said he had instructed the military to prepare for “an extended stay” in some of the West Bank’s urban refugee camps from which about 40,000 Palestinians have fled, leaving them “emptied of residents.” The camps are home to descendants of Palestinians who fled during wars with Israel decades ago. It was not clear how long Palestinians would be prevented from returning. Katz said Israeli troops would stay “for the coming year.” Netanyahu said they would stay “as long as needed.” Tanks were last deployed in the West Bank in 2002, when Israel fought a deadly Palestinian uprising. The Palestinian foreign ministry called the Israeli moves “a dangerous escalation of the situation in the West Bank,” and urged the international community to intervene in what it termed Israel’s illegal “aggression.” “Even if they stay, we will return to the camp at the end,” said Mohamed al-Sadi, one of those displaced from Jenin. “This camp is ours. We have no other place to go."

U.S. diplomats around the world were instructed to push their host countries to back the U.S. resolution and oppose a Russian amendment. The United States on Monday opposed a United Nations resolution backed by Ukraine and major European countries that calls for Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, voting instead with Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Sudan and 13 other countries. Leading up to a series of votes Monday, the U.S. had been lobbying countries around the world to oppose the resolution, which was brought forward at the United Nations General Assembly on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and support a U.S. draft resolution instead. Ultimately, though, the Trump administration was forced to abstain from its own resolution after European countries won support for three amendments to it. The amendments replaced language referring to “the Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict” with “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation”; added a commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders; and expanded wording about a “lasting peace” between Ukraine and Russia to a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace,” “in line with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States.” “These amendments pursue a war of words rather than an end to the war,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea said shortly before the vote. “The attempt to add this language detracts from what we are trying to achieve with this forward-looking resolution, a firm consensus from the members of this body to unite behind a resolution calling for the end to this conflict.” Despite the lack of U.S. support, the U.S. resolution with the new language was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly with 93 votes in favor, eight against and 73 abstentions. Ukraine’s competing resolution co-sponsored by European countries also passed despite active U.S. opposition with 93 votes in favor, 18 against and 65 abstentions. Ukraine’s resolution, which it put forward last week, demands the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces “from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.” The U.S. does not support that demand and Trump administration officials have recently suggested that Ukraine would likely have to give up some territory as part of a peace deal. Ukraine’s resolution also refers to the ongoing hostilities as a “war,” a word that is omitted from the text of the U.S. resolution, and which Russia has stayed away from since it invaded Ukraine in 2022. “President Trump is committed to ending the Russia-Ukraine war and to a resolution that leads to a lasting peace, not just a temporary pause,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Friday. “The United States has proposed a simple, historic resolution in the United Nations that we urge all member states to support in order to chart a path to peace.” An internal memo sent to all U.S. diplomatic posts Saturday had instructed the head of each U.S. mission to “engage host governments at the highest possible levels,” and urge them to support the U.S. resolution and encourage Ukraine to withdraw its own resolution, “which does not advance the United States’ goal of achieving a lasting peace.” The U.S. will once again ask the world to support its resolution Monday afternoon at the U.N. Security Council, where it will be able to veto any amendments to its language brought forward by other members. The memo was first reported by Reuters. U.S. diplomats were also told to ask countries to vote against a proposed Russian amendment to the U.S. resolution, according to the diplomatic note seen by NBC News. The Russian amendment would add language saying that the “root causes” of the conflict should also be addressed.

The funeral aimed to project unity and resilience for a Hezbollah severely weakened by the war with Israel. Tens of thousands of people gathered at a stadium in Lebanon’s capital Beirut to mourn Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a public funeral nearly five months after he was killed by an Israeli airstrike. Determined to project strength despite the devastating losses it has faced since Nasrallah’s death — including leadership uncertainty and mounting Israeli military pressure — a weakened Hezbollah staged the funeral as a display of unity and resilience. Nasrallah was killed on Sept. 27 when Israeli forces bombed a building in southern Beirut where he was meeting with Hezbollah commanders. It was a stunning assassination that shocked supporters in Lebanon and across the region, as Israel celebrated killing a man who had orchestrated attacks on the country and posed a threat to its security. Hezbollah began exchanging fire with Israel in support of Palestinians on Oct. 8, 2023, the day after Israel declared war on Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks. The 14-month conflict lead to an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon and prolonged bombing of Beirut that targeted Hezbollah leadership and led to Nasrallah’s death. The 48,000-seat Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Hezbollah’s stronghold of southern Beirut was awash with the yellow and green of Hezbollah flags as mourners paid tribute to the divisive leader who led the militant group for more than three decades. A line of hundreds of cars was seen driving toward the stadium at dawn, and supporters held parallel tributes, including in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Yemen and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. According to Reuters, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was was expected to attend, alongside an Iraqi delegation including Shi’ite politicians and militia commanders. A delegation from Yemen’s Houthis was also expected to attend. After Sunday’s funeral, his body will be buried at a site nearby. The funeral will also honor Hashem Safieddine, who led Hezbollah for just a week after Nasrallah’s death before he was also killed by Israel. He is to be buried in the south of the country on Monday. After Nasrallah’s death, his body was buried temporarily next to his son, Hadi, who died fighting for Hezbollah in 1997. Nasrallah’s official funeral was delayed until Israeli forces had withdrawn from south Lebanon under the terms of a ceasefire deal that ended the war. As his funeral took place, the Israel Defense Forces launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon on “a military site containing rocket launchers and weapons” where it said it had identified Hezbollah activity. According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the strikes injured at least one girl, who was transported to the Lebanese Italian Hospital for treatment. The attack during his funeral highlighted Israel’s ongoing military pressure on the group that defined the final year of Nasrallah’s life. Revered by Hezbollah supporters, the Islamic scholar transformed the group from a militant resistance faction to an influential political and military force in the region. While thousands paid tribute to the former leader, he left behind a legacy marked by deep admiration and intense controversy. Born into a poor Shiite family in Beirut in 1960, Nasrallah’s rise to prominence was shaped by Lebanon’s turbulent history and his deep ideological commitments. In 1982, following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Nasrallah helped found Hezbollah, a group focused on resisting Israeli occupation and known for its precision attacks. Designated a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States, Canada and the European Union, Hezbollah attacks included the 1983 Beirut embassy bombing that killed 63 people, including 17 Americans, and the Marine barracks bombing that same year in the capital, which killed 307 people, including 241 American military personnel. Nasrallah became its leader in 1992, marking a transformative era for Hezbollah in which it expanded its military capabilities and political influence in Lebanon. Under his guidance, Hezbollah fought the 2006 war with Israel, as rockets rained down on northern Israel while Israeli airstrikes ravaged southern Lebanon for 34 days. His influence soared during the conflict, where he was widely regarded as a symbol of defiance across the Arab world. Hezbollah’s extensive media apparatus amplified his charisma, making him an influential figure beyond Lebanon’s borders. He also forged deep alliances with Iran and Syria, with Iran providing critical financial, military and political support that helped Hezbollah become a major regional force. However, his decision to send fighters to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil war marked a turning point. Once seen as the leader of resistance, he became increasingly viewed as an agent of Iran’s regional ambitions. Accusations of Hezbollah’s involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri further eroded his standing in parts of the Arab world. As Israel launched its ground invasion in southern Lebanon and bombarded its capital from the skies, Nasrallah’s death delivered a major blow early in Israel’s offensive, significantly weakening the Iran-backed group while raising questions about its future. To his supporters, he remained a steadfast defender of Shia Muslims and Lebanon’s sovereignty. To his critics, he was a divisive figure, aligning Hezbollah’s trajectory with Tehran at the expense of national unity. His contested legacy is emblematic of the shifting political and sectarian currents of the Middle East, but his funeral underscored the enduring devotion of his followers.

The release was to be part of the final prisoner-hostage exchange of the deal’s first phase, and would have been the largest group of Palestinians freed so far. The families of some 600 prisoners remain in limbo after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Saturday that he would delay their release, a decision that violated the exchange terms of the ceasefire agreement after Hamas had earlier released six Israeli hostages. Netanyahu cited “Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes” in announcing the delay. Hamas has been criticized for conducting heavily choreographed ceremonies each time it released hostages back to Israel. Netanyahu said he would not free this batch of Palestinian prisoners and detainees “until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.” There are 63 hostages remaining in Gaza, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office, 27 of whom are presumed alive. No arrangements have yet been made for their release. Hamas condemned the delay and called the accusations surrounding the ceremonies a “flimsy pretext aimed at evading the agreement’s obligations.” It added that the delay exposed the ongoing ceasefire agreement “to grave danger” and urged the United States and other international partners to pressure Israel into releasing the Palestinians held in its custody. The release of the Palestinian prisoners and detainees — the largest group to be freed under the ceasefire agreement — was part of the final prisoner-hostage exchange of the first stage of the ceasefire deal. It would have included 445 detainees who were not sentenced to time in prison, as well as 24 women and children. More than 400 of these prisoners had been destined for Gaza, where families had been waiting in the biting cold to received their loved ones. Asia Khaleel Fayyad, who arrived a day early to meet her husband after traveling with her son and father-in-law, waited anxiously by the bus shelter with her son on her lap, fearful that the reunion might be delayed indefinitely. “The stress has killed us,” Fayyad told the NBC News crew. “We cannot wait more than this. We have lost all hope. We have been waiting since yesterday and we arrived yesterday in order to meet them early. We are really afraid that they will kill our joy and make us meet them only tomorrow or after tomorrow.” The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club called Israel’s decision to delay the release of over 600 Palestinians a form of “organized terrorism against the prisoners and their families.” A number of Red Cross vehicles including a bus had been waiting outside Ofer Prison in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday. The first phase of the ceasefire is due to end March 1, and with Phase 2 still uncertain, the latest delay has become a significant challenge to the agreement. The ceasefire agreement has held despite a number of setbacks. Hamas accused Israel of blocking aid into Gaza while Israel has accused Hamas of conducting humiliating ceremonies during the hostage releases. Last week, Hamas delivered a coffin to Israel that it claimed carried the remains of hostage Shiri Bibas. The Israel Defense Forces later said that testing showed the body was someone else’s. The incident caused outrage from Israeli officials, and the IDF called it “a very serious violation” of the ceasefire. Hamas called it a mistake and said Bibas’ remains may have been “mixed” with others’ when they were hit by an Israeli airstrike. Hamas returned another set of human remains to Israel early Saturday that were confirmed to be those of Bibas.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could not resist a dig at President Donald Trump moments after Canada's ice hockey team beat the USA in a close final. "You can't take our country - and you can't take our game," Trudeau wrote on X. Canada's thrilling 3-2 overtime win in the 4 Nations Face Off final in Boston took place amid rising tensions between the two neighbours. Not only is there the looming threat of an economically damaging trade war, there are Trump's persistent musings on making Canada the 51st US state. The American national anthem has been regularly booed by Canadian sports fans in recent weeks but this time it was the US home fans doing most of the booing. As their jeers rang out, the Canadian national anthem was sung with different lyrics in protest over Trump's statements. A representative for singer Chantal Kreviazuk told CBC News she intentionally sang "that only us command" instead of "in all of us command". In a post on Instagram with a photo of the adjusted lyrics, Kreviazuk said: "We should express our outrage in the face of any abuses of power." On any ordinary day, this fixture would have been a significant one for the two neighbouring countries who have long been friendly rivals on the ice. But recent events gave it added spice. And the sudden-death goal from Connor McDavid which sealed the win prompted delirium among the travelling fans. The US president was unable to make the game but he called the team to wish them good luck. He also repeated his desire to absorb Canada, writing in a Truth Social post ahead of the game that he hoped the country "will someday, maybe soon, become our cherished and very important, Fifty First State". For fans across North America, the final was a "dream match-up," ice hockey writer Daniel Nugent-Bowman told the BBC. Not since the 2014 Winter Olympics had the top men's ice hockey players from Canada and the US faced off in such a consequential game. Both countries boast some of the biggest stars in the National Hockey League (NHL), like Canadians Mitch Marner and McDavid, and Americans Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel. The game was a chance for this new generation of players to prove themselves. But in Canada, the game was also a personal one, giving both die-hard and casual fans an opportunity to bask in national pride at a time when the country's sovereignty looks to be threatened by its closest neighbour. Few Canadians would dispute how integral ice hockey is to the country's national identity. The sport has served as a backdrop to some of the most patriotic moments in Canada's history, like Sidney Crosby's overtime gold medal goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Historically, Canada has had the upper hand against the US. The two countries have met 20 times in best-on-best tournaments since the 1976 Canada Cup, with Canada winning 14 of those games.