PALESTINE: Two Jewish settlers have been charged with terrorism for an axe attack on a Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank on March 6, Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said today.

The Shin Bet said that the attack occurred in the northern West Bank town of Hawara, the same town where hundreds of settlers burned houses and property in a rampage late last month that left one Palestinian dead.

BANGLADESH: Police in Bangladesh arrested a journalist for an influential newspaper on Wednesday on charges of spreading false news under the contentious Digital Security Act, authorities said.

Samsuzzaman Shams was arrested for a report published in the newspaper, Prothom Alo, on March 26, Independence Day.

The report quoted a day labourer as saying that the country’s independence didn’t mean much to him while he struggles to survive because of high inflation and other reasons. 

SYRIA: Syrian state media said that Israel staged air strikes in the Damascus area early on Thursday, wounding two soldiers and causing material damage.

Loud explosions were heard over the Syrian capital at about 1.30am, and the SANA state news agency said Syrian air defences were “confronting hostile targets.”

 SANA, quoting an unidentified military official, said that some missiles were shot down by the air defences.

PHILIPPINES: A ferry carrying about 250 passengers and crew caught fire in the southern Philippines, killing 31 people — who either drowned trying to escape the fire or died in the blaze — a provincial governor said today.

The governor said an investigation was underway and search and rescue efforts were continuing last night.