Strikes

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fires projectiles at northern Israel while Israeli troops push deeper into southern Lebanon.

Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon and the capital, Beirut, have killed at least 14 people, a day after Israel threatened to hit Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria, forcing its closure.

Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday killed at least four people while 10 people – including a family of six – were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.

A further 39 people were wounded in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s Jnah neighbourhood, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. The strike hit about 100 metres (330ft) from Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the country’s largest public medical facility, a medical source told the AFP news agency.

Israel has launched air strikes across Lebanon since March 2 after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in response to the United States-Israeli war on Iran. Israeli forces have also launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah on Sunday claimed to have fired a cruise missile at an Israeli warship 126km (78 miles) off the Lebanese coast. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Al Jazeera was not able to verify the claim.

Although most Israeli strikes against Hezbollah have been conducted by jets and drones, some have come by sea.

In a statement, the Israeli military warned it had “begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites” in Beirut’s southern suburbs without providing evidence for its claims.

On Saturday, Israel said it would carry out strikes on the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria. Masnaa serves as a vital trade route for both countries and a key gateway to the rest of the region for Lebanese people.

The border post was quickly evacuated on the Lebanese side, and the site was virtually deserted early on Sunday with only a few guards still on duty, according to AFP.

In Syria, Mazen Aloush with the General Authority for Borders and Customs insisted that the crossing, known as Jdeidet Yabous on the Syrian side, was “exclusively for civilian use and is not used for any military purposes”.

Aloush said traffic through the crossing would be temporarily suspended due to the Israeli threat.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed more than 1,400 people, including 126 children, and displaced over 1.2 million, according to Lebanese authorities.

In the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Hatta, an Israeli strike killed seven people including a four-year-old girl and a Lebanese soldier, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The previous evening, the Israeli army issued a forced evacuation order for the town, where many displaced people from other parts of southern Lebanon have fled.

In another air strike on southern Lebanon, at least three people were killed and others injured early on Sunday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.

As Israeli troops push deeper across their border into southern Lebanon and destroy villages, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated his call for talks with Israel, saying he wanted to spare southern Lebanon from destruction on the scale seen in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“Why don’t we negotiate … until we can at least save the homes that have not yet been destroyed?” he proposed in a televised address on Sunday.

April 2 (UPI) — At least five people were killed and 11 injured in large-scale Russian strikes across Ukraine involving more than 360 drones, Ukrainian authorities said.

One person was killed and two injured, one of them a 12-year-old boy, in the southeastern city of Synelnykove, after drone and artillery strikes across Dnipropetrovsk province overnight.

In an online post, Dnipropetrovsk Military Administration head Oleksandr Hanzha said that an administrative building and a shopping complex were set ablaze in Synelnykove as well as infrastructure, a dozen apartment buildings and private houses and buses in a series of strikes also targeting Pavlohrad and communities to the south in and around Nikopol.

Four people were killed and four injured on both banks of the Dnipro River in Cherkasy province, some 80 miles downstream from Kyiv, amid mass daytime attacks on Wednesday centered on central and western Ukraine.

The fatalities occurred in a blast in the Zolotoniskyi district after local residents gathered in an open area where a drone had crashed and the warhead detonated without warning.

Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram post that it had launched a pre-trial investigation into the attack as a possible war crime and reiterated warnings to people to stay well away from downed drones, drone debris and other munitions.

“Law enforcement agencies and rescue services once again emphasize: any fragments of UAVs, missiles, or other explosive objects pose a mortal threat. WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW: It is strictly forbidden to: approach the crash site of a UAV; touch the debris; photograph or film them up close; carry any parts of the object,” the prosecutor’s office added.

Four civilians were injured in air attacks on Cherkasy district, three of them passengers on a bus that was struck by debris from a Russian drone, said the province’s governor, Ihor Taburets.

In Poltava, 125 miles to the east, four people, including a child, were injured when a drone hit a private holding and one person was injured in attacks targeting critical infrastructure facilities in the far west of Ukraine, close to the border with Romania in Zakarpattia province.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported hundreds of drones crossing into Ukraine from the southeast, headed toward western regions, including Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi with blasts heard in Lviv and Ternopil and damage reported in the cities of Lutsk, Khmelnytskyi and Khotyn in Volyn, Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi provinces.

Khotyn Mayor Andrii Dranchukon took to social media Thursday morning to call on residents to limit their electricity use to essential purposes, saying damage to power infrastructure from drones would take up to two weeks to repair and pledging assistance to people whose homes had sustained damage.

A general strike swept the occupied West Bank after Israel passed a death penalty law that only targets Palestinians, sparking international condemnation and protests.

Aircraft also forced to take off without possessions, Spanish media report

Spanish media have reported that luggage has been left behind or simply not been unloaded from aircraft as a massive strike across 12 airports continues in the run-up to Easter. After the second day of the indefinite strike called at 12 Spanish airports by Groundforce, at least six planes had to depart this Monday from Madrid-Barajas Airport without passengers’ luggage, ABC reported

The strike continues at Groundforce’s ground handling facility, a Globalia group company that provides services to the airports of Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Málaga, Gran Canaria, Valencia, Ibiza, Bilbao, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and air cargo in Zaragoza.

These work stoppages, called by the unions CCOO, UGT, and USO due to wage disputes with the company, are scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the morning, afternoon, and night shifts – from 5 to 7am, 11am to 5pm, and from 10pm to midnight.

Some airports have had little disruption, Europress reported. Palma Airport was said to be operating almost as normal early on Wednesday morning, with isolated delays due to a ground staff strike.

Specifically, there have been two delays to departures and four delays to arrivals, according to information from Aena obtained by Europa Press. Ibiza Airport, which is also affected by the ground staff strike, has not reported any incidents.

READ MORE: Spain 12 airports strike Monday update on flights delayed as lawyer says ‘get there 3 hours early’READ MORE: Spain 12 airport strikes Tuesday update as aircraft take off ‘without luggage’

Union FeSMC-UGT said widespread impacts include widespread delays averaging nearly one hour per flight, flights left unattended, with essential ground handling services clearly overwhelmed, and cancellations, especially during peak hours.

They also claimed thousands of bags have been left unloaded or delivered late, generating an unprecedented logistical collapse.

A spokesman said: “All of this constitutes the epilogue to irresponsible management by the company, which has opted for conflict instead of dialogue. A company that, judging by the facts, seems to care very little about its workers, its customers, and the thousands of affected passengers.

“The current situation reflects a complete breakdown in labour relations and an unprecedented deterioration of the internal climate, with an uncertain future if there is no immediate change in attitude.”

Meanwhile, ground handling company Menzies, which provides services to airlines such as Norwegian, EasyJet, and Canaryfly in the Canary Islands, reached an agreement and called off a strike planned for April 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th, coinciding with the peak days of Holy Week.

The strike, which had been called due to the company’s “organisational insolvency,” was going to affect approximately 3,000 of the group’s employees in Spain, 600 of them in the Canary Islands. It should be noted that the first days of the strike were scheduled for last Saturday and Sunday, but were cancelled due to the start of negotiations between the union representatives and the company.

Negotiations have concluded with an agreement between all parties, representing significant progress in labour rights and improved working conditions, thanks to the “constant effort and advocacy of UGT,” the union stated in a press release.

Passengers arrive to discover their posessions have been left behind as days of walkouts start at sites – full list

Passengers flying from 13 Spanish airports hit by strike action have landed to discover all their luggage has been left behind, local media has reported. Canarias said the first day of the strike by Groundforce workers, the ground handling operator that services Air Europa flights, resulted in continuous delays across all the airline’s flights and passengers arriving at Canary Island airports without their luggage, having had to leave it behind at their point of origin.

Alternating work stoppages are taking place between 5 and 7 am, 11 am and 5pm, and 10 pm and midnight, the first day of the strike affected 13 Spanish airports, three of them on the islands of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, where delays occurred throughout the day. These delays did not originate at the island airports but rather on flights arriving primarily from Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao, with delays approaching an hour.

Airports impacted are Barcelona-El Prat, Madrid-Barajas, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Bilbao, Lanzarote, Alicante, Valencia and Malaga. The Groundforce strike is scheduled for this Wednesday (April 1) and Good Friday (April 3), with the possibility of becoming indefinite.

Because the aircraft operate on a network, delays accumulated throughout the day, causing significant disruptions to flights departing from the three affected airports in the archipelago. At major airports on the Iberian Peninsula, such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao, planes departed without luggage in their holds throughout Monday, leaving many passengers arriving at their destinations without their belongings.

READ MORE: Spain 12 airports strike Monday update on flights delayed as lawyer says ‘get there 3 hours early’READ MORE: Spain airport strikes warning as Easter travellers face severe delays

It’s worth remembering that the most affected route is Madrid-Gran Canaria, on which Air Europa operates seven flights daily. According to Orlando Robledano, secretary of the aviation sector at the UGT union, the strike’s impact on Canary Island airports has been reduced due to the minimum services imposed by Groundforce on all Lanzarote Airport employees. Even members of the works council received this notification requiring them to comply with these minimum services, making it impossible to achieve the level of participation required for a strike of this nature.

This, coupled with the fact that domestic flights at Canary Island airports are protected and must be serviced regardless of delays, meant that the problems were less severe at the islands’ airports than at those on the mainland. Other affected airports include Alicante, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, and Málaga.

Hosteltur reported that strikes at Canary Island airports during the peak days of Holy Week, between Maundy Thursday (April 2) and Easter Monday (April 6) may be called off as workers at Menzies—who provide check-in, boarding, and baggage services to airlines such as Norwegian, EasyJet, and British Airways—along with the works council and their union representatives from UGT, are close to reaching an agreement to call off the strike that was set to affect nearly 3,000 of the group’s employees in Spain, 600 of them in the Canary Islands.

At least six planes took off from Madrid-Barajas Airport on Monday without their passengers’ luggage due to an indefinite strike by the ground handling company Groundforce. On this first day of the strike, disruptions are being reported at all airports, although the most significant impacts are felt in Madrid and Barcelona, according to union sources, Telecinco reported.

Passengers report long queues and checked baggage left on the tarmac during the first day of the strike The indefinite strike by Groundforce ground staff began this Monday at Barcelona Airport, with protests taking place at three different times. The affected services are all those related to ground handling.

Long queues were reported at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport, where Alberto García said: “There have been some delays, and some planes have even departed with very little luggage. It was the protesters themselves who informed passengers that their bags would not arrive on time.

“The unions continue fighting for their objective and are demanding that the company comply with the wage agreements stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement.” At this time, many people have seen their flights significantly delayed or have had their luggage left behind.

In Madrid, people have had to wait for extended periods to check their luggage. Some report waiting for “four or five hours.”

Many planes, especially those arriving from Madrid, “are arriving without luggage, and the problems are spreading,” a UGT spokesperson told Europa Press, adding that “there is no guarantee that luggage will arrive.” The delays “affect not only direct flights but also many connecting flights, since passengers arrive without their luggage and therefore miss their next flight.”

WASHINGTON — President Trump threatened Monday to destroy vital Iranian energy and water infrastructure if a peace deal is not reached, as Tehran continued to deny negotiations were taking place and said it was preparing for a ground invasion following the arrival of thousands of American troops in the region.

If a ceasefire agreement is not reached quickly, the president said in a social media post, “We will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!).”

The threats came within hours of the president insisting on Sunday night that diplomatic efforts would “probably” lead to a deal soon, and that Iran had allowed 20 more oil cargo ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a “sign of respect.”

Trump said the United States is in “serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME in Iran” but offered no details.

Iran, however, continued to throw cold water on the negotiations Monday when Esmail Baghaei, the foreign ministry spokesperson, dismissed the Trump administration’s terms as “unrealistic, unreasonable and excessive.”

“I do not know how many people in the United States take American diplomacy claims seriously. Our mission is clear, unlike the other side, which constantly changes its position,” he said in comments carried by the semi-official Iranian agency Tasnim News.

Baghaei said that there have been no direct negotiations, but only messages through intermediaries stating that the U.S. wants to confer.

On Saturday, the USS Tripoli, a naval warship, arrived in the Middle East carrying about 3,500 sailors and Marines and a transport of fighter planes. Earlier this month, the San Diego-based USS Boxer and two warships from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit departed from Camp Pendleton to join the buildup of troops in the region.

The deployments have made Iranian diplomatic envoys even more dubious that American peace efforts are sincere.

“The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground offensive. [They] are nothing more than a cover to hide preparations for a land invasion,” Iran’s top lawmaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a statement Sunday.

He added that Iranian forces were waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to “set them on fire” and “punish their regional partners forever,” according to state media.

As officials in both Washington and Tehran strike increasingly hard lines, neighboring countries are desperate for a truce.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi pleaded with Trump to stop the war during a speech at an Egyptian energy conference on Monday.

“I tell President Trump: Nobody can stop the war in our region in the gulf but you,” Sisi said.

“Please, Mr. President, please. Please help us stop the war. You are capable of doing so.”

Egypt, though not directly involved in the war, has contended with its repercussions on energy, fertilizer and food prices, not to mention disruptions to shipping income Cairo receives through the Suez Canal.

“Wealthy countries might be able to absorb this, but for middle-income and fragile economies, it could have a very, very severe impact on their stability,” ‌Sisi said, noting that predictions of oil reaching $200 per barrel were “not an exaggeration.”

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979, which saw Israel return territory it seized during the 1967 war. Though the agreement is deeply unpopular with most Egyptians, it has held despite escalating tensions during Israel’s campaign against Hamas.

In December, the two nations formally announced a $35-billion agreement expanding Israel gas exports to Egypt. But the war with Iran has disrupted supplies, tripling the cost of imports, according to Egyptian officials.

Last week, the government ordered energy-saving measures for a one-month period, including early closing times for most commercial establishments as well as reductions in street lighting and allocations for government vehicles.

Jordan, another U.S. regional ally that is also energy-starved, took similar steps, enacting bans on air conditioning in government offices and private use of government vehicles.

Despite talks of negotiations, the fighting showed little sign of abating.

Trump’s call for peace followed a fresh round of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran Monday. Tehran retaliated by hitting a major water and power facility in Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they intercepted incoming Iranian missiles.

Two U.N. peacekeepers were killed on Monday when an “explosion of unknown origin” hit their vehicle near the village of Bani Hayyan, in south Lebanon.

The deaths mark the second fatal incident in two days involving the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, a peacekeeping force established in 1978 and which later monitored cessation of hostilities between the two nations.

UNIFIL also reported a peacekeeper was killed Sunday night when a projectile exploded in a UNIFIL position.

“We do not know the origin of the projectile. We have launched an investigation to determine all of the circumstances,” a UNIFIL statement on Monday said.

Meanwhile, Israel continued its bombardment of Lebanon, hitting areas near the capital and in the country’s south. One strike targeted a Lebanese army checkpoint, killing a soldier, the Lebanese military said. Lebanese authorities said on Monday that the death toll since hostilities broke out between Hezbollah and Israel earlier this month continues to rise.

The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was killed in a Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack in southern Lebanon, which also wounded four other soldiers. Six soldiers have been killed since Israel restarted its campaign in Lebanon.

Hezbollah rockets also killed two civilians, according to Israeli health authorities.

Israel’s fire and rescue service said a fuel tanker and a building at the oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa were hit by debris from an intercepted missile, according to a report from Israeli daily the Times of Israel.

It was unclear whether the missile was launched by Iran, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah or Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Deaths from the conflict continue to rise, with 1,900 people killed in Iran, over 1,200 in Lebanon, 19 in Israel and 13 U.S. military members. Millions of people have been displaced from their homes in Iran and Lebanon.

Ceballos and Quinton reported from Washington, Bulos from Beirut.

Many of Spain’s major airports are set to be hit by strike action this week.

UK tourists hoping to travel to Spain for Easter sunshine should be aware that workers are set to strike at several of the country’s biggest airports.

The strikes affect ground-handling services at the airports of Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Palma, Ibiza, Málaga, the Canaries and more and the first of the action is set to start on Monday. The strikes are by Groundforce and Menzies workers and are a result of salary disagreements.

The Groundforce strikes had been due to start on Friday but they were delayed. However, it is believed they will now start on Monday, take place at set times of day in the mornings, afternoons and nights and continue indefinitely. Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that “there is as yet no indication as to whether there will be further suspensions of strike action”.

Menzies workers were due to have gone on strike this Saturday and Sunday. That was also suspended but 24-hour strikes from April 2 to 6 have not been called off.

Groundforce operates at Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Málaga, Gran Canaria, Valencia, Ibiza, Bilbao, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Menzies operates at Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Tenerife North.

The Traveler website reports that “travellers heading to Spain over Easter face a challenging season, as walkouts by airport ground staff threaten queues, baggage delays and potential timetable disruption at some of the country’s busiest hubs”. It added that “reports indicate that the stoppages are partial rather than full shutdowns, typically concentrated in several time bands during mornings, midday and late evenings. This pattern mirrors earlier labour disputes at Madrid, where limited ground handling strikes created bottlenecks at baggage reclaim and during boarding, while flights continued to operate under minimum service rules.”

It added: “For most holidaymakers, the most visible impact of the strikes is likely to be queues and slower processing rather than mass cancellations.”

Travel and Tour World, a B2B travel publisher, says travellers “are being urged to check their flight status regularly and stay updated on the latest developments”.

Strikes not the only problem

The strike action coincides with the ongoing rollout of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) which could cause further delays. Under this system, which has been rolling out since October and is expected to be fully operational by April 10, all travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries have to be photographed and fingerprinted at EU airports and border points.

The Telegraph reports that the Home Office and travel organisations “are advising holidaymakers to allow extra time to arrive at their destinations on both entry and exit because of predicted queues of two to four hours at busier airports”. It adds: “Delays at airports on return journeys have already led to some holidaymakers missing their planes home, even though they arrived within the required two-hour limit.”

It reported how Tenerife airport has already seen “acute delays” with one recent traveller saying on Facebook that she had spent three hours queuing in passport control, writing: “Our flight left with 15 passengers on and ditched the rest of us here in Tenerife to fend for ourselves.”

Another traveller said she had been astonished to arrive at her airport departure gate in Paris recently to find a long queue. She said: “I had entirely forgotten about the additional security checks. Only one kiosk was open, with a queue of at least 30 people, and the clock was ticking down to our flight’s departure. As we stood there, another 40 individuals joined the queue behind us, yet still, only one kiosk was operational.

“The process was painfully slow. The queue barely seemed to budge, and more people continued to join behind us. From the snippets of conversations I caught, everyone appeared as taken aback – and stressed – as I was.

“Fortunately, my partner and I had started relatively close to the front, so we managed to reach the gate just in time. As for the people behind us, I have no clue.”

Thick, black smoke rose from Kuwait International Airport Saturday after suspected Iranian drone strikes damaged radar systems and fuel storage facilities, state media said. No fatalities were reported. The airport has been repeatedly targeted since the US-Israeli war on Iran erupted.

Ex-paramilitary group, set up to fight ISIL, but now integrated in Iraqi forces, blames US and Israel.

Air strikes targeting Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) have killed three fighters and two Iraqi police, as the US-Israeli war on Iran continued to spill over Iraq’s eastern border.

An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera that Saturday’s double-bombing of the PMF’s headquarters near northern Iraq’s Kirkuk Airport also wounded two other fighters and six Iraqi soldiers.

A statement from the ex-paramilitary coalition, which is now integrated into the regular Iraqi army, blamed the United States and Israel, saying that those killed had been “subjected to a treacherous Zionist-American” attack.

Separately, the Reuters news agency quoted security sources as saying that two members of the Iraqi police were killed in an air strike targeting the PMF in Mosul, about 105 miles (170km) northwest of Kirkuk.

Reporting from Baghdad, Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque said that Iraq was turning into an “expanding battleground” in the crisis, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and now threatens to engulf the region in a protracted conflict.

Since the war broke out, pro-Iran armed groups within the PMF, which was formed on the orders of Najaf-based Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in 2014 to fight ISIL (ISIS), have claimed responsibility for attacks on US interests in Iraq and beyond and have themselves been targeted.

Haque said the PMF takes its orders from Baghdad, but some factions are loyal to Tehran.

“That makes it very difficult for Baghdad to hold all of this together. Up until the war, the government successfully brought everybody around the table [and] was able to manage the different factions,” he said.

But as the war expands into Iraq, Baghdad has found itself “on a tightrope” between the US and Iran, said Haque.

“They can’t afford to turn their back on their biggest neighbour, Iran. Nor can they afford to turn their back on the United States,” he said, noting the economic and security ties between Baghdad and both countries.

Saturday also saw two drones targeting an airbase serving as a hub for US and coalition forces near Erbil airport in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region. Haque said the US C-RAM air defence system was activated and intercepted the drones.

Iraq attacks ‘a worrying development’: Macron

In parallel, Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported a drone attack on the house of Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdish region, in the western town of Duhok.

Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, condemned “in the strongest terms” the assault.

“Once again, we call on the federal government to act on its responsibility, bring these outlaw criminals to justice, and curb the continued terrorist attacks carried out by these groups,” he said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on X that he had spoken to Barzani, calling increased attacks in Iraq a “worrying development”.

In other developments, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that a drone had crashed into the southern Majnoon oilfield “without detonating, causing no damage or injuries”.

Talks broke down this week that would lead to widespread disruption for travellers over Easter to airports in places like Mallorca and the Canary Islands

UK tourists have been given a significant update over planned strike action at multiple airports in Spain. Talks broke down this week before officials announced that strikes would be held over several dates in March and April.

Airports set to be affected by the measures included Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, , Gran Canaria, Málaga, Alicante, and Tenerife (South and North). Now an update has been reported in the Spanish press.

Two sets of strikes at Spanish airports have been partly cancelled, according to Spanish media reports. There had been concerns about extensive disruption at major airports throughout Spain owing to industrial action.

Larazon now reports that trade unions have postponed imminent strikes due to start today that would have seen staff at airport services operators Groundforce and Menzies walk out. The update comes after advances in wage negotiations – but strikes planned for later on have yet to be cancelled, according to local media.

Spanish reports say that trade unions have called off the first day of strike action at Groundforce, Air Europa’s ground handling company, and the first two days of the strike scheduled for this weekend at Menzies, another airport ground handling operator. This is according to sources from the UGT trade union speaking to Efe.

The partial and indefinite strikes planned Groundforce strikes were set to began this Friday. They would have coincided with the beginning of the Easter holiday exodus.

Ultimahora reports that the industrial action at Groundforce had been scheduled for the morning, afternoon and night shifts (from 5am to 7am, from 11am to 5pm, and from 10pm to midnight) with plans set to continue indefinitely. Additionally, the UGT has agreed to call off the first two days of industrial action at Menzies, planned for this Saturday and Sunday. In Menzies’ case, the strike had been called exclusively by UGT – the main union at the firm – for 28 and 29 March, and between 2 and 6 April.

The English language Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that 24-hour strikes for Menzies staff from April 2 to April 6 have not yet been scrapped. It also reported that there is no sign of further suspensions to the other planned strike action for Groundforce staff.

The strike notice at the ground handling operator covered all businesses within the group (Menzies Aviation Ibérica and Menzies Ground Services) and around 3,000 employees. The union had cautioned that, should no deal be struck with the company, the strikes would be rolled out to every weekend until the year’s end.

Groundforce operates at Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Málaga, Gran Canaria, Valencia, Ibiza, Bilbao, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Menzies operates at Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Tenerife North.

Delays are expected at check-in, baggage handling and other services affecting UK holidaymakers

Major UK tourist hotspots are set to face disruption within days due to widespread strike action. The Canary Islands in Spain is getting ready as unions prepare to go on strike this and next month.

Airports across the Canary Islands are bracing themselves for industrial action by ground handling staff over the Easter period. Trade unions representing workers at Menzies and Groundforce have announced walkouts.

More than 1,500 employees throughout the islands are expected to take part, according to Spanish website Canarias7. Aviation hubs in the Canary Islands are making preparations for the ground handling strike announced for Easter week, which forms part of a nationwide protest.

Three major spots used by Brits are set to be affected, according to the website. Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura are all set for disruption.

The industrial action has been organised by staff at Menzies and Groundforce. Reports say the action will almost certainly lead to hold-ups in ground operations – including check-in, baggage processing and collection.

Menzies has a workforce over 600 and handles operations for carriers including Norwegian, British Airways, and EasyJet, among others. It operates at Gran Canaria, Tenerife North, and Tenerife South airports, as well as on the mainland at major airports such as Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga and Alicante.

The UGT union-coordinated action will kick off this weekend (28th and 29th March), with further stoppages planned for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th April, during the peak travel period for Easter week. Groundforce is a Globalia group firm providing services to Air Europa. We reported earlier this week that the action is taking place over rights and working conditions for staff.

Unions say they are taking strike action over the implementation of pay scales among other things. Close to 900 employees across the Canary Islands – encompassing Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura – face disruption. The Groundforce industrial action is set to begin tomorrow, 27th March, with walkouts planned for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays across staggered time slots: 5:00-7:00am; 11:00am-5:00pm; and 10:00pm-midnight.

On the Menzies action, Spanish media reports say that should no agreement be reached, the strikes will continue every Saturday and Sunday until 31 December, following the same timetable. That could lead to months of disruption.

Police source tells Al Jazeera the attack hits positions of the Iran-aligned PMF, which the US has increasingly targeted.

An aerial attack on a military base in western Iraq’s Anbar province has killed seven fighters and wounded 13, according to Iraq’s Ministry of Defence.

The strikes on Wednesday targeted the military healthcare clinic at the base in Habbaniyah, according to the ministry. It called the attack “a heinous crime” that violated “all international laws and norms”.

An Iraqi police source told Al Jazeera the attack targeted positions of the Iraqi military’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a paramilitary force that includes some Iran-aligned brigades and reportedly shares the base with members of Iraq’s regular army.

“What we understand from the military here is that air strikes were carried out and then further strikes carried out on that same position,” said Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig, reporting from Baghdad. He said it appeared to be the first time the PMF was hit alongside the broader Iraqi military.

Iraq has denounced the attack as the country has been dragged into the United States-Israeli war on Iran. On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office said Baghdad would summon the Iranian and US ambassadors over the recent strikes.

‘Right to respond’

A security official quoted by the AFP news agency said the strike occurred at the same base that suffered a deadly attack the day before.

Tuesday’s strike, which the PMF blamed on the US, was the deadliest in Iraq since the start of the war on Iran on February 28, It killed 15 fighters, including a commander.

The attack prompted Iraq’s government to grant the PMF a “right to respond” to any attack against it, a position Baghdad reaffirmed on Wednesday.

“We reserve our full right to take all necessary measures to respond to this aggression within the established legal frameworks,” the Defence Ministry said.

Since the war began, pro-Iran armed groups have claimed responsibility for attacks on US interests in Iraq and across the region while strikes have also targeted these groups, including at government-linked positions.

The US Department of Defense has acknowledged that combat helicopters have carried out strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the current conflict.

Baig said the latest strikes demonstrate “an escalation in terms of the PMF being targeted”.

“Increasingly, Iraq is becoming a battlefield between Iraqi armed factions and the United States,” he said.

March 24 (UPI) — An unidentified projectile struck the grounds of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday night, according to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, the second time in a little more than two weeks that the facility has been threatened by the ongoing war.

The projectile struck at 9:08 p.m. local time, resulting in no casualties or damage, it said in a statement.

“Attacking peaceful nuclear facilities is not only a violation of international regulations and rights, but also seriously endangers #regional security,” Iran’s AEO said in a post tagging the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“It is expected that international institutions will adopt a responsible and transparent stance in response to such actions.”

The IAEA said it was informed of the incident by Iran, adding that the plant was operating normally.

The agency’s director-general, Rafael Grossi, reiterated his call “for maximum restraint to avoid nuclear safety risks during conflict,” the IAEA said in a statement.

The incident comes eight days after an unidentified projectile struck near the plant on March 17, the first reported strike near Bushehr since the war between Iran and the United States and Israel began late last month.

Located near Bushehr city on Iran’s southwest Persian Gulf coast, the Bushehr plant began construction in 1975, but its original German contractor abandoned the project following the Islamic Revolution four years later. In the mid-1990s, Russia agreed to complete Bushehr Unit 1, Iran’s first reactor, which began operating in 2011, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

RIO and Kate Ferdinand have fled Dubai for their holiday home in Portugal after being left “scared” by missile strikes on the UAE.

Former Towie star Kate, 34, relocated to the celeb favourite hotspot last year with her hubby and football pundit, Rio, 47, and was one of countless Brits caught up in the conflict.

Previously, she told how the family had been forced to sleep in their basement after Iran launched a barrage of rockets at nations across the Middle East.

In the terrifying situation, which is still ongoing, Iran vowed revenge for the US and Israel’s huge blitz on the regime.

Now the celebrity couple and their children Cree, five, and Shae, two, and Rio’s 14-year-old daughter, Tia, from his first marriage, have headed to their European retreat.

Former Manchester United player Rio has uploaded a snap showing him swigging a Super Bock beer in the surroundings of their Portugal home.

TUNE CHANGE

Kate Ferdinand makes U-turn saying she loves living in Dubai after war scare

DU-BYE

How Kate Ferdinand’s Dubai bubble burst after attack as she begs Rio ‘take me home’

In his caption he referred to the weekend’s football scores and wrote: “That feeling when Liverpool + Chelsea drop points in the race for the top 4!

“Happy Saturday People!”

He sat against the white walled terrace of the stunning villa in the Algarve near Quinta do Lago, with bright sunshine and trees in the background.

Liverpool had lost at Brighton 2-1 while Chelsea suffered a 3-0 hammering at Everton.

Kate has not addressed the location change on her social media, with the most recent upload being a clip from her Blended podcast.

Previously, on her show, she had opened up on the family’s actions amid the missile strikes.

As the United Arab Emirate’s top holiday hot spot, Dubai has become a sought after travel destination for celebrities and influencers.

Kate previously told her fans they spent “a very scary night” sleeping in their basement.

“Thank you for all of your messages and sorry for the silence, I haven’t wanted to worry you all I just haven’t been able to find the words. We are safe,” she said on Instagram.

“The government are doing an amazing job of keeping it that way and despite my nerves I feel we are in very safe hands.”

She added: “We are hoping for a calmer evening tonight, last night was very scary. Although Cree and Shae loved it as they couldn’t believe we all got a sleepover in the basement. 

“Thank you for all of your prayers, this whole experience is very eye-opening and I am praying for anyone affected. Lots of love to everyone.”

Rio’s sons Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, did not move over when they relocated from the UK last year to focus on their football careers.

Previously, Rio also admitted he had been “scared” when the pair were trapped in Dubai during the Covid-like lockdown.

Speaking on his show Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former Manchester United and England defender said: “Been a different week for me, not going to lie.

“Firstly, I’m in great condition this morning as the whole family did a workout.

“A bit like in Covid, the whole family is doing things we wouldn’t usually be doing together.

“Home-schooling a bit today.

“It’s frightening when you hear missiles, planes and fighter jets – I don’t know what it is – going above us, and you’re hearing big bombs, and what that is we don’t know as we don’t know the details of what they are.

“It’s telling your kids what it is and helping them navigate through this moment, which is important especially as the dad of the house.

“You want to try and remain calm and keep everybody as calm as possible.”

Ferdinand added: “I’ve got to be honest guys, it’s been a bit of a scary situation.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog was forced to take cover as a missile struck nearby shortly after he gave a press conference in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. During the speech, Herzog aid Israel cannot return to last year’s ceasefire and must secure “strategic depth inside Lebanon.”

March 23 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States will postpone its military strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure amid talk of a resolution but Iranian state media denies such talks have taken place.

The president told CNBC’s Joe Kernen that the United States is “very intent on making a deal with Iran.” Earlier Monday he posted on social media that he will hold off on strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days because the United States and Iran have had “very good and productive conversations” about a resolution to end hostilities in the Middle East.

Trump said the positive talks with Iran took place “over the last two days” following his threat to target Iran’s energy infrastructure on Friday.

“Based on the tenor and tone of these in depth, detailed and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week, I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions,” Trump posted.

Iranian state media disputed Trump’s claim of conversations about a drawdown of fighting, citing an unnamed “senior security official.”

“There has been no negotiation and there is no negotiation and with this kind of psychological warfare, neither the Strait of Hormuz will return to its pre-war conditions nor will there be peace in the energy markets,” Iranian state media posted on Telegram, citing an unnamed source.

The unnamed source told the media outlet that Trump has backed down on his threat to target energy infrastructure. Trump had warned that he would target power plants and infrastructure if Iran did not fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Transportation of oil on the Strait of Hormuz has largely halted since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Iranian officials urged that they will continue to threaten vessels on the strait as long as hostilities continue, leveraging the economic impact of doing so.

The global oil market continues to respond to activity on the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing war, with the price per barrel exceeding $100 at different points in the past week.

Videos show the aftermath of strikes in Iran, as search teams recover bodies from rubble. Residents are using torches to look for loved ones, as air raids appear to have knocked out power in some parts. Iran’s health ministry says more than 1,500 people have been killed during the US and Israel’s war.

Real stay within four points of league leaders Barcelona with hard-fought win in Madrid derby.

Vinicius Jr scored ⁠twice ⁠as Real Madrid fought back to beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in ⁠a breathless Spanish capital derby on Sunday, keeping Alvaro Arbeloa’s side ⁠within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Atletico’s Ademola Lookman opened the scoring in the 33rd minute on Sunday, finishing a slick ‌counterattack involving Matteo Ruggeri and a delightful backheel from Giuliano Simeone.

Vinicius equalised from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute after David Hancko clumsily tripped Brahim Diaz, and Federico ⁠Valverde capitalised on a ⁠Jose Maria Gimenez error three minutes later to make it 2-1 to Real.

Nahuel Molina silenced Real’s ⁠Bernabeu stadium with a thunderous 30-metre strike in ⁠the 66th minute, but ⁠Vinicius restored Real’s lead with a cracking solo effort six minutes later.

Valverde then saw red ‌for an inexplicable challenge on Alex Baena, and Julian Alvarez struck the ‌post ‌as Atletico pressed, but Real held firm.

Arbeloa praised his side for showing “pure Real Madrid mentality” to emerge with a difficult win.

“We’re in a good moment, it wasn’t an easy match at all. The opponent made it very difficult for us,” he said.

“We had to show a very strong mentality, they equalised again fiercely and we had to press again. That’s what I liked the most – the mentality of this team.”

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone said his side deserved to come away with more from the game.

“We could have defended their goals better and done more in attack,” he said.

“We’re facing teams that play well, and if you give them anything, they’ll hurt you. We deserved more.”

Earlier on Sunday, Barcelona edged Rayo Vallecano 1-0 as Ronald Araujo headed in the winner in the 24th minute at Camp Nou, and Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García’s impressive performance showed why he is most likely heading to the World Cup with Spain.

Araújo jumped over his marker and scored after Joao Cancelo’s corner to the far post.

Raphinha came close on three occasions to also scoring for the hosts in the first half. He shot wide on the break, forced goalkeeper Augusto Batalla to tip a shot over the bar, and hit the woodwork shortly after Araújo’s goal.

Garcia saved a shot by Carlos Martin in the game’s opening minute, blocked Unai Lopez’s header early in the second half and got just enough on a low strike from Jorge de Frutos in the final moments to push it wide.

Garcia was included in Spain’s squad for the first time on Friday ahead of two friendly matches which will serve as warmups for this summer’s World Cup.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Alaves achieved one of the club’s most memorable wins after it erased a three-goal deficit at Celta Vigo to secure a 4-3 victory. The stunning result lifted Alaves out of the relegation zone.

In Bilbao, Dani Vivian and Oihan Sancet scored to give Athletic a 2-1 win over Real Betis in the first match since Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde said he would leave the Basque club at the end of the season.

Families displaced by Israeli strikes are sheltering in tents across Beirut, as rain falls, with residents describing difficult conditions, limited aid and uncertainty over when they can return.

“Whatever we do, we do together, and as far as possible, in confidence.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to back US strikes on Iran’s power grid if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as he visited the site of an Iranian strike in Arad. He urged world leaders to join the war effort as US-Israeli attacks on Iran have killed more than 1,500 people and injured thousands.

Tehran, Iran – Military and political authorities in Iran are projecting a message that “victory” is near as war with the United States and Israel continues to escalate, and air strikes and assassination attempts are reported across the country.

Massive joint US-Israeli air raids were recorded in multiple areas of the capital Tehran overnight into Sunday, and in central Iran’s Isfahan city in the morning, a day after Dezful and Andimeshk in western Khuzestan and several other cities were hit.

Israeli warplanes also conducted two separate sets of precision strikes on privately-owned residential units located in small towns in the green provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran to the north on Saturday, which appeared to be assassination attempts on officials.

Local authorities confirmed that several people were killed, but did not elaborate. Israeli and US media said a senior drone commander is believed to have been killed.

Nevertheless, top officials in Tehran said they were unyielding and focused on retaliatory attacks.

Parliament speaker and former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the fact that Iranian missiles struck Israel’s Dimona overnight shows that a “new stage of battle” has started where “Israel’s skies are defenceless”.

Majid Mousavi, aerospace commander of the IRGC, echoed the same statement about control over Israeli skies in a post on X on Saturday night, which came in response to the US and Israel declaring dominance over Iranian airspace.

“Pinpoint precision Seyed Majid, hit Dimona again,” chanted flag-waving pro-establishment supporters shown on state television broadcasts, calling on Mousavi for action.

Israel said more than 180 people were injured in Dimona, a southern city where its key nuclear facilities are also located, in addition to nearby Arad.

Ahmad-Reza Radan – Iran’s hardline police chief, who has been cited by Israeli media as being a target for assassination along with Mousavi, Ghalibaf and others – was seen briefly addressing a group of supporters in Tehran on Saturday night.

“Trump first threatened the European Union, then begged. Today, he has said he will come take Greenland if the Europeans don’t come. I want to tell the European Union that if they can’t hold on to Greenland, then send a request and we will come preserve it,” he said, followed by chants of “Alla akbar” (God is greatest).

Defence Ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik said in a statement that attacks across the region will continue “until the complete halt and surrender of the enemy”.

The taunts are in line with the state’s messaging in recent days, including a written statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, who was selected as the supreme leader after his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated on the first day of the war, but who has not been seen or heard.

The message said Iran’s enemies were being “defeated” and there is “particular unity” among supporters of the theocratic establishment.

Over the past week, the country’s top security official, commanders of the paramilitary Basij force of the IRGC, the government’s intelligence minister, and a number of other military and security personnel have been among those killed.

The government reports that a large number of residential buildings, hospitals, schools and other civilian facilities have also been impacted during the war, as state supporters control the city streets, squares and mosques to counter potential anti-government protests.

‘Say goodbye to electricity!’

The Iranian rhetoric quickly escalated on Sunday after US President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum for Tehran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key water route for global energy export, or face strikes on its power plants.

In response, Iranian politicians and armed forces said they would strike back harder against the region’s energy facilities.

The IRGC-affiliated Mehr news agency released a map with graphics that showed power plants across the region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, that could be attacked if Iranian facilities are hit. An accompanying message read, “Say goodbye to electricity!”

On Saturday night, state and IRGC-affiliated media circulated a different map, showing Doha and also marking the central offices of Al Jazeera network as potential targets, and said all residents of the Qatari capital were advised to evacuate immediately.

State television quickly issued a retraction and cited unnamed sources as saying the map was not official, but no explanation was provided about who circulated the image and why.

The all-around promises of escalation, particularly around bombing electricity facilities and other critical civilian infrastructure, have created additional concerns among many Iranians about the impact on daily lives and implications on the country’s future.

“If the main power plants are bombed, it’s not going to be just a brief disruption; it could stop the flow of everything from water to gas,” a Tehran resident told Al Jazeera, asking to remain anonymous due to security concerns. “It would be foolish to just punish the population like that.”

The US-Israeli forces have also struck natural gas facilities in southern Iran and bombed fuel reserves across Tehran, but authorities said fires and damage were contained quickly without creating major disruptions.

In an Instagram post to mark Nowruz, the Persian New Year, iconic footballer and nationally respected figure Ali Daei said this year’s celebrations were different because Iran is grieving for its people killed in the war.

“Wishing for a prosperous and free Iran, away from war and bloodshed, all about welfare and calm,” he wrote, drawing the ire of a number of state media, including the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim, which criticised Daei for not specifically condemning the US and Israel.

Proclamations, warnings under blackout

Meanwhile, the internet remains cut for more than 92 million Iranians for a 23rd day, becoming the longest shutdown in the country’s history, trailed only by a 20-day blackout imposed during the killing of thousands of anti-government protesters in January.

State media outlets continue to focus on successful IRGC attacks and present Iran as a country on the brink of being recognised as a world power, as they refrain from communicating details about the US and Israeli attacks or significant damage sustained.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the national security committee of Iran’s parliament, told the state television on Sunday that the IRGC’s overnight attacks against Israel “opened a new page in shifting the balance of power and showed the victory of the Islamic Republic in this imposed war”.

The parliamentary committee’s spokesman, Ebrahim Rezaei, stretched the same line of thinking even further, and said in a post on X that Iran should demand to become a veto-yielding permanent member of the United Nations Security Council as a condition for ending the war. The lawmaker did not say how or when he expected that to happen.

Iran’s government has also demanded war reparations and guarantees against future aggression, but the US and Israel have been pushing to overthrow the Islamic Republic that came to power in a 1979 revolution.

Intelligence authorities advised the Iranian population on Saturday that even being a member of foreign-based news and war footage channels on Telegram and all other social media outlets banned by the state could violate national security laws.

The Iranian judiciary said that such channels are considered “terrorist” outlets and that sending any videos of impact sites or armed state checkpoints on the streets to them could carry maximum penalties like confiscation of assets and even execution.

State security authorities have emphasised that anyone who engages in anti-establishment protests will be treated as an “enemy”.