Hamas pushes for phase two
of Gaza truce talks
GAZA, Mar 09: Hamas reiterated on Sunday its insistence on moving directly into negotiating a second phase of the Gaza truce, as Israel announced it would dispatch a delegation to Doha for further talks. Representatives of the Palestinian militant group met with mediators in Cairo at the weekend, emphasising the need for humanitarian aid to re-enter the besieged territory "without restrictions or conditions", according to a Hamas press release. The high-level delegation also stressed the need for "moving directly to begin negotiations for the second phase" of the deal, which will aim to lay the groundwork for a permanent ceasefire. — AFP
Blackouts in storm-hit E Australia
SYDNEY, Mar 09: Hundreds of thousands of people remain without power in Australia after a cyclone brought wild weather to the east coast. Communities in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW) were beginning the clean-up on Sunday after the storm caused widespread flooding and knocked down power lines and trees. A 61-year-old man's body was recovered from floodwaters on Saturday, while in a separate incident, 12 soldiers were taken to hospital after their convoy crashed en route to rescue operations. The storm had weakened by the time it made landfall near Brisbane on Saturday night, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday warned locals of the continued wild weather and risks from flooding. — BBC
Pak Taliban kills 4 paramilitary troops
PESHAWAR, Mar 09: At least four Pakistani paramilitary troops were killed when local Taliban fighters attacked a security checkpoint in a northwestern border region, a police official said on Sunday. The attack occurred in Kurram district, located on the border with Afghanistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where there has been a rise in violence in recent years. "Heavily armed militants" launched the attack on Sunday morning, a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. — AFP
13 perish in Argentina rainstorm
BAHIA BLANCA, Mar 09: Argentina's port city of Bahia Blanca has been "destroyed" after being pummeled by a year's worth of rain in a matter of hours, killing 13 and driving hundreds from their homes, authorities said Saturday. Two young girls-reportedly aged four and one-were missing after possibly being swept away by floodwaters in the wake of Friday's storm. The deluge left hospital rooms underwater, turned neighborhoods into islands and cut electricity to swaths of the city. — AFP
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