Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of breaking Easter ceasefire
Russia and Ukraine blamed each other on April 20 for breaking a one-day Easter ceasefire declared by President Vladimir Putin, with both sides accusing the other of hundreds of attacks and the Kremlin saying there was no order for an extension.
Mr Putin, who sent thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022, ordered his forces to stop all military activity along the front line in the three-year-old war until midnight Moscow time on April 20 (5am on April 21 in Singapore).
Five hours before that expiry, Tass news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying there was no order from Mr Putin to extend the ceasefire. "There were no other commands," Mr Peskov was quoted as saying when asked if it could be prolonged.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was pretending to observe the Easter ceasefire, but had in fact continued hundreds of artillery attacks on April 19 night, with more assaults on April 20.
Israel's military finds 'professional failures' in killings of Gaza medics
The Israeli military on April 20 said a review into March's killing of emergency responders in Gaza found there had been "several profesional failures" and that a commander would be dismissed over the incident.
The 15 paramedics and other rescue workers were shot dead on March 23 in three separate shootings at the same location near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. They were buried in a shallow grave where their bodies were found a week later by officials from the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
In a statement released on April 20, the military said a commanding officer is to be reprimanded. A deputy commander, a reservist who was the field commander, will be dismissed from his position for providing an incomplete and inaccurate report, it said.
Israel cancels visas for French lawmakers
Israel's government cancelled visas for 27 French left-wing lawmakers and local officials two days before they were to start a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on April 20, the group said.
The action came only days after Israel stopped two British MPs from the governing Labour party from entering the country.
It also came amidst diplomatic tensions after President Emmanuel Macron said France would soon recognise a Palestinian state. Mr Macron has in turn sought to pressure Mr Netanyahu over conditions in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Turkey bans elective C-section births at private healthcare facilities
Turkey has imposed a ban on elective Caesarian-section births at private healthcare facilities without a medical justification under new health ministry regulations published this weekend in the government's official gazette.
The move, which has sparked a furious response from opposition politicians and rights groups, came after a heated debate in Turkey over how women should give birth.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been pushing hard for women to have so-called natural births.
Piastri wins in Jeddah to take Formula One lead from Norris
Oscar Piastri won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on April 20 and seized the Formula One championship lead from McLaren teammate Lando Norris with his third win in five races.
Red Bull's four-times champion Max Verstappen was runner-up, 2.843 seconds behind the Australian, after starting from pole at Jeddah's Corniche circuit, with Charles Leclerc taking Ferrari's first podium of 2025 in third.
Norris finished fourth, after racing back from 10th.
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