(NEW YORK) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed dismissed reports saying people were dying of hunger in his country, but allowed that people “may have died” due to malnutrition-associated illnesses.
“There are no people dying due to hunger in Ethiopia,” Ahmed told lawmakers in Parliament on Tuesday.
Authorities in Tigray are warning that the northern Ethiopian region is on the brink of a famine as nearly 400 people have died of hunger in Ethiopia’s conflict-hit Tigray and Amhara regions in recent months.
About 91% of Tigray’s population has been “exposed to the risk of starvation and death,” Getachew K. Reda, of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray, announced in a recent statement.
“Tigray is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe the likes of which have not been seen since the infamous 1984-85 famine that claimed the lives of millions of people across Ethiopia,” the administration said. “Indeed, at the moment, millions of Tigrayans are simply awaiting their gut-wrenching fate: death.”
A combination of drought — triggered by a shortage of seasonal rainfall — a desert locust infestation, and the temporary suspension of humanitarian aid have caused a “nightmarish humanitarian tragedy,” the administration said.
In a rare admission by the federal body, the national ombudsman last month announced nearly 400 people have died of starvation in Ethiopia’s Tigray and Amhara regions in recent months. There have been at least 351 recorded hunger-related deaths in Tigray, with an additional 44 deaths recorded in Amhara.
The region is still reeling from a devastating two-year civil war which saw the Ethiopian federal government and allied forces engaged in a deadly conflict with Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, forces in Northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
Speaking to ABC News in January 2023, Professor Jan Nyssen, senior professor at the Department of Geography at Ghent University, said at least 383,000 to 6,000 civilian deaths have occurred in Tigray between November 2020 and August 2022. The conflict left over 20 million people in Ethiopia in need of aid, over 2.8 million displaced.
In a statement sent to ABC News, the World Food Programme has said it is “extremely concerned” about the deteriorating situation in Northern Ethiopia, working to deliver food assistance to up to three million people in the coming weeks.
“Many are already facing severe hunger,” said Chris Nikoi, WFP’s Ethiopia country director.
In March 2023 the United Nations and the U.S. suspended food aid to Ethiopia’s Tigray region following a scandal involving the theft of humanitarian grain. The organizations later resumed deliveries on a smaller scale.
World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said the WHO is “gravely concerned” about the situation in Amhara: “The internet is still cut off in the region, severely impeding communication with health partners and authorities. Restrictions on movement are impeding the provision of humanitarian assistance.”
“The most pressing need is for access to the affected areas, so we can assess the need and respond accordingly,” Ghebreyesus said.
Ukrainian rescuers extinguish a fire in a residential building following a missile attack in Kyiv on Feb. 7, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)
(KYIV, Ukraine) — Russian missiles struck Kyiv early on Wednesday, killing at least four, destroying homes and temporarily knocking out power for many, Ukrainian officials said.
“Another massive Russian air attack against our country,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media. “Six regions came under enemy fire.”
At least 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones and 44 missiles were fired, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Fifteen of the uncrewed drones were intercepted, along with at least 29 cruise missiles of varying types, Ukraine said.
“We are grateful to our brave air defenders and our international partners who help us strengthening air defense capabilities,” the ministry said.
The air raid alert began at about 6 a.m. local time and lasted for about three hours.
At least three people were killed and another 16 were injured in Kyiv, according to the city administration. Another person was killed by the strike in Mykolaiv, where dozens of houses were hit, Zelenskyy said. Another two were injured in Kharkiv, he said.
“My condolences to all who have lost loved ones,” he said. “We will definitely retaliate against Russia; terrorists will always face the consequences of their actions.”
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink, who is in Kyiv, said she and others around the country awoke to “another massive Russian missile and drone attack.”
“There is no time to lose,” she said on social media. “Ukraine needs our security assistance now.”
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi stands with Ukrainian Minister of Energy German Galushchenko as he talks to the press during a media briefing, in Kyiv, on Feb. 6, 2024, before his visit to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The chief of the United Nation’s atomic energy watchdog warned Tuesday that there’s “no place for complacency” in security at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine.
“There is absolutely no place for complacency or to believe that everything is stabilised there. Far from it,” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Tuesday, according to a press release.
The energy chief is scheduled visit to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — the largest nuclear plant in Europe — on Wednesday.
The plant has been under Russian control since March 2022. The plant is located on the banks of the Dnipro River in the country’s southeast. It continues to be run by Ukrainian staff and has suffered many outages and even shelling since the war began.
Grossi had met earlier on Tuesday with the country’s energy officials. The IAEA has continued to have a “general concern” about the amount of staffers running the facility, Grossi said during a press conference in Ukraine on Tuesday.
Prior to the war, the facility maintained a staff of about 12,000, according to the IAEA. But that’s been cut to between 2,000 and 3,000 workers, the agency said.
“As I was saying just now, the facility is not producing energy, but still, there is a need to have a minimum number of people, ensuring a number of functions,” Grossi said. “So, so far, the situation is stable, but it is a very, very delicate equilibrium.”
He added that it was “very near” the minimum necessary staffing.
“So this is why I need to see by myself what is the situation, what are the prospects in terms of staffing,” he said.
Russian nuclear officials have said they plan to add staff, he said.
(NEW YORK) — More than 100 days since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of the neighboring Gaza Strip.
The conflict, now the deadliest between the warring sides since Israel’s founding in 1948, shows no signs of letting up soon and the brief cease-fire that allowed for over 100 hostages to be freed from Gaza remains a distant memory.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 06, 7:33 PM
US House fails to pass Israel aid bill
The U.S. House failed to pass a $17.6 billion standalone bill to provide aid to Israel.
The bill failed 250-180 during a vote Tuesday evening.
The GOP measure was being considered under suspension, which required a two-thirds majority to pass.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who unveiled the standalone bill over the weekend, blamed President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for its failure.
“The decision by President Biden and Leader Schumer to torpedo this bill to aid the Israeli people in their fight against Hamas is a disappointing rebuke to our closest ally in the Middle East at their time of great need,” Johnson said in a statement following the vote.
The Biden administration had issued a veto threat to the bill on Monday, saying it “strongly opposes” the measure after a bipartisan group of senators came to an agreement on a national security supplemental that includes Israel aid.
Schumer said he was against the bill and wanted Israel aid coupled with aid for Ukraine, Taiwan and the border.
Feb 06, 4:50 PM
Qatari prime minister: Hamas has responded to hostage deal framework
Hamas has formally responded to the proposed framework for a deal exchanging hostages remaining in Gaza for an extended cease-fire, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Tuesday during a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive,” he said via a translator. “However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.”
Hamas in a statement did not say they had agreed to the deal but said they “dealt with” the proposed hostage deal “with a positive spirit.”
However, after receiving the response from Hamas, Israeli officials indicated a deal is still “far off,” according to Israeli political sources.
While Blinken didn’t express the same level of optimism as the Qatari prime minister, he maintained that a hostage deal was within reach, saying now that they had a response from Hamas, negotiators would be “intensely focused on that.”
“We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the government of Israel tomorrow,” Blinken said. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed, essential, and we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.”
When asked about the amount of time it took for Hamas to deliver an answer, the Qatari prime minister said “communication was presenting some challenges” and that “it took some time to get them to a place where we get that response,” adding, “we are hoping to see it yielding very soon.”
Feb 06, 4:02 PM
31 hostages are dead and remain in captivity in Gaza, Israeli sources say
The bodies of 31 hostages remain in Gaza, according to Israeli sources. The 31 hostages either died while being held captive by Hamas or were killed on Oct. 7, the sources said.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Feb 06, 1:31 PM
Qatari prime minister: Hamas has responded to hostage deal framework
Hamas has formally responded to the proposed framework for a deal exchanging hostages remaining in Gaza for an extended cease-fire, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Tuesday during a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive,” he said via a translator. “However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.”
Hamas in a statement did not say they had agreed to the deal but said they “dealt with” the proposed hostage deal “with a positive spirit.”
While Blinken didn’t express the same level of optimism as the Qatari prime minister, he maintained that a hostage deal was within reach, saying now that they had a response from Hamas, negotiators would be “intensely focused on that.”
“We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the government of Israel tomorrow,” Blinken said. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed, essential, and we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.”
When asked about the amount of time it took for Hamas to deliver an answer, the Qatari prime minister said “communication was presenting some challenges” and that “it took some time to get them to a place where we get that response,” adding, “we are hoping to see it yielding very soon.”
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 06, 9:48 AM
Blinken meets with Egypt’s president amid push for new truce
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss Israel’s ongoing war in the neighboring Gaza Strip.
Their “meeting focused on developments in unyielding efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, exchanging detainees and providing access of needed relief aid to end the severe humanitarian catastrophe in the sector,” according to a readout from Egypt’s presidency.
It’s Blinken’s fifth trip to the Middle East since war erupted between Israel and Gaza’s militant rulers, Hamas. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been involved in negotiations between the warring sides.
Feb 05, 11:54 AM
UN secretary-general opens independent review into UNRWA
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced Monday that he has appointed an independent review group to determine whether the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is “doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches when they are made.”
The probe comes amid Israel’s allegations that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attack.
“These accusations come at a time when UNRWA, the largest U.N. organization in the region, is working under extremely challenging conditions to deliver life-saving assistance to the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip who depend on it for their survival amidst one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world,” Guterres said in a statement.
The independent review group will begin its work on Feb. 14 and will provide an interim report by late March. A final report is due April 2024, according to Guterres.
The probe is separate from an investigation the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight is conducting into the allegations.
UNRWA has said it is investigating the allegations and took swift action against those accused of participating in the attack. However, the United States and other top donors have suspended their funding to the agency, which is the biggest humanitarian aid provider in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 8:43 AM
Food convoy hit by Israeli naval gunfire in Gaza, UNRWA says
A food aid convoy waiting to move into the north of the Gaza Strip was struck by Israeli naval gunfire on Monday morning, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“Thankfully no one was injured,” Tom White, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Feb 03, 4:52 PM
House plans vote on standalone Israel aid bill next week
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Saturday the House will vote on a standalone $17.6 billion Israel aid package next week.
“Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package. During debate in the House and in numerous subsequent statements, Democrats made clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was with its offsets. The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally,” Johnson said in a letter to colleagues obtained by ABC News.
This news is a major reversal after House Republicans previously approved a $14.3 billion Israel funding package that included cuts to IRS funding. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not bring this legislation to the floor for vote because of Democrats’ opposition to IRS funding cuts.
Johnson again emphasized the Senate negotiated supplemental will face an uphill battle in the House and attacked Senators for excluding him and the House from the bipartisan talks.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Feb 03, 3:21 PM
IDF deploys 3 divisions to northern border amid Hezbollah attacks
The Israeli military has deployed three divisions to the northern border amid Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference Saturday.
He said the IDF is working to “reshape the security reality” on the northern border, so that some 80,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks can return to their homes.
“We do not choose war as our first option but are certainly ready, and preparing for it all the time, if need be,” Hagari said.
The IDF has struck more than 150 cells, killing some 200 terror operatives, mostly members of Hezbollah, and targeted more than 3,400 Hezbollah sites since the beginning of the war in Gaza, according to Hagari.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walks in the Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 22, 2023 in Austin, Texas. CREDIT: Clive Mason – Formula /Getty Images
(LONDON) — Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has returned to the United Kingdom to see his father, King Charles III, who is battling cancer.
Harry, who now lives in California, was spotted Tuesday arriving at Clarence House, the London residence of Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla.
Buckingham Palace announced Monday that Charles, 75, has been diagnosed with cancer. The palace did not state what type of cancer Charles is battling but noted that he has started “a schedule of regular treatments.”
Shortly after his meeting with Harry, which took place privately, Charles was photographed in a car alongside Camilla as the two traveled to a helicopter to fly to Sandringham, the king’s estate in Norfolk, England.
Harry’s visit with Charles marked the first time he has seen his father since May, when he traveled to the U.K. to attend Charles’ coronation.
At the coronation, Harry sat in the congregation with other members of the royal family and did not play a role in the service at Westminster Abbey. He and his older brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne, did not appear to interact at all during the service.
While Harry is in the U.K., he and William do not have plans to see each other, a source told ABC News.
William’s wife Kate is recovering from a health battle of her own after undergoing what Kensington Palace described as a “planned abdominal surgery” last month. She was released from the hospital on Jan. 29, and is now recovering at the family’s home in Windsor, England, according to the palace.
A palace source told ABC News that Charles personally told both of his sons, Prince William and Harry, as well as his siblings, Princess Anne and Princes Edward and Andrew, about his cancer diagnosis.
On Tuesday, Harry traveled alone to Clarence House to see Charles, just as he did for the coronation, leaving behind his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
Harry, 39, has had a distant relationship with members of his family — most notably Charles and William — over the past four years, since he and Meghan stepped down from their senior royal roles.
Harry’s explosive memoir “Spare,” released last year, in which he described family tensions, appeared to further the distance between himself and his father and brother.
Harry told “Good Morning America” co-anchor Michael Strahan in an interview prior to the memoir’s release that he did not believe the details he shared in “Spare” could make things any worse with his family.
“I have thought about it long and hard,” Harry said. “And as far as I see it, the divide couldn’t be greater before this book.”
Neither Kensington Palace — the office of William and Kate, the Princess of Wales — nor Buckingham Palace, the office of Charles and Camilla, have commented publicly on the claims Harry made in “Spare.”
(NEW YORK) — More than 100 days since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of the neighboring Gaza Strip.
The conflict, now the deadliest between the warring sides since Israel’s founding in 1948, shows no signs of letting up soon and the brief cease-fire that allowed for over 100 hostages to be freed from Gaza remains a distant memory.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 06, 1:31 PM
Qatari prime minister: Hamas has responded to hostage deal framework
Hamas has formally responded to the proposed framework for a deal exchanging hostages remaining in Gaza for an extended cease-fire, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Tuesday during a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive,” he said via a translator. “However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.”
Hamas in a statement did not say they had agreed to the deal but said they “dealt with” the proposed hostage deal “with a positive spirit.”
While Blinken didn’t express the same level of optimism as the Qatari prime minister, he maintained that a hostage deal was within reach, saying now that they had a response from Hamas, negotiators would be “intensely focused on that.”
“We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the government of Israel tomorrow,” Blinken said. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed, essential, and we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.”
When asked about the amount of time it took for Hamas to deliver an answer, the Qatari prime minister said “communication was presenting some challenges” and that “it took some time to get them to a place where we get that response,” adding, “we are hoping to see it yielding very soon.”
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 06, 9:48 AM
Blinken meets with Egypt’s president amid push for new truce
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss Israel’s ongoing war in the neighboring Gaza Strip.
Their “meeting focused on developments in unyielding efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, exchanging detainees and providing access of needed relief aid to end the severe humanitarian catastrophe in the sector,” according to a readout from Egypt’s presidency.
It’s Blinken’s fifth trip to the Middle East since war erupted between Israel and Gaza’s militant rulers, Hamas. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been involved in negotiations between the warring sides.
Feb 05, 11:54 AM
UN secretary-general opens independent review into UNRWA
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced Monday that he has appointed an independent review group to determine whether the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is “doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches when they are made.”
The probe comes amid Israel’s allegations that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attack.
“These accusations come at a time when UNRWA, the largest U.N. organization in the region, is working under extremely challenging conditions to deliver life-saving assistance to the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip who depend on it for their survival amidst one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world,” Guterres said in a statement.
The independent review group will begin its work on Feb. 14 and will provide an interim report by late March. A final report is due April 2024, according to Guterres.
The probe is separate from an investigation the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight is conducting into the allegations.
UNRWA has said it is investigating the allegations and took swift action against those accused of participating in the attack. However, the United States and other top donors have suspended their funding to the agency, which is the biggest humanitarian aid provider in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 8:43 AM
Food convoy hit by Israeli naval gunfire in Gaza, UNRWA says
A food aid convoy waiting to move into the north of the Gaza Strip was struck by Israeli naval gunfire on Monday morning, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“Thankfully no one was injured,” Tom White, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Feb 03, 4:52 PM
House plans vote on standalone Israel aid bill next week
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Saturday the House will vote on a standalone $17.6 billion Israel aid package next week.
“Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package. During debate in the House and in numerous subsequent statements, Democrats made clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was with its offsets. The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally,” Johnson said in a letter to colleagues obtained by ABC News.
This news is a major reversal after House Republicans previously approved a $14.3 billion Israel funding package that included cuts to IRS funding. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not bring this legislation to the floor for vote because of Democrats’ opposition to IRS funding cuts.
Johnson again emphasized the Senate negotiated supplemental will face an uphill battle in the House and attacked Senators for excluding him and the House from the bipartisan talks.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Feb 03, 3:21 PM
IDF deploys 3 divisions to northern border amid Hezbollah attacks
The Israeli military has deployed three divisions to the northern border amid Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference Saturday.
He said the IDF is working to “reshape the security reality” on the northern border, so that some 80,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks can return to their homes.
“We do not choose war as our first option but are certainly ready, and preparing for it all the time, if need be,” Hagari said.
The IDF has struck more than 150 cells, killing some 200 terror operatives, mostly members of Hezbollah, and targeted more than 3,400 Hezbollah sites since the beginning of the war in Gaza, according to Hagari.
Britain’s King Charles III attends a festive themed “Celebration of Craft” at Highgrove House in Tetbury, western England on Dec. 8, 2023. (ADRIAN DENNIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Tuesday that King Charles III’s cancer was “caught early” and he would “continue to communicate with him as normal.”
“He’ll just be in our thoughts and our prayers. Many families around the country listening to this will have been touched by the same thing and they know what it means to everyone,” Sunak told BBC radio. “So we’ll just be willing him on and hopefully we get through this as quickly as possible.”
Buckingham Palace announced Monday evening that the 75-year-old king was diagnosed with “a form of cancer” following a recent procedure to treat an enlarged prostate, which the palace said is unrelated. Charles has started “a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” though he’ll “continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual,” according to the palace.
The palace has not specified the type of cancer, the stage of cancer or the type of treatment.
Charles personally told his two children and his three siblings about the cancer diagnosis, a royal source told ABC News. The king’s younger son, Prince Harry, who along with his wife Meghan stepped back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family in 2020 and moved to California, “will be traveling to the U.K. to see His Majesty in the coming days,” according to a spokesperson.
Charles’ diagnosis comes less than 18 months into his reign as monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. He ascended the throne after the 2022 death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attends the “A Starry Night In The Nilgiri Hills” event hosted by the Elephant Family in partnership with the British Asian Trust at Lancaster House on July 14, 2021 in London, England. CREDIT: WPA Pool/Pool
(LONDON) — King Charles III, 75, has cancer, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.
“During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”
On Monday, Charles started “a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” the palace said, and during this time he’ll “continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.”
The palace has not specified the type of cancer, the stage of cancer or the type of treatment.
“The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure,” the palace continued. “He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”
Charles personally told his children and his siblings, according to a royal source.
Prince Harry spoke with his father and is planning to visit him in the United Kingdom in the coming days, ABC News has confirmed.
Queen Camilla will continue with her public duties, according to a palace spokesperson.
One week ago, on Jan. 29, Charles was discharged from The London Clinic after undergoing a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate, according to Buckingham Palace. Charles was expected to resume public engagements after a “short period of recuperation,” the palace said at the time.
The palace first shared the news of Charles’ medical condition on Jan. 17, announcing that he would be hospitalized for a “corrective procedure.” At the time, the king’s condition was said to be benign, meaning non-cancerous.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on social media wished Charles a “full and speedy recovery.”
President Joe Biden told reporters on Monday he “just tried to call” Charles.
“I’m concerned about him,” Biden said. “I just heard his diagnosis, but I’ll be talking to him, God willing.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on social media he is “thinking of” Charles “and hoping for a fast and full recovery.”
Meanwhile, the king’s daughter-in-law, Kate, the Princess of Wales, is recovering from a Jan. 16 “planned abdominal surgery”, according to Kensington Palace.
The surgery was “successful,” according to the palace. Kate, 42, was discharged from the hospital on Jan. 29 after a nearly two-week stay. Kate, who is married to Prince William — Charles’ son and heir to the throne — and is a mom of their three young kids, is now recovering at home.
Charles was 73 years old when he became king in September 2022, following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
ABC News’ Katie Kindelan and Zoe Magee contributed to this report.
2023 Unprovoked Shark Attacks Globally — ABC News, Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File
(NEW YORK) — Ten people died from unprovoked shark attacks globally in 2023, a slight uptick over the five-year average, according to a Florida-based database that tracks the rare events.
After investigating 121 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide last year, the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File determined there were 69 unprovoked shark bites, most of which occurred in the United States and Australia, according to a new report released on Monday. That number is in line with the five-year average of 63 incidents annually from 2018 to 2022, the report said.
Twenty-two shark attacks last year were determined to be intentionally or unintentionally provoked, the report said. Among those, there were four fatalities, it said.
Provoked bites occur when a human “initiates interaction” with a shark, such as through spearfishing or attempting to feed it, the report said. Unprovoked bites are defined as those occurring on live humans in the shark’s natural habitat with no human provocation.
“We’re biologists and so we want to know what the natural behavior of these animals is,” Gavin Naylor, director of the International Shark Attack File, told ABC News. “When they come closer to shore, is it associated with a full moon? Is it associated with fish spawning?”
The five-year global average for unprovoked fatalities is six, compared to 10 in 2023, the report said.
“The most conspicuous thing seems to be the number of fatalities,” Naylor said of the 2023 findings, though he emphasized the increase in unprovoked fatal attacks does not mean much statistically due to the small numbers represented.
Three of the unprovoked fatal bites involved white sharks attacking surfers in Australia, according to the report. The attacks occurred in waters off the Eyre Peninsula, a remote surfing destination in Southern Australia.
“We’ve had blips in fatalities up and down each year, but I do think that the white shark populations are doing a little bit better,” Naylor said, pointing to healthy seal populations, which sharks feed on.
The U.S. saw the largest number of confirmed unprovoked shark attacks globally last year, with 36, according to the report. That is down from 41 in 2022.
Florida reported the most unprovoked bites in 2023, with 16, the database found, followed by Hawaii (eight) and New York (four).
After the U.S., Australia saw the second-highest number of unprovoked shark attacks last year, with 15.
Naylor said there are likely shark attacks not included in the database, such as ones that were never reported to officials or covered by the media.
“I think that we do a good job of collecting data for countries with infrastructure that report these kinds of things, and so then it’s comparable one year to the next because we’re dealing with apples-to-apples comparisons,” he said. “But do I think that we’re catching every single bite that happens around the world every year? Absolutely not.”
The odds of being bitten are incredibly low, the report noted. Though to limit risk, it recommends staying close to shore, avoiding swimming at dawn or dusk and avoiding excessive splashing.
(NEW YORK) — More than 100 days since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of the neighboring Gaza Strip.
The conflict, now the deadliest between the warring sides since Israel’s founding in 1948, shows no signs of letting up soon and the brief cease-fire that allowed for over 100 hostages to be freed from Gaza remains a distant memory.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 05, 8:43 AM
Food convoy hit by Israeli naval gunfire in Gaza, UNRWA says
A food aid convoy waiting to move into the north of the Gaza Strip was struck by Israeli naval gunfire on Monday morning, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“Thankfully no one was injured,” Tom White, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Feb 03, 4:52 PM
House plans vote on standalone Israel aid bill next week
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Saturday the House will vote on a standalone $17.6 billion Israel aid package next week.
“Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package. During debate in the House and in numerous subsequent statements, Democrats made clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was with its offsets. The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally,” Johnson said in a letter to colleagues obtained by ABC News.
This news is a major reversal after House Republicans previously approved a $14.3 billion Israel funding package that included cuts to IRS funding. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not bring this legislation to the floor for vote because of Democrats’ opposition to IRS funding cuts.
Johnson again emphasized the Senate negotiated supplemental will face an uphill battle in the House and attacked Senators for excluding him and the House from the bipartisan talks.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Feb 03, 3:21 PM
IDF deploys 3 divisions to northern border amid Hezbollah attacks
The Israeli military has deployed three divisions to the northern border amid Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference Saturday.
He said the IDF is working to “reshape the security reality” on the northern border, so that some 80,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks can return to their homes.
“We do not choose war as our first option but are certainly ready, and preparing for it all the time, if need be,” Hagari said.
The IDF has struck more than 150 cells, killing some 200 terror operatives, mostly members of Hezbollah, and targeted more than 3,400 Hezbollah sites since the beginning of the war in Gaza, according to Hagari.
