Europe

Berlin: Experts said Wednesday they were halting rescue efforts for a humpback whale struggling in shallow waters off the German coast and had given up hope for its survival. The 13.5-metre (44-foot) animal has been floundering off Germany's Baltic Sea coast for more than a week, having first been spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 near the city of Luebeck. The creature managed to free itself but then became stuck again several more times near the city of Wismar. Coverage of its struggle for survival has gripped much of the German public. Experts had hoped the whale's odyssey would end with it finding its way back to its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean. But on Wednesday scientist Burkard Baschek, who had taken part in the rescue efforts, told reporters: "We are convinced that the animal is going to die" near Wismar. The whale's ordeal had severely weakened it, its breathing had become "very, very irregular" and it was exhibiting "virtually no" reaction to the presence of human beings, he added. The chances of it freeing itself again were "very low" and any further rescue efforts would therefore "be pure animal cruelty". Since it was spotted last week the whale had prompted a large-scale rescue operation involving firefighters, scientists and the maritime police. "Now we have the task of giving him some peace," said Till Backhaus, the environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The animal will now "have to depart this life," he said. An exclusion zone of 500 metres will be put in place around the whale in order to avoid disturbing it. The authorities have ruled out putting the whale to sleep, saying this would be too dangerous both for the whale itself and those taking part in the operation. In the case of its death, Backhaus said it would be transferred ashore for investigations to determine the cause of death.

Africa

Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest flight carrier, has resumed flights to some destinations in the Middle East after weeks of disruption caused by the conflict in the region. Mesfin Tasew, group chief executive officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines, said on Tuesday that the airline has resumed flights to key destinations in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, as well as a daily flight to Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Tasew said the airline is restoring operations to destinations "where improvements are observed," adding that the services are based on ongoing safety assessments and real-time intelligence. The disruption has weighed on its passenger volumes, particularly for flights linking Ethiopia to the Middle East, where a large Ethiopian diaspora lives and works. According to the CEO, the airline has sought to offset losses by strengthening capacity across other international destinations within its network. Ethiopian Airlines has become one of the fastest-growing carriers globally since it started operations in 1946. According to the company, it accounts for a large share of the African passenger and cargo market, with its youngest and most modern fleet to more than 150 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across the world.

Middle East

Gaza: Assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development in the Gaza Strip Riyad Al Bitar said that Israel's genocidal war against the Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, led to a sharp rise in the number of orphans, hitting around 64,000. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Bitar warned of unprecedented humanitarian consequences facing these children and called for an urgent intervention to save them. Before the war, the number of orphans in Gaza stood at around 17,000, only to multiply during the conflict, Al Bitar added. The assistant undersecretary said that the war left 64,616 children as orphans, amongst them 55,157 who lost their breadwinner during the war. He said that Gaza Governorate has the highest proportion, with 21,125 orphans, representing 32.7 percent of the Strip's total. On Arab Orphan Day marked on April 1, orphans in Gaza are living under unprecedented humanitarian conditions, facing challenges that go beyond the loss of parents, including forced displacement, loss of shelter, disruption of healthcare and education, and severe shortages of food and medicine, the assistant undersecretary continued. He stressed that the situation requires urgent intervention from both local and international organizations, focusing on key areas such as providing monthly financial sponsorship and basic living needs, rebuilding child-focused facilities destroyed during the war, and offering intensive psychological support programs to help them cope with loss and trauma. Similarly, Al Bitar pointed out that the number of widowed women in Gaza has risen to 47,019, describing the figures as alarming and reflective of the scale of humanitarian and social consequences caused by the war. He noted that figures indicate a serious worsening of social crises, with a sharp increase in the number of widows due to wartime conditions, with their number jumping from 20,649 before the war to 26,370 afterwards. The assistant undersecretary pointed out that the geographic distribution of cases vary: Gaza Governorate ranks first with 37.8 percent, followed by North Gaza (22.5 percent), Khan Younis (18.3 percent), central Gaza (13.2 percent), and Rafah (8.2 percent). Al Bitar highlighted that this high rise is not the only major concern, as most of the widowed women fall within the productive age group (19-59 years), accounting for 84.6 percent, while only 14.9 percent of widows are over 60 years old, in addition to 0.4 percent of them being under 18, posing exceptional legal and social responsibilities to protect them. Despite limited resources, the Ministry has developed an urgent response plan that includes a range of development and relief programs. These include small home-based projects, cash-for-work initiatives, intensive vocational training, psychological and social support, monthly food aid, regular financial assistance for widows, educational support programs, legal protection, and the establishment of integrated educational centers and shelter camps.