thousands

Thousands in Paris protest military operations in the Middle East. One of more than 85 coordinated protests across France. The rally opposed US and Israeli military operations in Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Thousands rallied in central Madrid calling for an end to the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, with protesters warning the conflict could escalate into a global war.

Tens of thousands of people have gathered around the world for al-Quds Day, an annual event on the final Friday of Ramadan demonstrating solidarity with Palestine and opposition to Israeli occupation.

Rallies took place across numerous countries, including Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kashmir and Yemen. In Tehran, thousands marched, chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America” as the United States-Israeli military campaign entered its 14th day of conflict.

The event has long been associated with Iran, and was established by the country’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1979.

This year’s observance coincided with the US-Israel attack on Iran that has killed at least 1,444 people, including the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

Crowds turned out in Tehran and other cities, despite ongoing US and Israeli strikes in the region during the commemoration, state media reported.

Demonstrators worldwide expressed solidarity with both Palestinians and Iranians. In Kashmir, protesters burned mock coffins bearing images of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while shouting slogans against the United States and Israel.

For the first time in 40 years, the United Kingdom banned London’s al-Quds Day march, citing risks of public disorder related to the “volatile situation in the Middle East” and potential confrontations between opposing groups. This marks the first protest ban since 2012, when authorities prohibited marches by the far-right English Defence League.

According to Iran’s Health Ministry, another 18,551 people have been injured in US-Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28.

Protesters in Athens have marched to the US Embassy to condemn the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, joining protests held worldwide over the escalating conflict.

RAIL passengers commuting over the Easter period can expect major disruptions to services.

The UK’s biggest intercity line will be closed for six consecutive days early next month.

Engineering work has been planned for the busy route, which carries over 75 million passengers a year, from Good Friday (April 3) to Wednesday, April 8.

There will be no west coast mainline services between London Euston and Milton Keynes on these dates, with services between Preston and Lancaster halted on Easter weekend (Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5).

The upgrade works are part of a wider £400 million project, which will see improvements to the line’s reliability as well as repairs to tracks.

Jake Kelly, Network Rail’s regional director for the north-west and central region spoke to the Guardian about the latest upgrade.

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“The four-day period at Easter gives us a valuable opportunity to complete projects that simply can’t be delivered during a normal weekend,” he said.

“This ensures we maximise the time our teams are out working on the tracks.”

While the north London neighbourhood of Willesden, north London will see new tracks laid, there will also be repairs and upgrades at Harrow and Wealdstone station.

And a historic bridge in Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, which gained international notriety in the Great Train Robbery, is also scheduled for upgrades over Easter.

Kelly added that Network Rail is working hard “to keep as much of the network open as possible while carrying out these vital upgrades”.

Avanti West Coast will run services between Preston and Carlisle via the Settle-Carlisle line over the Easter period, while Anglo-Scottish services will be diverted via Dumfries and Kilmarnock between Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Network Rail has advised passengers to check before they travel on these dates.

Over 270 other upgrade projects are planned for various rail routes over the Easter period this year.

Thousands of civilians have fled an opposition stronghold in eastern South Sudan after the army ordered evacuations to clear the way for a military offensive, the latest sign that the country’s fragile peace is unravelling, as fears of a return to all-out civil war haunt the world’s youngest nation.

The town of Akobo, near the Ethiopian border, was almost completely emptied by Sunday after the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces issued an ultimatum on Friday demanding that civilians, aid workers and United Nations peacekeepers leave ahead of a planned assault.

“The town is now almost empty,” said Nhial Lew, a local humanitarian official. “Women, children and the elderly have left and crossed into Ethiopia.” By Sunday evening, he could hear the conflict closing in. “We are hearing the sound of machine guns approaching,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

The army’s deadline was set to expire Monday afternoon.

The order extends a government counteroffensive, launched in January and dubbed Operation Enduring Peace, that has already displaced more than 280,000 people across Jonglei state since December, when opposition forces began seizing government positions.

The UN’s Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned of a possible “return to full-scale war” if the country’s leadership didn’t take the challenges it faces more seriously.

“Preventing further mass atrocity crimes, institutional collapse, and the destruction of South Sudan’s fragile transition requires urgent coordinated national, regional and international re-engagement,” the report said.

Akobo, which had been considered a relatively safe haven and sheltered more than 82,000 displaced people, is one of the last remaining strongholds of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, or SPLM-IO, the armed movement loyal to South Sudan’s detained former vice president, Riek Machar.

Two UN flights evacuated most humanitarian staff on Sunday, though the International Committee of the Red Cross had not yet pulled its personnel from a surgical unit it runs at the local hospital, where wounded patients were still being treated.

“We are worried for our patients,” said Dual Diew, the county health director. “We tried to make a plan to take them to a safer location, but we don’t have enough fuel.”

The offensive comes amid a wider breakdown of the 2018 peace agreement that ended a civil war between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing Machar, a conflict that killed an estimated 400,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Machar has been under house arrest in the capital, Juba, since March 2025, facing charges of treason and murder that his supporters say are politically motivated.

His detention coincided with a sharp rise in armed opposition activity, and a UN inquiry has since found that South Sudan’s leaders have been “systematically dismantling” the accord.

Conflicts have taken place across the country among groups associated with the two factions, said Jan Pospisil, a South Sudan researcher who spoke to Al Jazeera.

Dozens killed in the north

On Sunday, at least 169 people were killed, among them 90 civilians, including women and children, when armed men stormed a village in Abiemnom county in the country’s north.

The local administrator blamed the attack on elements of the White Army, a militia historically allied to Machar, alongside SPLM-IO-affiliated forces. The group denied any involvement. More than 1,000 people sought shelter at a UN base in the area.

“Such violence places civilians at grave risk and must stop immediately,” said Anita Kiki Gbeho of the UN mission in South Sudan.

Aid organisations operating in the conflict zone have also been targeted, with Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials, MSF, saying on Monday that 26 of its staff remain unaccounted for, a month after a government air strike destroyed its hospital in the town of Lankien and a separate facility in Pieri was looted.

Staff who had been reached described “destruction, violence and extreme hardships”. It was the 10th attack on an MSF facility in 12 months.

“Medical workers must never be targets,” said Yashovardhan, the charity’s head of mission in South Sudan, who uses only one name.

Pospisil said the crisis had exposed the fragility of Kiir’s hold on power.

“The state is literally falling apart,” Pospisil said, referring to the convergence of conflict in the country and the elderly state of the president, whose condition has raised questions.

Pospisil added that the outcome of Machar’s ongoing trial would likely shape what comes next.

HUNDREDS of thousands of commuters are bracing for travel chaos this weekend.

An entire tube line will be brought to a halt due to track work.

Transport for London has warned that the Hammersmith&City line will be shut across Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8.

This is reportedly due to track work being carried out along the line.

Sections of the Circle, District and Metropolitan lines will also be affected by the shutdown.

Passengers traveling between Hammersmith and Tower hill, and between Edgware Road and High Street Kensington on Circle and District lines will need to find a different route.

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Those who commute between Baker Street and Aldgate on Metropolitan line will also have to pick an alternative journey.

A huge chunk of Piccadilly line will also be closed over the weekend with no service between Cockfosters and Uxbridge, even on Friday and Saturday Night Tube.

The disruption comes as part of a major upgrade plans on the line, which will see new trains introduced, tracks improved and better CCTV installed on platforms.

Acton Town and Heathrow will continue to provide services.

The closure means commuters will have to seek alternative routes or replacement transport, with other Tube and rail services expected to be busier than usual.

Meanwhile, parts of the DLR will be closed to test out a batch of upgraded trains.

FLIGHTS are continuing to be cancelled as the travel chaos caused by the Middle East conflict enters a fourth day.

Limited flights were permitted to take off last night, which included an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi to London.

However the majority of airlines have confirmed that most flights remain cancelled.

According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, around 73 flights are scheduled from the UK to the Middle East, working out to nearly 25,000 passengers affected today.

Emirates, which operates out of Dubai, confirmed that “limited flights” took off yesterday.

However, this was only for passengers with earlier bookings, and only those who are being contacted by Emirates.

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They warned: “Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified.

“All other flights remain suspended until further notice.”

Etihad also operated limited flights yesterday across Asia and Europe, which included a flight to London.

However, most scheduled flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until at least 2pm tomorrow.

In a statement, it confirmed: “Passengers should not travel to the airport unless they have been contacted directly by Etihad Airways and advised to do so.”

Qatar Airways confirmed this morning that flight operations were “still suspended due to the closure of the Qatari airspace”.

It added: “Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.

“A further update will be provided on March 4 by 9am Doha time.”

Virgin Atlantic has cancelled its Dubai to London flight today but has not yet confirmed any cancellations tomorrow.

And British Airways said they have “cancelled a number of our flights to the Middle East”.

Most airlines are allowing passengers to ask for a full refund, or can move their flights to a later date without any additiona charge.

Yesterday, the General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE – in a very rare move – confirmed that the state would cover all accommodation and hosting costs for stranded passengers.

This means anyone still stuck in Dubai or Abu Dhabi will be able to stay at hotels free of charge, as well as not pay for any additional costs like food and drink.

The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot explains everything to do know about travelling to the Middle East right now.

DUE to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, many Brits will find their holiday plans postponed or cancelled.

From those who are stranded in the UAE or supposed to be heading abroad, what does the conflict mean when it comes to travel insurance and your airline rights?

Well, UK travellers stranded across the globe or due to fly via the Middle East in the coming days have very different rights depending on who they booked their trip with.

Those who booked flights with a non UK or EU airline like Emirates, Etihad or Qatar and were travelling from a destination outside the UK via the Middle Eastern hubs have limited rights compared to those who are travelling with a UK or EU airline or flying directly in or out of the UK.

UK passenger rights mean airlines have a duty of care to provide you with food and drink while you are delayed as well as a way to communicate by email or phone and overnight hotels and transfers if needed. 

Under these same rights, the airline must get you to your destination as soon as is possible, even if that involves a different airline.

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However, those travelling on non UK or EU flights from elsewhere in the world to the big hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar do not get the same rights.

This could be someone travelling from Thailand back to the UK via Dubai that is now stranded in Thailand as flights have been cancelled and the airspace is closed.

Airlines in this case MUST get you to your destination as soon as possible but there is no legal right to meals, accommodation or communication.

They also must provide you with a refund if you choose not to travel but beware of this option. The minute you accept a refund, the airline has no duty of care to you and no obligation to re-route you.

You would then need to book new flights yourself, which may be significantly more expensive. Travel insurance would not cover the difference between a refunded ticket and a new booking.

Despite this, the General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE have – in a very rare move – confirmed that the state would be covering all accommodation and hosting costs for stranded passengers.

Of course, this only applies to Brits who are stranded in the UAE, so the likes of Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

Due to its location many holidaymakers will pass through the likes of Dubai or Doha before travelling onwards during an indirect journey.

In fact more than half a million travellers head through the hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha every day.

For Brits, many long-haul flights to destinations like Thailand, Australia and South Africa generally stop in these airports.

Due the ongoing conflict, the airspace has been closed, as have the airports in Dubai and Doha.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi is starting up very limited flights with Etihad Airways.

Tim Riley, MD of travel insurer True Traveller and chairman of the UK Travel Industry Association, which represents all the major UK insurers, has advice for impacted travellers.

He explained that while airlines have an obligation to re-route passengers, they cannot override certain situations.

Tim said: “The primary issue in the current situation is airspace closures and the inability to leave the country.

“Travel insurance cannot override government airspace restrictions or operate repatriation flights.

“Airlines have a legal obligation to re-route passengers to their final destination once services resume, whether on their own aircraft or with an alternative carrier.”

Airlines are releasing statements on imminent trips, and head here for the latest updates on flights and holidays.

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THE ongoing crisis in the Middle East has left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded abroad – with the situation not looking likely to improve.

The conflict between the US and Iran has had a knock-on affect across other destinations in the region, including the UAE.

This has led to all airspace in the region being closed, with both Dubai Airport and a luxury hotel hit over the weekend.

And yesterday the UK Foreign Office advised against all non-essential travel across the UAE.

With Dubai Airport being one of the busiest in the world – as many as 2,500 flights a day – this means thousands of people are being affected.

As many as 94,000 Brits are thought to be still stranded abroad, with the Foreign Office working a rescue mission.

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According to Cirium, around 5,340 flights across the Middle East have been cancelled this week.

There are 539 flights scheduled from the UK to the Middle East this week which works out to 180,000 seats.

UK-based aviation consultant John Strickland called the disruption “unprecedented” – with it being a similar chaos level of the Covid pandemic.

He told the Press Association: “We’ve had other conflicts in the region, but not, I think, really in the scale of military conflict or scale of activity that we have now with the Gulf carriers.”

So here is everything you need to know about the airlines and tour operators cancelling flights to and from the UK, as well as until when.

British Airways

British Airways has cancelled a number of flights to the Middle East, which includes from London Heathrow to Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Amman.

They aid in a statement: “We have cancelled flights to Amman, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv up to and including the 03 March and today’s Larnaca service.

We are closely monitoring the situation and have cancelled a number of our flights to the Middle East.

“Safety is always our top priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so.”

They added: “If you are due to fly between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv up to and including 15 March you can change your flight date free of charge to travel on or before 29 March.

“Customers travelling up to and including 8 March may also request a full refund.”

Virgin Atlantic

A number of Virgin Atlantic flights have been cancelled, with others rerouted.

The airline states: “Due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, we have rerouted some of our flights and taken the decision to cancel some of our upcoming services between London Heathrow and Dubai, as well as services between London Heathrow and Riyadh.”

Four have already been cancelled, with one to Dubai and one to Riyadh today also cancelled from London Heathrow.

They also said: “We are actively reviewing our flying programme each day and doing everything we reasonably can to minimise disruption.

“Our teams are identifying alternative solutions, securing available capacity and rebooking customers wherever possible, while ensuring safety remains our absolute priority.”

Emirates

Emirates has cancelled all flights to and from Dubai until at least tomorrow, although this is likely to be extended.

In a statement, they said: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 1500hrs UAE time on Tuesday, 3 March.

“We urge all customers to check flight status before proceeding to the airport.”

Passengers affected are being given two options – one being to rebook on another flight to the intended destination by March 20.

Or, passengers can get a full refund – although if you are already on holiday, this means they no longer have a duty of care for you when it comes to booking your flight home.

Qatar Airways

The airline, based out of Qatar, has cancelled all flights to and from Doha.

The airline said: “Qatar Airways flights to, and from, Doha have been temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.”

This is likely to affect passengers using Doha as a base for connections, with it operating flights across Asia.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways flights are affected to and from Abu Dhabi.

The airline said: “Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad Airways’ operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 14:00 UAE time on Monday 2 March.”

Passengers can either rebook for free up until March 18, if travelling up until March 7.

Anyone travelling up until tomorrow can request a refund.

TUI

Brits with TUI holidays booked will also be affected, especially if flying to or via the UAE.

This is likely to affect holidays to Dubai, as well as to Thailand, Vietnam and Jordan.

The TUI website currently states: “Due to Airspace restrictions in parts of the region, some flights to and from the UK have been impacted and may experience delays and cancellations.”

The Sun has contacted TUI for additional comment.

Loveholidays

Loveholidays is also cancelling holidays to any of the affected areas, which includes the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

They said in a statement: “We’re aware of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East and understand that you may be concerned about how this could affect your holiday.

“The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated its advice and is now advising against all but essential travel to United Arab Emirates (UAE) – including Dubai and Abu Dhabi – Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar.

“As a result, holidays and connecting flights due to travel to these destinations will be impacted while this advice remains in place.

“We have made the difficult decision to cancel all holidays to or via impacted areas of the Middle East departing up to and including 7 March 2026.

“Our team is starting to process full refunds for these holidays and will contact you directly.”

Anyone already in these destinations is advised to contact their airline.

March 1 (UPI) — Thousands of South Koreans gathered in central Seoul on Sunday to call for peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula and oppose what they described as a two-state framework between the two Koreas.

The rally, organized by Citizens’ Solidarity for ONE KOREA, was held at Gwanghwamun Square near the Dongwha Duty Free shop to mark the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement.

Organizers estimated attendance at more than 4,000. Police did not immediately provide an independent estimate.

Organizers said pre-event cultural performances began at 1 p.m., including traditional percussion and a performance by a North Korean defector-turned-singer. The main program opened at 2 p.m., with speakers emphasizing the legacy of the 1919 independence movement and calling for renewed efforts toward unification.

Participants included civic activists, religious leaders, North Korean defectors, separated family members, overseas Koreans and young people. Many held signs reading “Two Koreas: No, One Korea: Yes.”

North Korea in recent months has characterized inter-Korean relations as those between “two hostile states,” effectively redefining its official stance on unification. In South Korea, the unification minister has said the ministry is proceeding with steps to formalize what he described as a “peaceful two-state” approach as a ministry position.

Kim Hyung-seok, a 105-year-old emeritus professor at Yonsei University, delivered a special message urging citizens to take the lead in pursuing national unity. He said unification should be achieved by the Korean people rather than driven solely by political leaders.

Religious figures from different faiths also addressed the crowd. Buddhist monks Hyein and Eung cheon spoke at the rally, alongside Protestant pastors Kim Jin-hong and Jang Hak-il, who criticized what they described as efforts to institutionalize division on the peninsula. Participants later sang “Our Wish Is Unification,” a song long associated with reunification hopes.

North Korean defector Kang Chol-hwan, head of the North Korea Strategy Center, spoke about human rights conditions in the North and stressed the importance of expanding outside information access to North Korean residents.

Jang Man-soon, head of a civic group representing families separated by the Korean War, announced plans to raise funds for broadcasting initiatives aimed at North Korea and to promote the establishment of a platform tentatively named “Korea Link.”

During a joint declaration, youth representatives from the South and from the defector community pledged to uphold the spirit of the March 1 movement and work toward unification based on freedom, human rights and shared prosperity.

After the rally, participants marched around the Gwanghwamun area, concluding the event at about 5 p.m.

Organizers said they plan to continue nationwide activities promoting what they described as a citizen-led movement for peaceful unification.

Caracas, February 27, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced on Wednesday that he had received the resignations of Attorney General Tarek William Saab and Ombudsman Alfredo Ruiz. 

Both officials had been ratified in their positions in October 2024 for a seven-year term extending through 2031. Rodríguez did not specify the motives expressed by Saab and Ruiz in their resignation letters.

Following the officials’ departure, lawmakers declared a parliamentary urgency and appointed a 13-member committee tasked with selecting candidates and appointing new figures to both posts within 30 days.

In the interim, at Rodríguez’s proposal, the Venezuelan parliament appointed Saab as acting ombudsman, while naming Larry Devoe—formerly executive secretary of the National Human Rights Council—as acting attorney general.

Under normal legal procedure, Saab’s post would be temporarily filled by the deputy attorney general. However, Rodríguez explained that the position is currently vacant, requiring parliament to adopt extraordinary measures.

A lawyer by training, Tarek William Saab was part of the legal defense team for Hugo Chávez following the 1992 civil-military uprising and later represented relatives of leftist militants and guerrillas who were tortured or disappeared during the Fourth Republic period. He served as ombudsman from 2014 to 2017, when the National Constituent Assembly appointed him attorney general after the removal of his controversial predecessor Luisa Ortega Díaz.

As the country’s top prosecutor, Saab took charge of several high-profile cases, including the arrest of former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami. Saab likewise headed Venezuela’s relations with the International Criminal Court, accusing the tribunal of “lawfare” in its investigation of human rights abuses committed by Venezuelan authorities.

Alfredo Ruiz, a professor and founding member of the social organization Red de Apoyo por la Justicia y la Paz (Support Network for Justice and Peace), had served as ombudsman since 2017.

Larry Devoe is a lawyer specializing in criminal and criminological sciences. He previously held several positions within the Ombudsman’s Office and was appointed executive secretary of the National Human Rights Council in 2014. He is currently a member of the Peace and Coexistence Program established in January by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

Following the temporary appointments, opposition lawmaker Henrique Capriles described Saab’s designation as acting ombudsman as “an insult to victims.”

Speaking to reporters after the legislative session, Capriles accused Saab of being “responsible for persecution and criminalization” in Venezuela and criticized his new role. 

“It is an insult to victims, to those of us who expect that public powers in this country will change—that there will be institutions serving the interests of Venezuelans and not the government,” he said.

Regarding Devoe, Capriles argued that he is “someone close to the ruling party,” adding that the country “needs a truly independent attorney general and ombudsman.”

Parliamentary commission processes amnesty requests

The resignations come amid the implementation of an Amnesty Law that has facilitated the release of detainees accused or convicted of political violence dating back to 1999. The legislation covers 13 specific periods between January 1, 1999, and 2026, mostly related to “protests and violent events.”

Jorge Arreaza, head of the National Assembly’s Special Commission for the Development and Implementation of the Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence, reported on Friday that 8,110 individuals have filed petitions for amnesty since the law’s approval last week.

According to the Socialist Party deputy, 223 individuals previously in prison have been released, while 4,534 people subject to parole-type measures—such as mandatory court appearances or house arrest—have been fully cleared.

Far-right politicians Freddy Superlano and Juan Pablo Guanipa, both accused by authorities of terrorism and criminal conspiracy, were among those released in recent days.

In total, 4,757 individuals have benefited from the law to date, according to Venezuelan officials. Arreaza added that Venezuela’s justice system remains on permanent alert to expedite procedures for cases that qualify for amnesty.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

IF you missed out on the January launch of The Sun’s Hols From £9.50, there’s no need to worry.

From March 1, thousands of new breaks will be added to the Sun Holidays from £9.50 website – where you can gain early access from one minute past midnight if you’re a Sun Club member.

This includes previously sold-out dates at some of the most popular UK holiday parks, as well as breaks at plenty of sunny resorts across Europe.

Plus if you’re a Sun Club member, you’ll be able to catch a head start when booking.

Sun Club members can head straight online at midnight on Sunday March 1.

Others must wait until morning to collect code words from the newspaper to unlock booking.

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How do I go about booking?

There’s multiple ways to get access to £9.50 holidays, including collecting tokens from the newspaper to enter online to unlock the deal.

However there is a faster and easier way to gain access, which is by joining Sun Club. Join Sun Club at thesun.co.uk/club for £1.99 a month or £12 for a year.

Once you’re a member, go to the Sun Club Offers hub and find the Hols From £9.50 page – book your break from midnight on Sunday March 1.

This gets you ahead of those collecting codes, who have to wait until morning to purchase a newspaper to find the final code.

Plus once you’ve signed up you can enjoy plenty of other benefits too, such as discounted tickets to top UK attractions.

So why not stay up and join the midnight service to be among the first to access these new breaks?

What are Hols from £9.50?

The Sun’s Holidays from £9.50 are a selection of breaks available to book across the UK and Europe that can cost you as little as £9.50pp.

These holidays range from mega family parks in the UK to sunny beachfront stays abroad.

Over at Hols from £9.50, there are more than 300 holiday parks to choose from.

These range from romantic adults-only resorts such as Sand Bay in Somerset, to fully-fledged family resorts like Billing Aquadrome in Northampton.

Some of the most popular UK holiday parks for families include Seal Bay in West Sussex and Unity Beach in Somerset, both of which have an action-packed entertainment program.

Plus it’s not just UK holiday parks receiving a major boost in booking dates – there’s sunny hotspots across Europe that you can book, too.

These include holiday parks in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Croatia, the Netherlands and more.

And with sunny holiday resorts like the palm-fringed Bella Terra in Spain and Orbitur Valverde in the Algarve to pick from, you could be jetting off abroad for cheap.

These are just some of the 300+ resorts available under Sun Hols from £9.50.

And if you had your eye on a resort that quickly sold out in January – we’ve got good news!

Even previously sold-out dates at a range of popular parks are back with a fresh restock this March.

Tips for bagging your break

Queen of the £9.50 holiday Tracy Kennedy has been booking these holidays for nearly 30 years, and has shared her top tips for logging on and bagging the resort you want.

Tracy recommends getting prepared with your top picks for parks, as well as joining the website at midnight with Sun Club membership.

She said: “Come up with a list of your top four parks from the list of those available.

“Popular sites like Seal Bay and Unity Beach tend to go really fast.

“So if you’re set on which park you want, book it as soon as possible.

“But you should also add a few extras you wouldn’t mind going to, just in case you don’t get your top picks.

“To be in with the best chance of getting the one you want, you should set an alarm.

“I book through Sun Club  at midnight, so I make sure to stay up.

“I call it The Midnight Service. It started years ago when we could start booking online.

“A few minutes after midnight comes, then Sun Club people can book. Which includes me, straight after midnight. The people collecting codes have to wait a bit longer”.

“I love the convenience of having it all online. And it’s nice getting that extra priority with it opening early.

“I definitely recommend joining Sun Club to get first dibs.”

Torrential downpours cause deadly mudslides in southern Peru, while more than 300 districts across the country declare states of emergency.

Peruvian authorities say they have recovered the bodies of a father and son who died in a mudslide triggered by heavy rains, which have battered the country’s southern regions of Ica and Arequipa, affecting an estimated 5,500 homes and forcing many people to evacuate.

Authorities in Arequipa have called on the country’s interim president to declare a state of emergency in the region as the governor announced that multiple shelters were being opened to house those fleeing the floods.

Peru’s Council of Ministers said on Monday that more than 700 districts nationwide have been declared in emergency status.

In Cayma, Arequipa, a vehicle was seen semi-buried under mud, and homes teetered on the verge of collapse after flash floods swept away the earth and destroyed roadways, the Reuters news agency reported.

According to the Associated Press news agency, the bodies of a father and son were recovered after being swept away by a landslide.

The recovery came a day after 15 people were killed when a military helicopter crashed while providing rescue services during the flooding.

Rescue teams found the wreckage of the helicopter in the Chala district, officials said. Seven children were among the 11 passengers and four crew members who died, according to the AFP news agency.

Torrential downpours have caused widespread damage across southern Peru, affecting about 5,500 homes and forcing many residents to evacuate.

Images shared by Peruvian media showed streets torn up in the affected areas and vehicles buried deep in the mud slides as rescue workers attempted to clear streets using mechanical earth movers.

The El Niño Costero (coastal) climate phenomenon has been the cause of the recent weeks of heavy rain in Peru, weather forecasters report, and is expected to strengthen slightly next month, threatening more heavy rain.

While El Niño is a natural cycle that has existed for millennia, scientists increasingly link its severity to climate change. Rising global temperatures provide a warmer “baseline” for the ocean, making it easier for these extreme heating events to reach record-breaking thresholds and increasing the atmosphere’s capacity to hold the moisture that fuels torrential rain and catastrophic flooding.

The latest deaths come as just 260 people, out of 18,500 in urgent need, have been allowed to seek medical care via the crossing to Egypt, the United Nations says.

Israeli fire has killed at least two Palestinians in separate incidents across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, as Israel continues to block thousands of Palestinians from seeking urgent medical attention through the partially-reopened Rafah crossing in its ongoing, more than two-year genocidal war on the enclave.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent on the ground reported that one child was killed in the northern Strip when an Israeli drone targeted children on their way to check their destroyed homes in the area.

Meanwhile, soldiers opened fire on and killed Muhand Jamal al-Najjar, 20, near the Bani Suheila roundabout east of the city of Khan Younis, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Gaza hospital sources told Al Jazeera that Israeli fire also wounded three Palestinians in al-Mughraqa in the central Strip and the al-Mawasi area of Rafah to the south. 

Since the “ceasefire”, which Israel has violated on a near-daily basis, took effect in mid-October, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,600 wounded, according to the latest figures released by the Palestinian Ministry of Health earlier this week.

Limited reopening

The latest deaths come as the Israeli military maintains its blockade on Palestinians looking to exit Gaza via the Rafah crossing to Egypt for medical care.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has tallied a total of 260 patients leaving Gaza since the first day of reopening two and a half weeks ago, the office told Al Jazeera on Wednesday – a small fraction of the roughly 18,500 people who desperately require evacuation.

The figure even falls short of an earlier promise from an Egyptian border official that at least 50 Palestinians would cross in each direction starting from the first day. Instead, just five patients were permitted to leave.

Human rights and medical groups, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have repeatedly called for Palestinians to be able to access critical care outside Gaza.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on social media earlier this month that the body wanted to see an “immediate reopening of the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”, and for more countries to accept patients for specialised care not available in the Strip.

But Gaza’s health system – which Israel has largely decimated since starting its war on the embattled enclave in October 2023 – must look to “reduce reliance on medical evacuations”, he added.

“This is now the top priority,” Tedros said, ticking off necessities including scaling up health services inside Gaza, stocking fresh medical supplies, and repairing damaged facilities.

The rate of return to Gaza through the checkpoint has also been slow: 269 people had passed into Gaza as of February 11, OCHA said in its latest report.

One recent batch – made up of 41 people who were transported to Nasser Medical Complex – said Israeli soldiers subjected them to humiliating physical searches and intense interrogations, an Al Jazeera team reported.

Returnees have previously recounted being blindfolded during hours of political interrogations and psychological pressure before being allowed to re-enter Gaza.

Thousands of Western nationals joined the Israeli military amid its genocidal war in Gaza, raising questions over international legal accountability for foreign nationals implicated in alleged war crimes against Palestinians.

More than 50,000 soldiers in the Israeli military hold at least one other citizenship, with a majority of them holding US or European passports, information obtained by the Israeli NGO Hatzlacha through Israel’s Freedom of Information Law has revealed.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 72,061 people in military actions that have been dubbed war crimes and crimes against humanity by rights groups.

Rights organisations around the world have been trying to identify and prosecute foreign nationals, many of whom have posted videos of their abuse on social media, for their involvement in war crimes, particularly in Gaza.

So, what does the first such data reveal about the Israeli military? And what could be the legal implications for dual-national soldiers?

Which foreign nationals enlist most in the Israeli military?

At least 12,135 soldiers enlisted in the Israeli military hold United States passports, topping the list by a huge margin. That is in addition to 1,207 soldiers who possess another passport in addition to their US and Israeli ones.

The data – shared with Al Jazeera by Israeli lawyer Elad Man, who serves as the legal counsel for Hatzlacha – shows that 6,127 French nationals serve in the Israeli military.

The Israeli military, which shared such data for the first time, noted that soldiers holding multiple citizenships are counted more than once in the breakdown.

The numbers show service members enlisted in the military as of March 2025, 17 months into Israel’s devastating war in Gaza.

Russia stands at third, with 5,067 nationals serving in the Israeli military, followed by 3,901 Ukrainians and 1,668 Germans.

The data revealed that 1,686 soldiers in the military held dual British-Israeli citizenship, in addition to 383 other soldiers who held another passport in addition to their British and Israeli ones.

South Africa, which brought a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also had 589 of its citizens serving in the Israeli military ranks.

Furthermore, 1,686 soldiers hold Brazilian citizenship, 609  Argentine, 505 Canadian, 112 Colombian, and 181 Mexican, in addition to their Israeli nationality.

Israel’s military comprises an estimated 169,000 active personnel and 465,000 reservists – of whom nearly eight percent hold dual or multiple citizenships.

Can dual nationals be tried for war crimes in Gaza?

Ilias Bantekas, a professor of transnational law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera that “war crimes incur criminal liability under international law, irrespective of what the law of nationality says”.

Otherwise, Nazi Germans, whose law allowed and obliged them to commit atrocities, would incur no liability, Bantekas added. “Dual nationality is immaterial to criminal liability,” he said.

However, the major issue in prosecuting the accused “is getting [them] on your territory and putting them before a court”, he noted.

Bantekas also added that there is no difference in the question of liability between native soldiers and those of dual nationalities.

Dual nationals, in fact, “may in addition be liable under laws that prevent military service in foreign conflicts or joining armies of other nations”, the professor said.

Prosecuting foreign nationals has been “pretty much the norm”, he noted.

“Think of Nazi Germans tried by Allied war crimes tribunals after World War II, Japanese officers tried by US military courts, and crimes committed during the Bosnian conflict where alleged offenders were tried by various courts in Europe,” Bantekas told Al Jazeera.

Last May, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office said that allegations of war crimes should be submitted to the Metropolitan Police.

“The UK recognises the right of British dual nationals to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of the country of their other nationality,” it said. “Allegations of war crimes should be submitted to the Met Police for investigation.”

Have foreign nationals been tried for Gaza war crimes?

Nationals with dual or multiple citizenships have not yet been arrested for committing war crimes in Gaza. But rights groups, including lawyers, are trying to get them prosecuted.

In the UK last April, the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the UK-based Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) filed a 240-page report to the Metropolitan Police.

Accusations against the 10 British individuals, whose names have not been publicly disclosed, include murder, forcible transfer of people, and attacks on humanitarian personnel, between October 2023 and May 2024.

In September last year, a case was filed in Germany against a 25-year-old soldier, born and raised in Munich, for participating in the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, by PCHR, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), Al-Haq, and the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights.

The sniper, with shootings documented near Gaza’s al-Quds and Nasser hospitals between November 2023 and March 2024, was a member of a unit known as “Refaim”, “ghost” in Hebrew.

Legal proceedings against members of the same unit are also under way in France, Italy, South Africa, and Belgium.

The Belgian public prosecutor’s office also opened a judicial investigation last October into a 21-year-old Belgian-Israeli citizen, a member of Refaim.

The mandatory military service law in Israel exempts dual nationals residing abroad, making the enlistment a voluntary act, an important distinction when such crimes are tried in foreign courts. Lawyers have reportedly noted that the voluntary nature of the soldiers’ service makes them more liable for alleged crimes.

What does international law say about soldiers in foreign wars?

South Africa brought its case to the ICJ in December 2023, arguing that Israel’s war in Gaza violates the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

While a final ruling could take years, the ICJ issued provisional measures in January 2024 ordering Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid. But Israel has continued curb the supply of aid into Gaza in violation of the ICJ interim order.

Under the 1948 Genocide Convention, countries that are party to the treaty have a binding obligation to prevent and punish genocide. Countries can investigate and prosecute individuals who may have committed or been complicit in this crime.

In March last year, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) announced the “Global 195” campaign to hold Israeli and dual-national individuals accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The coalition aims to work simultaneously within multiple jurisdictions to apply for private arrest warrants and initiate legal proceedings against those implicated, including the Israeli military members and the entire Israeli military and political command in its scope.

For countries that are parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), there is an additional layer, where the ICC can assert its jurisdiction. Palestine has been a state party since 2015.

The State of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign nation by 157 of the 193 UN member states, representing 81 percent of the international community. Most recently, it has been recognised by France, Belgium, Canada, Australia, and the UK.

A foreign national, whose country considers Palestine a “friendly state”, would also be vulnerable to prosecution for participating in the Israeli military’s war crimes in Gaza.

How is the Hind Rajab Foundation tracking alleged war criminals?

The Hind Rajab Foundation – named to honour a five-year-old Palestinian girl whose killing by Israeli soldiers on January 29, 2024 became emblematic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza – has been amassing troves of data with identifiable information about Israeli soldiers.

The Belgium-based foundation is the force behind an international effort for accountability over war crimes in Gaza – and has since filed several cases, including a landmark challenge targeting 1,000 Israeli soldiers.

The foundation identified numerous individuals with dual citizenship, including 12 from France, 12 from the US, four from Canada, three from the UK, and two from the Netherlands, in the complaint.

The foundation has scoured TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where the Israeli soldiers boast about atrocities in Gaza, to collect information on the soldiers. It has been using those pieces of evidence to pursue the trail of the accused for war crimes.

“We are in possession of many more profiles of dual nationals beyond the 1,000 soldiers named in our complaint to the ICC. We will be pursuing legal action against all of them in the national courts of their respective countries,” the foundation had said in October 2024. “Impunity must end, everywhere.”

The Hind Rajab Foundation says it pursues criminal accountability for Israeli war criminals, from those who planned and ordered operations to those who executed them, including foreign nationals who have participated in or financed these crimes.

Its founder, Dyab Abou Jahjah, was also threatened by Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, who told him to “watch your pager” in a post on X, an allusion to deadly attacks on Hezbollah members’ communication systems in September 2024. At least 12 people were killed and more than 3,000 people were wounded when thousands of pagers were detonated by Israeli operatives during those attacks.

In January last year, a complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation led to a Brazilian judge ordering an investigation into an Israeli soldier vacationing in the country. The soldier had to flee, prompting the Israeli military to order all troops who participated in combat to conceal their identities.

“Criminal liability under international law cannot be dissolved by time bars. It extends forever, and no statute of limitations is applicable,” said Bantekas of Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

However, prosecuting Israeli military members “is practically difficult for two reasons”, he said, noting the difficulty of obtaining firsthand evidence and the wariness of national prosecutors who may fear political or other repercussions.

“If public opinion and political opinion in Europe shifts far more in favour of Palestine than it is now, then national prosecutions will feel more at ease to initiate prosecutions,” he told Al Jazeera.